Aunt Ron's Onion Pie

by Kimberley Thompson, Tastemaker in Residence

photo from taste of home

I have to admit coming up with a "favorite pie" recipe for blogging rather threw me. Not certain how to break this to everyone; it seems so .... un-American ... but here I go.

I. Do. Not. Like. Pie.

Sorry, it is true. My apologies, Mom. I have never liked dessert pies be they apple or otherwise. Too sweet. Too predictable. Too blah.

However, if one meant SAVORY pies when requesting my favorite recipes to share; there I could wax on for several minutes! So, yes you guessed it, I am sharing 2 of my "go-to’s" for SAVORY pies! (Which are perfect in our current frozen temps here in MN!)

The first one is from my Aunt Ron; she shared it with my late father back in the '70s. She was a marvelous cook who completed in major baking events, and often won or placed! A clever, intuitive cook; she made do with what she had available to her up in Northern Minnesota and eventually Alaska.

Aunt Ron's Onion Pie

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups crushed Zesta saltine crackers (and yes, it does make a difference!)

3/4 cup of melted butter, note you will be using 1/2 cup in crust and 1/4 cup sautéing onions

1/4 tsp black pepper

2 large sweet (Vidalia) onions thinly sliced and separated into rings

4 eggs, beaten

3/4 cup milk

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp Tabasco

1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Put cracker crumbs in mixing bowl and pour over the 1/2 cup of melted butter. Add the black pepper. Toss until well blended. Pat into a buttered 9" glass pie plate and pat out evenly on the bottom and up the sides. Set aside as you prepare the filling.

3. Over medium heat, pour remaining melted butter into a large saute pan and toss in the thinly sliced onions. Slowly cook them, stirring often until all the onions are translucent. About 15 minutes.

4. In a medium bowl, take the 4 beaten eggs and add to the milk, sour cream, salt and Tabasco sauce. Mix well. 

5. Take the onions and gently spoon them into the cracker crust. Level the onions so they fill the whole crust. Slowly pour the egg and mil mixture over the top of the onions. Scatter the Swiss cheese over the top.

6. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, take pie out of the oven and allow to set for 5 minutes. Slice and serve with your favorite green salad or as a delicious side to roasted meat.

7. I do tend to use a bit more cheese...but that is personal. (Sometime I will tell the long and anguished story about my relationship will cheese!)

8. If you are from anywhere "South," you will recognize this pie better with a crust made from crushed Ritz crackers.

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My other favorite Savory pie is more akin to comfort food than a pretty pie. In other words, it tosses together quickly and does not need to be perfect! You’ll find it here. Traditional British Fish Pie or “Cobbled Cod Pie!”