Ham Pie (Pizzagain) is an Italian staple at Easter time. My mom would make several of these and give them to relatives and friends as a sign of good will. I hadn't had a slice of Ham Pie since my mom passed in 2004 and was hankering for some. But with the amount of salt normally found in the meats, and with the addition of a heavy crust, it seemed like a lot of work for something I only wanted a taste of. My wife, Marion, never cared for Ham Pie.
But we searched for, and finally found this recipe in one of the Facebook cooking groups. The original recipe is from Paula M Devaney but I've adapted it. Paula's recipe produces two (2) large pies so I cut it in half.
Ingredients
1/2 stick pepperoni, diced
1/2 stick diced hard salami, diced
1/2 pound fully cooked ham, diced
4 ounces cheddar cheese , cubed
4 ounces muenster cheese, cubed
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/8 cup skim milk
3/4 cup flour
5 eggs
Directions
Beat eggs, flour and baking powder together in a medium-large bowl.
Fold in the milk.
Add cheeses and meats
Turn into a heavily greased pie plate. (Note: I used parchment paper here to cut down the amount of fat.)
Bake in a 350 degree F oven for about 55-60 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean.
When done, remove from oven and allow to cool at least 15-20 minutes.
Can be served hot or at room temperature.
Refrigerate unused portions. Will keep for up to a week in the refrigerator.
Ham Pie makes a nice lunch when served with a tossed salad.
CAUTION: For those with a low-to-no-salt dietary restriction, it is best not to have too much of this. The meats used are mostly processed meats with a higher sodium content as are the cheeses. A little bit of the Ham Pie goes a long way.
NOTES: This crustless recipe goes a long way to cutting down on the carbs. The fat content is fairly high here thanks to the cheeses.
It is okay to swap the cheeses used above for cheeses of your choice (a low fat cheese, perhaps).
In any event, enjoy this annual Italian treat.
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