Pies for Dinner Menu

Pie. Yes, it's an American staple.

But it suffers, and sometimes rightly so, from a reputation of being finicky to make and predictable to eat. It’s high time pie got a modern-day makeover.

These unique creations have made that leap. Their flavor combinations are unexpected and they’re astonishingly easy to prepare. Each of these four pies is simple enough to make for a quick weeknight dine-and-dish, but they're also impressive enough to have guests making happy noises.

Dan Roberts[+]

First Course: Cranberry Brie Pie

Brie lovers can safely add another 2 ounces of it to the bottom of this appetizer pie, but we found that adding a whole 8-ounce wheel completely unbalances the flavors.

Prep: 30 min. Bake: 30 min. Yield: 8 servings

• 3 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup orange juice
• 3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
• 1 sheet refrigerated pie pastry
• 4 oz. Brie cheese, finely chopped
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsp. butter

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup cold butter, cubed

In a small saucepan, combine the cranberries, brown sugar, orange juice, flour and vinegar. Cook over medium heat until berries pop, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, unroll pastry into a 9-in. pie plate; flute edges. Sprinkle with cheese and bake at 450° for 8 minutes.

Remove cranberry mixture from the heat; stir in vanilla. Pour into crust. Dot with butter.

For topping, in a small bowl, combine flour and brown sugar; cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over filling.

Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly (cover edges with foil during the last 20 minutes to prevent overbrowning if necessary). Serve warm or at room temperature. Refrigerate leftovers.

Dan Roberts[+]

On the Side: Sweet Potato Pie with Blue Cheese and Bacon Lattice

A 28-ounce can of sweet potatoes contains just over the 2 cups you’ll need for this recipe. Mix the extra with a little brown sugar and butter and slather on a toasted English muffin.

Prep: 20 min. Bake: 65 min. Yield: 8 servings

• 1 sheet refrigerated pie pastry
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups mashed sweet potatoes
• 1/4 cup half-and-half cream
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese

• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 4 tsp. balsamic vinegar
• 8 thick-sliced bacon strips

Unroll pastry into a 9-in. pie plate; flute edges

In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, sweet potatoes, cream, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice and salt; beat until blended. Pour into pastry shell.

Bake at 350° for 45-50 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean (cover edges with foil during the last 15 minutes to prevent overbrowning if necessary). Sprinkle with cheese. Cool on a wire rack.

Increase oven temperature to 400°. Combine the brown sugar and vinegar; press mixture onto both sides of bacon strips. Arrange bacon on a broiler pan to form a lattice. Lightly coat the bottom of a baking sheet; place over lattice.

Bake for 15 minutes. Uncover; bake 5 minutes longer or until edges are crisp. If necessary, trim edges; place lattice on pie.

Cut with a serrated knife. Serve cold or at room temperature. Refrigerate leftovers.

Dan Roberts[+]

Bacon Lattice? Oh Yeah.

Make your bacon lattice directly on the top of a broiler pan. You won't be able to move it (successfully) after the designs been made. A helpful hint: Line the pan part of the broiler pan with aluminum foil. There will be a lot of sticky grease you don’t want to have to scrub off.

When trimming the cooked bacon, we found that inverting another pie plate onto the lattice and trimming around the edges works well. Just make sure you do this alone because you’re going to want all the tasty trimmings for yourself. There are times to share, but this isn't one of them.

Dan Roberts[+]

Dan Roberts[+]

The Main Event: Curried Lamb Pie with Pears

For a quick vegetarian main dish, drop the lamb and use vegetable broth. Adjust the filling mixture with whatever fresh veggies you have on hand, simmer, and serve over rice. Cauliflower is an especially good choice as it soaks up the sauce nicely. Spend an extra buck or two for good quality curry powder.

Prep: 45 min. Bake: 45 min. + standing Yield: 6 servings

• 1 lb. ground lamb
• 1 medium carrot, sliced
• 1⁄3 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup butter, cubed
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 can (14 1/2 oz.) chicken broth
• 1 can (14 oz.) coconut milk
• 1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
• 1 Tbsp. curry powder
• 1⁄8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• Dash salt
• 1 large pear, peeled and diced
• 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley, optional
• 1 pkg. (14.1 oz.) refrigerated pie pastry
• 1 egg
• 2 Tbsp. water

In a large skillet, cook lamb over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Remove lamb and keep warm.

In the same skillet, saute carrot and onion in butter and oil until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in flour until blended; cook and stir for 4 minutes or until golden brown (do not let burn).

Gradually add the broth, coconut milk, tomato sauce, curry powder, pepper flakes and salt. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2-3 minutes or until thickened. Add lamb, pear and parsley, if desired.

Line a 9-in. deep-dish pie plate with bottom crust; trim pastry even with edge. Spoon filling into crust. Unroll remaining pastry; place over filling. Trim, seal and flute edges. Beat egg and water; brush over pastry. Cut slits in pastry.

Bake at 350° for 45-50 minutes or until filling is bubbly and top is golden brown. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

Dan Roberts[+]