Cheese and onion pie
This is the one recipe that I can’t take full credit for. My friend KT, the token veggie in the friendship group since we were kids, once made this for me for dinner. My first instinct was… a cheese and onion pie? Bit basic, I’ll probably miss the meat and I’ll have to nod and smile as I pretend to really like it. But honestly, it was a game-changer. I’ve tweaked it a bit along the way and now it’s yours for a weekly dinner.
I was also vegetarian for nearly two years so I’ve come to appreciate a proper good veggie option. We don’t all want butternut squash risotto. Apologies for anyone who loves a risotto (I’m legit a fan) but why can’t we have a cheese and onion pie every so often?
For this recipe, you’ll need my shortcrust pastry recipe, which you can find here. You’ll also need my classic cheese sauce recipe, which again you can find here!
This recipe is from my book, Poppy Cooks: The Food You Need
Photographs © Louise Hagger, 2021
Ingredients
The shortcrust pastry
- 2⁄3 recipe quantity of Shortcrust Pastry (see link above for the shortcrust pastry recipe)
For the cheese and onion pie
- 1⁄2 recipe quantity of classic cheese sauce recipe (see link above for the full recipe)
- a small knob of butter, for greasing
- a little plain flour, for dusting
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 4 large onions, peeled and sliced
- 1⁄2 bunch of chives, chopped
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 egg, beaten, for brushing
- salt and black pepper
Method
- If you haven’t already, make your half quantity of Cheese Sauce, which you can find linked above. Set this aside until you’re ready to use it.
- Grease a 20cm/8 inch springform or loose-bottomed cake tin with butter (you can use an oven dish, but a tin means you can remove this magnificent beast as a centrePIEce).
- Lightly dust your work surface with flour. Break off two thirds of the pastry and roll it out to a disc about 33cm/13 inches in diameter and about 3mm/1/8 inch thick, keeping it as round as possible. The pastry disc needs to be large enough to overhang the sides of the tin. Re-wrap the remaining third of pastry and put it back in the fridge until later.
- In whatever way seems easiest to you (I am a pick-it-up-and-hope-for- the-best kinda gal myself, but you could use a rolling pin to help you, if you prefer), carefully transfer the disc into the tin and gently let it sink into the hollow. Tear off a little bit of the pastry, roll it into a ball and use it to gently press the pastry disc into the corner around the base, and up the side to create a wall. Make sure there are no gaps or holes and that you have an overhang over the edge of the tin or dish. Pop this in the fridge to chill and rest while you make the filling.
- Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium–high heat. When hot, add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10–15 minutes, until they are just getting a tiny bit of colour. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add the cheese sauce, chives and mustard, then remove the pan from the heat and transfer the filling to a bowl. Leave to cool slightly, then chill in the fridge for about 20–30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 190°C/170°C fan/375°F/Gas 5. Roll out the remaining third of pastry on a floured surface to a disc about 24cm/ 91⁄2 inches in diameter and about 3mm/1/8 inch thick, to form the pie lid.
- Pour the chilled filling into the pastry case. Using a splash of water, dampen the rim of your pie and lift your pastry lid over the top.
- Press the pastry edges together, then use a knife to trim off any excess. (You can use the trimmings to make decorations for the top, if you like – just stick them on with a little beaten egg.) Do a little crimpy, crimp between your finger and thumb or with a fork, to seal. Make 2 little slits in the top of the pie so the steam can escape and the filling doesn’t ooze out.
- Brush the whole thing with beaten egg, place on a baking sheet and bang the pie in the oven for 40 minutes, until you have crispy, golden goodness. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before releasing and serving (or serve in the pie dish, if that’s what you used).