With apple season in full swing, and cooler weather on the way, here’s a casserole pie that combines sweet Italian sausage with tart green apples, and a mix of cheeses.
Our neighbor Pat (the wonderful neighbor who has been teaching me all about organic gardening) brought over this delicious casserole for a block party recently. What a hit!
Cheesy Apple and Sausage Pie Recipe
- Prep time: 15 minutes
- Cook time: 1 hour
- Pre-bake crust time: 40 minutes
- Yield: Serves 8
Ingredients
- 1 basic pie dough recipe, rolled out and lining a 9 or 10-inch pie dish, or 8×8 baking dish, chilled (or one frozen pie crust)
- 2 large tart green apples, peeled and sliced 1/4-inch thick
- 1/2 medium onion, chopped (about half a cup)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 3 Tbsp butter
- 3/4 lb sweet Italian sausage (bulk, or removed from casings)
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded fontina, provolone, and or asiago cheese
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1/4 cup feta cheese
- 2 eggs, slightly beaten
Method
1 Pre-bake the pie crust: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line the inside of a pie shell with heavy aluminum foil, pressing against the dough on the sides. Fill all the way to the rim with pie weights (sugar or beans work well). Bake for 35 minutes or until the crust begins to brown. (Sometimes store-bought frozen crusts do not require as much baking time as homemade crusts.)
Remove the pie crust from oven and let cool. Remove the foil and pie weights.
2 Cook the apple, onions, sugar in butter: Melt butter in a large skillet on medium heat. Add the apples, onions, and sugar, cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes.
In the last 30 seconds or so, add the garlic and cook until fragrant. Transfer mixture to a separate bowl.
3 Cook the sausage: Add the Italian sausage to the skillet. Cook on medium heat, stirring only infrequently, until sausage is cooked through. Remove from heat.
Remove the sausage with a slotted spoon to a dish lined with paper towels to absorb the excess fat.
4 In medium sized bowl, mix together the cheeses and beaten eggs.
5 Layer sausage, apple mixture, and cheese mixture in pie crust: Place sausage on bottom of pre-baked pie crust. Add the cooked apple onion mixture over the sausage.
Pour the cheese egg mixture over the apple mixture and spread it so it evenly covers the pie.
6 Bake: Bake at 350°F for 35 to 40 minutes, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
