Garlicky Creamed Greens Pie
Source: Jessie Sheehan, Salty, Cheesy, Herby, Crispy Snackable Bakes
Recipe Type: Appetizers and Sides | Seasons: Autumn, Winter
This recipe appears in Salty, Cheesy, Herby, Crispy Snackable Bakes by Jessie Sheehan (Countryman Press, 2024) and was demonstrated at the Foodwise Classroom on November 30, 2024.
My birthday tradition is a steak dinner at Peter Luger’s in Brooklyn, and although I adore the steak (and the copious amounts of whipped cream [aka schlag] served with every dessert), I’m really all about the creamed spinach. Something about the combo of cream and spinach just works for me in the most delicious of ways. This pie is a love letter to that dish, but with kale and Swiss chard thrown in for good measure. Yes, cleaning, stemming, and cutting greens is time-consuming, as is mincing 3 tablespoons of garlic… so, if you can find pre-washed greens in bags and jarred minced garlic, I encourage you to purchase and use both with abandon.
Makes one 9-inch pie
INGREDIENTS
Filling
¼ cup olive oil
3 tablespoons minced garlic
2 pounds hearty greens, such as spinach, dinosaur kale, and Swiss chard (about 3 bunches), stems removed, leaves sliced into ribbons and chopped roughly
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1¼ cups heavy cream
4 ounces full-fat cream cheese
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Crust
One batch Magic Melted Butter Pie Dough
2 tablespoons panko bread crumbs
PREPARATION
- Heat the oven to 400°F. Have ready a 9-inch pie plate.
- Make the greens: Heat the oil in a large pot over medium to medium-high heat and add the garlic. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add the greens, salt, pepper, and garlic powder to the pot and cook, covered, until wilted, stirring frequently with a flexible spatula, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Whisk the cornstarch into the heavy cream in a small bowl, pour the mixture over the greens, and bring to a boil, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the cream cheese until it fully melts.
- Stir in the nutmeg and let cool (preferably in the refrigerator) while you make the pie dough.
- Using your fingers, evenly press the pie dough onto the bottom and up the sides of the pie plate, crimping the edge with a fork, if you so desire. Sprinkle the bottom with the bread crumbs.
- Transfer the filling to the crust and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the center of the filling is set and the crust is browned. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack until just warm or at room temperature, and serve.
Magic Melted Butter Pie Dough
Makes 1 crust
INGREDIENTS
1¾ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¾ teaspoon granulated sugar
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ cup unsalted butter, cubed
3 tablespoons whole milk
PREPARATION
- Whisk together the flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder in a large bowl.
- Heat the butter and milk in either a 2-cup glass measuring cup, if you have one, or a glass bowl in a microwave on high, in three 30-second bursts, stirring in between each, or in a small saucepan on the stovetop over medium-high heat, until the butter is melted and the milk is steaming hot—the mixture doesn’t need to boil.
- Pour the hot liquid over the flour mixture and stir with a fork until the mixture holds together when squeezed.
- If you are preparing the dough for a single-crust pie, transfer it to your pie plate. If you are preparing the dough for hand pies, galettes, or mini pies, turn out the dough onto a work surface and knead a few times until smooth. In either case, use it immediately.
