My Transatlantic Pie
One of my favorite all time recipes from the Better Homes and Gardens new casserole cookbook. I took the above picture from a picture in the cookbook.
One of my favorite all time recipes from the Better Homes and Gardens new casserole cookbook. I took the above picture from a picture in the cookbook.
- 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup frozen peas thawed
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 medium carrot shredded
- 1 teaspoon dried basil crushed
- 1 package (8) refrigerated crescent rolls
- 1 half teaspoon dried oregano crushed
- 1 fourth teaspoon fennel seed crushed
- 1 half cup shredded process swiss cheese ( 2 ounces )
- 6 tomato slices
- Carbohydrate 14.9238616682132 g
- Cholesterol 56.3238019371078 mg
- Fat 13.3463400845601 g
- Fiber 3.30941670731703 g
- Protein 18.5432769317606 g
- Saturated Fat 5.41406182140792 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (327g)
- Sodium 123.560244053689 mg
- Sugar 11.6144449608962 g
- Trans Fat 1.94488728078568 g
- Calories 252 calories
Step-by-step
- Unroll dough and separate into rolls. Arrange in an ungreased 9 inch pie plate, pressing pieces together to form a crust.
- In a large skillet cook ground beef, onions, and carrot until meat is brown. Drain fat from skillet. Stir in flour, basil, oregano, and fennel seed. Add milk all at once. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Add cheese. Cook and stir until cheese melts. Stir in peas. Turn mixture into unbaked crust.
- Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until heated through. Arrange tomato slices over pie. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Big 2 minutes more. Garnish with parsley, if desired. Let's stand 5 minutes before cutting.
Operating within a strict thirty-minute preparation window requires organizing ingredients so components cook efficiently without burning. Ground beef releases moisture quickly upon contact with a hot skillet; draining this excess liquid prevents the pastry crust from becoming soggy during baking. Crushed dried herbs release essential oils faster than whole leaves when heated in fat, creating a savory depth that penetrates the protein and vegetables uniformly. Swiss cheese provides melting properties derived from its fat-to-protein ratio, binding the milk and pan juices into a cohesive emulsion.
- Brown the ground beef and shredded carrots at medium-high heat for approximately eight minutes to develop Maillard reactions on the meat surface.
- Crush dried basil, oregano, and fennel seeds in a mortar and pestle just before adding them to release trapped volatile compounds.
- Press the refrigerated crescent roll dough firmly into a nine-inch pie plate, sealing the seams completely to prevent liquid from leaking underneath.
- Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for twenty to twenty-five minutes until the pastry turns golden brown and the filling bubbles actively at the edges.
- Allow the baked pie to rest for five minutes before slicing to let the dairy proteins set the interior structure.
Swapping frozen peas for fresh garden peas alters cooking times since fresh green legumes require blanching to achieve proper tenderness. Preserved or canned aromatics lack the pungent sulfur compounds found in freshly chopped onions, shifting the overall savory balance.
