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"Impossible" Ham-and-Cheese Pie

Source of Recipe

From "All-Time Best Brunch" by America's Test Kitchen


Recipe Introduction

"This brunch pie is so named because its 'crust' materializes while it bakes, encasing the rich, indulgent filling in a crisp, buttery shell as if by magic. Falling somewhere between a quiche and a strata, 'impossible' pies were popular in the 1970s, calling on Bisquick and a handful of stir-ins to turn out an ultraconvenient brunch; our revamped version still keeps things simple while also bringing in fresh, bold flavors. For a savory filling that baked up crisp on the outside, forming the crust, and stayed creamy and custardy, not cakey, on the inside, we prepared a simple but rich mixture of flour, baking powder, half-and-half, and eggs, adding Dijon mustard and nutmeg for some extra nuance. Coating the pie dish with nutty Parmesan cheese ensured flavorful browned edges. We poured the batter over a selection of full-flavored ingredients that minimized prep work—scallions, diced deli ham, and shredded Gruyère—and baked the pie on the lowest rack for maximum exposure to the oven's heat. From its crisp crust-like edges to rich, full-flavored filling, the only thing impossible about this pie was resisting a second slice."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened, plus 2 tablespoons melted
â—¦ 3 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese
â—¦ 8 ounces Gruyère cheese, shredded (2 cups)
â—¦ 4 ounces thickly sliced deli ham, chopped
â—¦ 4 scallions, minced
â—¦ ½ cup (2 ½ ounces) all-purpose flour
â—¦ ¾ teaspoon baking powder
â—¦ ½ teaspoon pepper
â—¦ ¼ teaspoon salt
â—¦ 1 cup half-and-half
â—¦ 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
â—¦ 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
â—¦ â…› teaspoon ground nutmeg


Recipe

Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9-inch pie plate with softened butter, then coat plate evenly with Parmesan.

Combine Gruyère, ham, and scallions in bowl. Sprinkle cheese-ham mixture evenly in bottom of prepared plate. Combine flour, baking powder, pepper, and salt in now-empty bowl.

Whisk half-and-half, eggs, mustard, nutmeg, and melted butter into flour mixture until smooth. Slowly pour batter over cheese-ham mixture in plate. Bake until pie is light golden brown and filling is set, 30 to 35 minutes. Let pie cool on wire rack for 15 minutes; slice into wedges and serve warm.

Serves 8