Happy Pi Day! Contrary to popular belief, pies aren’t always the sweet, decadent dessert that first comes to mind (though we won’t say no to those either!). They can be savory meals to share with friends and family, or to have delicious leftovers for later if you’re eating solo. Check out a few of our favorite savory and sweet pies to celebrate 3.14 day!
Pimento Cheese Tomato-Herb Pie
Pimento cheese and vine-ripened tomato is a great Southern culinary combination that is currently experiencing a resurgence. Enjoy this pie by Virginia Willis as precursor to summer hangouts around the grill.
Pav Bhaji Samosa Pies with Bee Tree Farm Raita
By Priya Krishna and Deepa Shridhar
Indian and Texan flavors play well in this shareable dish topped with creamy, goat skyr-based raita. Ferment tomatoes for the pie filling ahead of time—you’ll use the juice to make the pie dough. You’ll need a 1-gallon ceramic crock for this recipe.
Herbed Feta and Cheddar Hand Pies
By Elaine Khosrova, Photographed by Mark Ferri and Styled by Leslie Orlandini
The small hand pie can be filled with all kinds of sweet and savory fillings. Kale takes the lead in this one, fortified by the zing of feta and richness of cheddar. Use your own double-crust pie pastry recipe, or take a short cut and use store-bought rounds sold in the refrigerated section.
Sweet Manchego Empanadas
These hand pies by Jackie Botto are filled with the classic combination of membrillo (quince paste) and Manchego. Quince or apple preserves could also be used if membrillo is not available. The dough can be made ahead of time and frozen for later use.
Caramel Apple Pie with Smoked Cheddar Crust
By Amy Scheuerman
Some folks enjoy a slice of cheddar with their apple pie. We take that Yankee and Midwest custom to the next level by baking cheese right into the crust and drizzling slices with salted caramel to amplify the umami richness. Use a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate for this recipe.
Chicken-Feta Phyllo Pie
Feta’s no-melt texture holds up to all kinds of baking, including this savory hand pie by Tenaya Darlington and Jacqueline Plant. For best results use dark-meat chicken in this recipe, which will stay moist during the pie baking.
Mini Beef and Blue Cheese Pies
Gilded with crowns of puff pastry, these pies by Amy Schueurman make for a rich supper on cold early spring nights. Use mini soufflé pans or ramekins for this recipe.
Alli Beard
Alli Beard hails from the Midwest but currently resides in Washington, D.C. On her breaks from Instagram-scrolling and cheese-tasting, Alli enjoys listening to her ever-growing vinyl collection, avidly following St. Louis sports and reading poetry at her local coffee shop.
