Tasty pie formulas to mark Pi Day

By Susan McClanahan

March 14 is Pie Day, or should I refer to it as Pi Day? My nephew and niece, Nathaniel and Ariel Kinsey, who are math lovers, will know Pi is 3.14, and all of us know March 14 is 3/14, so we can all rejoice and celebrate whichever Pi(e) Day we choose.

Who says that pie has to be sweet and round and include a crust? I think we could all agree some of the best pie we have ever eaten was a good chicken potpie or a cheese-and-pepperoni-loaded pizza pie. Today, as we prepare for Pi(e) Day, I am sharing a few pie recipes to get your own creative thoughts going to help you celebrate the day as you choose.

Taco Chicken Pie

• 2 unbaked pastry shells (9 inches)
• 2 cups cubed cooked chicken
• 2 envelopes taco seasoning, divided
• 2/3 cup salsa
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 8 large eggs
• 2 cups half-and-half cream
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies
• 1/2 cup sliced ripe olives

Line unpricked pastry shells with a double thickness of heavy-duty foil. Bake at 400 degrees for 4 minutes. Remove foil; bake 4 minutes longer.

In a small bowl, combine chicken and one envelope taco seasoning; spoon into pastry shells. Top with salsa and cheese. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, cream, butter and remaining taco seasoning. Stir in chilies and olives. Pour over cheese.

Cover edge of quiches loosely with foil; place on baking sheets. Bake at 400 degrees for 33-35 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.

Freeze option: Cover and freeze unbaked quiches. To use, remove from freezer 30 minutes before baking (do not thaw). Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place quiches on baking sheets; cover edge loosely with foil. Bake as directed, increasing time as necessary for a knife inserted near the center to come out clean. Yield: 2 quiches (6 servings each).

Cheesy Chicken and Leek Phyllo Pie

In our house, chicken potpie is a year-round staple. For a springtime feel, we use leeks and mushrooms and a lighter phyllo dough crust. If you don't have Gruyere, try Parmesan.

• 6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 2 medium leeks (white portion only), thinly sliced
• 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 can (5 ounces) evaporated milk
• 3 cups cubed cooked chicken
• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons shredded Gruyere cheese, divided
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 10 sheets phyllo dough (14x9-inch size)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Add leeks and mushrooms; cook and stir 3-4 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in flour until blended; gradually stir in stock and milk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly; cook and stir 3-4 minutes or until thickened. Stir in chicken, 3/4 cup cheese, thyme, salt and pepper.

Brush a 9-inch pie plate with some of the remaining oil. Place one sheet of phyllo dough into prepared pie plate, allowing ends to extend over edges of dish; brush with oil. (Keep remaining phyllo covered with plastic wrap and a damp towel to prevent it from drying out.) Layer with seven additional phyllo sheets, brushing each layer with oil and rotating sheets to cover the pie plate. Transfer chicken mixture to crust.

Gently fold in ends of phyllo over filling, leaving an opening in the center. Crumble the remaining phyllo sheets over filling; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Brush edges with remaining oil. Bake 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Yield: 6 servings.

Elegant Turkey Pie

• 1/2 pound sliced baby portobello mushrooms
• 2 shallots, chopped
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 cups cubed peeled butternut squash
• 1 cup chopped sweet red pepper
• 1/2 cup sliced fennel bulb
• 2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth, divided
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup 2 percent milk
• 3 cups cubed cooked turkey breast
• 2 tablespoons sherry or additional reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon rubbed sage
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 10 sheets phyllo dough (14x9-inch size)
• Refrigerated butter-flavored spray

In a large skillet, saute mushrooms and shallots in oil until tender. Add the squash, red pepper and fennel; saute 5 minutes longer. Add 1/4 cup broth. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.

Sprinkle flour over vegetables; cook and stir for 1 minute. Gradually add milk and remaining broth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in the turkey, sherry and seasonings; heat through. Transfer to a 2-quart baking dish coated with cooking spray.

Stack all 10 phyllo sheets. Roll up, starting with a long side; cut into 1/2-inch strips. Place strips in a large bowl and toss to separate; spritz with butter-flavored spray. Arrange over turkey mixture; spritz again. Bake, uncovered, at 425 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Yield: 6 servings.

Chicken Noodle Pie

• 3 pounds rotisserie chicken, shredded into large chunks
• 12 ounce dry whole grain extra wide pasta, cooked according to package directions
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup plus 4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 cups frozen peas
• 2 cups store bought carrots, shredded
• 1 large can refrigerated crescent rolls
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly spray a 9x13-inch casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. Shred the chicken and set aside.

Cook pasta according to the package directions. In a large skillet, melt butter. Sprinkle flour over top of melted butter. Whisk the flour into the butter. Continue whisking 10 minutes until the flour reaches a nice brown (This will give the gravy a nutty flavor).

Slowly whisk in half of the chicken stock. Whisk until smooth. Add remaining stock, heavy cream, poultry seasoning, salt and pepper. Whisk until smooth and the gravy thickens (about 10 minutes). Add peas, carrots, shredded chicken and cooked pasta.

Stir to combine. Pour into prepared casserole dish. Open the can of crescent rolls. Unroll and place on top of the chicken mixture. Press to the edges and seal the perforated seams.

Brush on the 2 tablespoons of melted butter and sprinkle with pepper. Cut slits for air vents. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until the pastry topping is light and golden.

Fudge Brownie Peanut Butter Pie

Our son Ross enjoys any dessert using chocolate and peanut butter. I have a feeling he is going to love this recipe and may become one I make for him quite often.

• 1 box fudge brownie mix, 18 ounces
• 1 package deep dish frozen pie crust (thawed)
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 (8 ounce) carton whipped topping, thawed

Mix brownie mix according to directions on box. Spread 1/2 cup of the mix into one thawed pie crust (you can always make brownies with the rest). Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes or until crust is golden brown and brownie is set. While cooling, mix the cream cheese (mixes best if cheese softened to room temp) with the powdered sugar. Mix until creamy. Then mix in the peanut butter until well blended. Mix in 1/2 of the tub of whipped topping until well blended. Spread the mixture into the crust when it is completely cooled. Spread the remaining whipped topping over the filling and if you wish you can top it with miniature peanut butter cups. Refrigerate for at least an hour and enjoy. Yields 8 servings.

Banana Cheesecake Pie

• 1 premade large graham cracker crust
• 2 blocks (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• 1 box (3.4 ounces) banana cream instant pudding
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 ripe bananas, mashed
• 1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 15 vanilla wafers, chopped

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In the bowl of your stand mixer, or using a handheld electric mixer, combine cream cheese and sugar until smooth, about 2 minutes on medium speed. Add in eggs and mix until combined.

In a separate bowl, mash up bananas using potato masher or fork. Squeeze in the juice from the lemon, watching for the seeds. Stir until combined. Add the powdered instant pudding and the mashed bananas to the cream cheese mixture. If you are using a stand mixer, it's really important that you scrape down the sides of your mixing bowl often. Mix until combined. Batter will be thick.

Put vanilla wafers into zip-top plastic bag, and crush using your hands or a rolling pin.

You want to leave some of them chunky so that you'll see bits of wafer in the cheesecake when you cut into it. Gently fold the wafers into the cheesecake batter.

Spread batter into graham cracker crust. Bake in the oven for about 55-60 minutes.

It'll be a pit puffy when you first take it out of the oven, but will settle down as it cools.

Allow cheesecake to cool for several hours in the refrigerator before serving. Serve this with a dollop of whipped cream and a slice of banana and vanilla wafer on top.

Cook's Notes: This cheesecake can be made without the bananas. The instant pudding gives this cheesecake a lot of banana flavor so if you skip the mashed banana step, you'll still have a great tasting cheesecake pie.

Have a great week and, until next time, happy cooking.