The Great Big Pie Bake-Off (Recipe: I Don’t Want Earl’s Baby Pie)

by Sandie on September 29, 2009

What do you get when you take 5, movie-loving, pie-baking bloggers, add 5 of the best pie recipes from the film Waitress, a pinch of determination and one, cool graphic from Donal Skehan? The Great Big Pie Bake-Off, that’s what!

Inspired by the film Waitress, a small team of enthusiastic bloggers has united to cast a spotlight on this endearing film and the foundation established to memorialize Adrienne Shelly (the film’s talented writer, director and co-star).

I hope you’ll join each participating blogger as we share our experiences, baking our way through 1 of 5, unique pie recipes, each as enchanting as the film they star.

About the Great Big Pie Bake-Off

With recipe choice assigned on a first-come, first-served basis, I attempted to adhere to an inn-cuisine theme, selecting, perhaps, the most unusual pie of the 5, I Don’t Want Earl’s Baby Pie, the only savory pie recipe featured on Waitress promotional materials.

Chock full of Brie, smoked ham, green onions and a tempting custard kissed with nutmeg, I Don’t Want Earl’s Baby Pie is a quiche befitting any weekend brunch. Simple and straight forward to make, I enjoyed eating this pie far more than I thought possible. Setting my preconceived (and inaccurate) notions aside, each ingredient in this quiche came together to equal far more than the sum of its parts, taking on a flavor and nuance more smooth and refined than anything I imagined.

Under normal circumstances, I might not have given this pie a shot. But because I was in it for good, old-fashioned blogging fun, I decided to be daring and am ever so glad I took a chance. While I wouldn’t suggest serving this quiche to a family with picky eaters small children, I do think it’s something adventurous cooks (and eaters) might enjoy, especially if they fancy a bit of the unusual. Slightly smokey, slightly salty and packed with custardy goodness, I Don’t Want Earl’s Baby Pie is something every pie lover should experience, particularly if interested in expanding your savory repertoire.

I Don’t Want Earl’s Baby Pie

- a savory quiche, perfect for brunch -

(featured on Inn Cuisine as part of the Great Big Pie Bake-Off, recipe from the film Waitress)

  • 1 pie crust
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 3 slices ham (I substituted prosciutto, which may be too salty for some)
  • 8 green onions
  • 1 cup (8 ounces) Brie cheese, thinly sliced (I used Alouette® Baby Brie®)
  • 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cover pie crust with foil and bake for 1o minutes. Remove foil and bake 5 minutes more. Remove crust and reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F. For more detailed information on how to partially bake a pie crust, click here.

Julienne ham; finely chop green onions. In a preheated skillet (over medium heat), saute ham until browned; remove and set aside. Saute onion until tender; remove with slotted spoon and combine with ham. Spread ham and onion mixture on the bottom of the partially-baked pie crust. Spread Brie over this mixture, then top with grated Parmesan. In a deep bowl, whisk eggs, cream and nutmeg until thoroughly combined; pour over cheese. Place quiche in preheated 325 degree F oven and bake for 30-35 minutes or until the center of the quiche is set (middle no longer jiggles when shaken). Remove quiche from oven, allow pie to cool slightly, cut into wedges and serve.

Yield: Serves 8

Interested in other Waitress pie recipes? Keep an eye on these fellow food bloggers, also participating in the Great Big Pie Bake-Off:

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{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }

1 Sophie September 29, 2009 at 6:27 am

What a rich quiche: decadent, rich & so fabulous too!!!

MMMMMMMMMMM,…

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2 patsy September 29, 2009 at 8:11 am

Your quiche looks fantastic! That is one of those recipes that I haven’t found time to make yet… but I really need to now!

Thanks for putting together such a fun blogging project!

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3 Lynda September 29, 2009 at 10:02 am

This looks rich and delicious! I’ve enjoyed seeing each different pie.

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4 Tiffany Rosenberger September 29, 2009 at 11:19 am

I’ve never had a quiche with Brie cheese but it sounds heavenly!

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5 Lori @ RecipeGirl September 29, 2009 at 12:02 pm

This one looked great to me- I love Brie in a quiche! Thanks for organizing this fun project :)

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6 grace September 29, 2009 at 1:31 pm

pie is pie, and i’ll take it however i can get it. interesting name for an interesting dish–the presence of brie has drawn me in!

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7 maris September 29, 2009 at 6:30 pm

Cute idea! Sounds delish. We missed you at BlogHer Food!!

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8 Aska Lodge B&B - Mary Jo September 29, 2009 at 7:20 pm

This looks wonderful! I’m sure our guests would love it, but….once they see that name on the menu board, they might not come down for breakfast! Perhaps I’ll rename it….maybe Sandie’s Scrumptious Savory Pie?

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9 Sandie September 30, 2009 at 12:36 pm

Mary Jo – That cracked me up! Why not leave it as “I Don’t Want Earl’s Baby Pie?” It’s definitely a conversation starter, especially knowing your husband’s name isn’t Earl! :)

Maris – I missed you guys too!

Grace – Have you seen the film Waitress? If not, rent it. I think you’d like it.

Lori – You’re welcome. It was a fun side project to participate in!

Tiffany – I hadn’t either, but it’s divine. I’m a big fan of Brie.

Lynda – I agree—it’s been fun to see everyone’s individual take on this event.

Patsy – You’re welcome. My husband in particular loved this quiche (me too—more than I could have imagined. I don’t know what I was expecting, but certainly not for it to turn out as appetizing as it did)!

Sophie – This quiche is amazingly well-balanced. The flavors meld so well and (as a whole) this pie takes on an entirely unexpected dimension. I hope you’ll try it!

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