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Savory Pie with Onions and Processed Cheese
Instructions
For the filling you will need fresh onions: take 4–6 large onions or 6–8 medium ones – the "secret" of a tender pie is a generous amount of onion. The onions should be fresh, without dark patches or sprouted "green" shoots inside (which give bitterness).
Peel the onions thoroughly and slice them AS THINLY AS POSSIBLE into half-rings of 1–2 mm. Thin slicing is critical – "thick" onion stays "tough" in the finished pie, while thin onion "melts" into the filling. On the cutting board, immediately separate the strips of onion with your hands.
Heat the vegetable oil (4 tbsp) in a large frying pan over the LOWEST heat. Low temperature is the "secret" of the right way to fry the onion for this pie. Over high heat the onion will "fry up" into brown crisps with a bitter aftertaste. Put all the sliced onion into the pan and sauté over low heat for 15–20 minutes until TRANSPARENT – there should be "NO golden colour". Stir constantly with a silicone spatula for even heating. Add salt (½ tsp) and ground black pepper to taste. Transparent onion "melts" into the filling, golden onion stays in pieces.
Meanwhile, prepare the processed cheese. Take 4 CREAMY cheeses without any added flavours (NOT "with mushrooms", NOT "with herbs", NOT "bacon"). To make the cheeses grate more easily, chill them in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or in the freezer for 5 minutes.
Grate the chilled cheeses on the COARSE side of a grater straight into a separate bowl. You will get soft "noodles" of cheese. Do not use the fine side – the cheese will "clump" into a paste and will not dissolve properly into the filling.
Transfer the transparent cooked onion to a large deep mixing bowl.
Immediately, WHILE THE ONION IS STILL HOT, add the grated processed cheese. THIS IS CRITICAL: the hot onion "melts" the cheese, and they "merge" into a smooth, tender mass. If the onion has cooled, warm it back up in the pan.
Using a silicone or wooden spatula, mix everything to a smooth mass – the cheese will completely "dissolve" into the hot onion. You will get a tender "cheese-and-onion" mass with a light creamy aroma. At this stage be sure to taste the filling for salt and pepper, and add seasoning if needed. Set the bowl aside to let the mass cool to room temperature (15–20 minutes).
Crack 4 eggs into a separate bowl, add salt and pepper to taste. Whisk the eggs with a whisk or fork until uniform for about 30 seconds – you do not need a fluffy foam, it is enough to combine the yolks with the whites.
Wash the parsley and dill (1 bunch) thoroughly, pat dry and finely chop with a knife.
Add the chopped greens to the egg mixture and stir – the greens will give a "fresh" note and pretty "green flecks" in the finished pie.
Once the cheese-and-onion mass has cooled, add the egg mixture with the greens to it.
Mix everything thoroughly into a smooth mass. Since the mass now contains raw eggs, DO NOT TASTE it any more! The salt and pepper must be adjusted BEFORE adding the eggs. The finished filling is a thick, "creamy" mass with flecks of greens.
Take the chilled shortcrust pastry out of the refrigerator. Take the dough out 30 minutes before you start so it warms slightly for easier rolling. I use my classic shortcrust pastry with butter and sour cream (300 g flour + 200 g butter + 6 tbsp sour cream + baking soda).
Roll the dough into a "sausage" and visually divide it into 3 equal parts. Cut off one part (⅓) for the top "dome" of the pie and set it aside. Work with the remaining ⅔ for the bottom "base".
Lightly dust the work surface with flour and roll the ⅔ of dough into a rectangular sheet 3–4 mm thick.
Prepare a baking dish – a round one 24–26 cm in diameter, or oval (as in my example). Carefully transfer the rolled-out dough to the dish. Spread the dough across the bottom and up the sides – do not stretch it, but the dough should fully cover the sides to a height of 4–5 cm.
Carefully transfer all of the prepared filling into the lined dish. Distribute it evenly with a silicone spatula, filling all the space.
Roll out the remaining ⅓ of dough to the same 3–4 mm thickness for the top crust.
Cover the filling with this sheet "in contact" – so there are no air pockets. There should be enough dough for the sides – press the top sheet to the bottom one with your fingers, sealing the edges together.
With a sharp knife, trim the excess dough from the sides – the edge should be "level", since the dough will sink slightly during baking.
For decoration, make 3–5 cuts on top with a knife (so it "breathes" during baking) and sprinkle with white or black sesame seeds (1 tbsp). Preheat the oven to 170°C on the top-bottom mode. Bake the pie for 35–45 minutes until the top is golden and rosy. Five minutes before it is done, you can brush the top with beaten egg for extra colour.
The savory pie with onion and processed cheese is ready! Take it out of the oven and let it "rest" for 15 minutes before slicing. Serve it cold or slightly warm – cut into 10 portion pieces.
In cross-section the pie has a smooth, creamy filling in which neither the onion nor the pieces of cheese can be seen. We achieved this because we mixed the still-hot onion with the cold cheese. It is ideal with soup, for the festive table, or for a snack.
Tips
- 1
Mix the HOT onion with the grated cheese – this is the "secret" of a smooth filling with no visible pieces of onion.
- 2
Sauté the onion over the LOWEST heat until transparent, not golden – "golden" onion stays "tough" in the filling.
- 3
Slice the onion as thinly as possible, 1–2 mm – thick onion stays "tough". I bake quiche Lorraine with bacon on a similar principle.
- 4
Chill the dough in the refrigerator for 2 hours in advance – cold dough is easier to work with and "will not spread". You can use my classic shortcrust pastry recipe for the base.
FAQ
What can replace the processed cheese in the filling? +
The following will work: cream cheese (curd-style) for a more "tender" version, 200 g; mascarpone (200 g) for a more "Italian" version with a soft creamy texture; ricotta (200 g) for a lighter version with a touch of acidity; grated brynza (300 g) for a salty, piquant version; crumbled feta (250 g); Adyghe cheese (300 g) for a tender Caucasian version; or a 50/50 mix of hard cheese (Parmesan, cheddar) with curd cheese (200 g of each) for a "gourmet" version. Processed cheese is the "classic" Soviet-style choice because of its ability to "melt" into the hot onion without lumps.
Can I bake the pie with a different filling? +
Yes, the shortcrust-pastry technique with a "savoury" filling is universal. Options include: mushroom (350 g button mushrooms + onion + sour cream), meat (300 g sautéed mince + onion + spices), chicken (300 g boiled chicken + onion + cheese), vegetable (pumpkin, carrot, leek with cheese), cheese (300 g of various cheeses + basil + cherry tomatoes, as in quiche Lorraine), fish (200 g salmon + cream + dill), or bacon-and-cheese (the classic French quiche). Each filling gives its own character. The onion-and-cheese version is the "most budget-friendly" and universal classic for a family pie.
How long does the finished pie keep? +
The finished pie keeps in the refrigerator for up to 4 days in a tightly closed container or under cling film. On the second day the flavour is even richer – the filling "soaks" fully into the shortcrust pastry. Before serving, reheat it in the oven for 5–7 minutes at 150°C under foil to restore its softness. You can also freeze it in portions for up to 1 month in airtight bags – before serving, defrost at room temperature for 1 hour and warm in the oven for 5–10 minutes. It is a handy homemade make-ahead dish for guests or a quick supper "for work". Ideal for Sunday baking to cover 2–3 future lunches at once.
What goes well with the savory pie? +
It is ideal with soups and borscht as a "second course" to the first: Ukrainian borscht, Russian shchi, rassolnik, kharcho, vegetable soup-purée or mushroom soup. As a standalone "snack" – cold or warm with a cup of tea or coffee. For the festive table as an appetiser – cut it into small portion pieces and add pickled gherkins and olives. It also works with a fresh vegetable salad for a light supper. For drinks – black or green tea, coffee, light beer (for the "party" version), or dry white wine (Riesling, Chardonnay). For work it makes a "lunch in a box" with a thermos of soup.
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