So, my mom makes a dish called Hamburger Pie. It’s got meat and veggies on the bottom with a mashed potato “crust” on the top. And I love it. This dish is not that recipe. Bummer. This dish has a cottage cheese-type “crust” on the top. I love cottage cheese.
I’m always looking for good recipes to use ground venison in. If I make something and call it “hamburger,” you can be about 99% sure it’s really made from ground venison – because that’s how I roll.
As we continue with Cooking Through Stacy’s Stash, I’m making Hamburger Pie…which is really Venison Pie. Which could also be called Deer Pie. But you can use hamburger – or turkey – or chicken. We can still be friends.
This week we’re cooking from 365 Ways to Cook Hamburger. Man – what a cool cookbook! I picked this beauty up at a yard sale. It’s chock full of great ideas for ground meat. If you’re weird like my friend The Humbled Homemaker and only eat chicken (I love you, Erin!), then this book would still work for you – you could easily use ground turkey or chicken in the recipes.
There are no pictures in this cookbook…which makes me sad. I like seeing pictures of food so that I can know just how badly I messed it up when mine is finished. “Oh man…mine is black. Their cake isn’t black. Oops.”
Meatloaves, meatballs, soups, chilis, etc. If it’s ground, it can be found. I’m a poet and don’t know it – my feet are Longfellow’s. LOL Oh dear. Or deer. One of those.
Sooooooooooooo, this cookbook was published in 1958. Because of that, some of the ingredients were wonky. I chose this recipe mainly because the recipe called for MSG. Yes. You heard me. It CALLED for MSG. Obviously, I left that out.
It also called for a biscuit crust made from “Bisquick-like” stuff. I don’t buy that anymore – I don’t make it either. I know it’s pretty easy to make, but I didn’t really feel like this recipe needed it. If you want to make a pie crust for it, my Pat-in-the-Pan Pie Crust would work GREAT!
I sorta did my own thing. I added a can of tomatoes that it didn’t call for…and some extra seasoning. As I said, I left off the pie crust, but I did still use the cottage cheese topping.
I added thyme and oregano, left out the MSG (snort), and added some diced tomatoes.
This recipe is very quick and easy to whip up…even with a baby on your back and your 3.5 year old running laps around your legs. True story.
Verdict – very tasty. I thought it was WAY better left over the next day. This isn’t my favorite recipe from Cooking Through Stacy’s Stash, but we all ate it…even Annie. I had to drain the dish twice – after it cooked there was a bunch of juice around the edges.
I would definitely make this again if I needed to get rid of some cottage cheese – otherwise, I’ll just eat my cottage cheese plain. Yum.
Hamburger Pie
- 1 pound ground beef (or any meat)
- ½ large onion, chopped
- 1, 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon thyme
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- ½ cup shredded cheddar
- Brown hamburger in a large skillet with the onions. Drain.
- Add tomatoes and seasonings; bring to a boil.
- Pour mixture into a greased 9 inch deep dish pie pan.
- In a small bowl, combine cottage cheese and eggs. Spoon evenly over meat.
- Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Drain juice if desired.
- Sprinkle with cheese and return to oven for a few minutes so cheese can melt.
Yield: 4 servings
Thank you for posting the photo from 365 Ways to Cook Hamburger. My mother cooked from that book and one of our favorites was the hamburger pie. I’m so happy to have the original recipe. And I’m going to try your crust!
Wonderful!!!!
Oh my gosh, you’re so funny.
And this sounds delicious. I love ground beef (or venison… as long it’s red meat and ground). Like… it’s one of my favorite comfort foods. Maybe that makes me weird. But thanks for the recipe!
Meat. Girl. I love meat!
Does the cottage cheese taste funny after cooking? This seriously looks good though.
Nope – tastes like it does in lasagna! 🙂
I’m not a fan of cottage cheese, but this is a good idea. Way to take an old recipe and make it new again. Oh, and we’re often rolling (not literally) in the ground venison too. BIL is a hunter, and butchers right next door. Talk about fresh!
YUM! That’s a huge perk! 🙂 I drive about 20 minutes to get to our butcher. Not too bad though.
This looks really good. I don’t think I have hamburger…or cottage cheese….or shredded cheddar…but when I do, I am going to try this. It’s all printed and ready to go! Thanks, Stacy!
GIRL! Those are things I always keep! 🙂
Sounds good! I do like some of those old comfort food recipes. (without the msg of course 😉
I made corn moussaka last week, and we really enjoyed. It was similar to your hamburger pie since it had a cottage cheese topping.
I have never had moussaka…I need to fix that.
Thank you for the recipe……looks yummy and I am going to make it tonight!
Have a blessed Monday, Stacy!
Brenda
Oh mercy – I hope you liked it. If not, blame it on the MSG.
Stacy,
I added green beans just cuz I had leftovers and just cuz that’s what I do 🙂
The recipe was good……it did get liquidy, but other than that all went well. Will do again 🙂
Thank you again!
Have a good evening and a restful night!
Brenda
You cook like my Mama. 🙂 I’m glad it turned out well! I guess it’s the tomatoes causing all the liquid.
Wow, I’ve never seen MSG like that in a recipe! I didn’t know you could just buy that terrible stuff. Crazy. Question: does the topping TASTE like cottage cheese? Cause I love the idea, but the husband and I both hate that taste…
Funny thing, you can STILL buy MSG at the store – it’s in the spice section. :-/
sound interesting. never used cottage cheese as a “crust”…..but i love cottage cheese!! wondered sbout sprinkling a Tbsp or 2 of brown rice on the bottom of your dish before baking? how much liquid did you drain? that would keep the juices in-usually my favoite part 🙂 while not letting it be “runny”
I probably drained a total of 1/2 cup of liquid. We don’t care for brown rice, but that sounds like a good idea!
couscous or barley? 🙂 we’re not big fans of brown rice either. lol….
Quinoa. 🙂
🙂
I am a cookbook junkie, but like you I am very put out if I do not find plenty of colorful pictures when I pick up a cookbook. I’ve even ‘not’ purchased cookbooks for lack of pictures. I’m weird like that.
I LOL’d when I read that the original recipe called for MSG – oh how times have changed!
I know right? I love reading old stuff and seeing how they used to cook. 🙂
Ooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you for this! I have all the ingredients on hand and it sounds heavenly and EXACTLY what I need right now.
🙂 I hope you enjoy it! Let me know if you have to drain it too…maybe I just didn’t drain my tomatoes enough or something.
I like the cottage cheese idea! That’s brilliant 🙂
Wait – you didn’t like the MSG idea? Bummer. 😉