Sheila Connolly's Ham and Cheese Pie #giveaway

Ham and Cheese Pie from Sheila

Another oldie but goodie from my mother’s 1960’s stash of recipes! Not that I remember her making it—most of the meals I remember at home were strictly meat-starch-veg. Her version of this recipe was made with Bisquick. I found myself reverse-engineering the stuff, which is ridiculously simple (flour, baking powder, salt and shortening). It's not a lot of work so that leaves you time to read Fatal Roots, #8 in the County Cork mystery series in bookstores now! And be sure to leave a comment below to be entered in the giveaway of one copy of FATAL ROOTS...

Ham and Cheese Pie

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked ham, diced

1 cup cheese (my mother’s version called for Swiss cheese, but any semi-hard cheese that you can shred will be fine—just taste it for saltiness before you add any additional salt), shredded

1/2 cup green onions (scallions) or yellow onion, chopped

4 eggs

2 cups whole milk

1 cup Bisquick (or make your own--see below)

salt and pepper

Note: if you don’t have any Bisquick handy, you can make your own by mixing:

1 cup flour

1-1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1 Tblsp. shortening, olive oil or melted butter

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a 10-inch pie plate.

Sprinkle the diced ham over the bottom, then the cheese over the ham.

Beat together the remaining ingredients (yes, including the scallions or onion) until smooth. Pour the mixture over the ingredients in the pie plate.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. (Note: this time may vary widely depending on the type of pie pan you are using. In a metal pan the pie will cook more quickly than in a glass or pottery pan.) You can test for doneness by inserting a knife into the center of the pie to see if it comes out clean and/or wiggling it to see if the center is set.

Remove from the oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.

My verdict for this vintage recipe? I was happily surprised: it tasted really good. The flavors of the slightly smoky ham, the sharp cheddar that I used, and the onions blended well. I also wondered if it would collapse into a gooey mess when I tried to cut it, but the pieces held their shape well. And it’s easy to make (once you finish chopping and shredding), plus you can swap out ingredients. Feel free to experiment!

Praise for Fatal Roots:

"Likely to appeal to readers who love Irish settings, Irish folklore, and Irish chatter."

—Kirkus Reviews

"Series fans will enjoy spending time in the company of old friends."

—Publishers Weekly

"The perfect cozy mystery with its small setting full of colorful characters, multiple points of intrigue, and a strong, sassy heroine."

—Foreword Reviews

"Intriguing and whimsical with just the right amount of menace, Fatal Roots is a cozy mystery that’s full of surprises."

—Foreword Reviews

"Satisfying...For fans of the series, but this should also work with those [who] enjoy gentle reads."

—Booklist

LEAVE A COMMENT TO BE ENTERED IN THE DRAWING FOR THE NEW BOOK!

RELEASE DAY NEWS: Fatal Roots by Sheila Connolly

Congratulations to our own... 

SHEILA CONNOLLY

On the release of her new 
County Cork Mystery

FATAL ROOTS

Some secrets are too big to stay buried...

A few months ago, Boston expat Maura Donovan was rekindled with her mother after more than twenty years of absence. Since then, Maura has been getting accustomed to Irish living, complete with an inherited house and a pub named Sullivan's. But now, her mother has returned--and she's brought Maura's half-sister in tow. To make matters more confusing, a handful of Cork University students are knocking on Maura's door asking about a mystical fairy fort that happens to be located on Maura's piece of land.

The lore indicates that messing with the fort can cause bad luck, and most everyone is telling Maura not to get too involved for fear of its powers, but Maura is curious about her own land, and she definitely doesn't buy into the superstition. Then one of the students disappears after a day of scoping out the fort on Maura's property.

Maura treads carefully, asking the folks around town who might have an idea, but no one wants anything to do with these forts. She has to take matters into her own hand--it's her land, after all. But when she uncovers a decades-old corpse buried in the center of the fort, nothing is for certain.

FATAL ROOTS

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