Almost every nation has a popular main-course pie. Any pie with vegetable or meat filling and served as a main course is a savory pie. The most common savory pies are pot pies, shepherd pies, and quiches. Savory pies were out of favor for some time, but have recently made a comeback according to the International Herald Tribune, particularly in Australia. Early Australian settlers brought the pie to the continent, where it currently enjoys its greatest popularity, but almost every country has their own preferred version. Australians eat meat pies for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and it is estimated that the population of 20 million people consumes over 500 million pies each year. Meat pies are served at sporting venues, convenience stores, and gas stations, and they’re the most popular on-the-go, ready to eat meal in Australia.
There are several decent frozen savory pies available at the grocery store (Marie Callendar's is a definite frontrunner), but they will never be as good as a homemade pie. Easy, economical, and great for today's busy family schedules - prepare a few on the weekend, then just throw them in the oven in the evenings for a quick (yet satisfying and nutritious) dinner. Follow up with a sweet pie for dessert, and you can really Go Pie!
Ham and Cheese Quiche 
1/2 pound sliced ham
3 beaten eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 tsp salt
dash of nutmeg
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese (cheddar works best)
1 tbsp flour
Blind Bake pie crust.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Stir together eggs, milk, salt, and nutmeg.
Stir in ham.
Toss cheese and flour together, then add to egg mixture.
Pour into pie crust.
Bake for 35-40 minutes.
Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
Shiitake, Leek and Chicken Sausage Pie
2 tbsp sunflower oil, divided
2 links chicken apple sausage, sliced
1 large leek, chopped
2 cups sliced shiitake mushrooms
1 tsp chopped basil
Salt to taste
3 eggs
3/4 cup sour cream
1 cup grated cheese (such as Swiss, cheddar or Manchego)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
Dash of Worcestershire sauce
Pepper to taste
Paprika
1 Basic 9" Pie Crust (unbaked)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Heat 1/2 tablespoon of the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook sausage for a few minutes on each side until browned.
Transfer to a plate and set aside.
Heat remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons oil in the same skillet over medium heat.
Add leeks, mushrooms, basil, and salt. Cook 7 to 10 minutes, or until leeks are translucent and mushrooms are tender.
Stir in sausage.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, sour cream and both cheeses.
Add Worcestershire, salt and pepper, then stir in the leek and sausage mixture. Pour into pie crust, spreading it out evenly.
Sprinkle with paprika and bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until puffed and golden brown.
Set aside for 10 minutes, then slice and serve.
BBQ Pie
1 Basic 9" Double Pie Crust (unbaked)
1/4 cup red pepper, diced
1/4 cup green pepper, diced
1 jalapeno, diced
1/4 cup onion, diced
1 tbsp oil
1/3 cup ketchup
1/3 cup yellow mustard
1/3 cup molasses
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp hot sauce
4 to 4 1/2 pounds pork butt
Salt and Pepper
Egg wash
Prepare BBQ sauce: Saute peppers and onion in oil until soft. In a bowl, mix ketchup, mustard, molasses, brown sugar, and hot sauce. Pour over vegetables and stir. Simmer 3-5 minutes.
Smoke pork butt: Season the pork with salt and pepper (rub it in well) and smoke 1-2 hours, basting 2 or 3 times with BBQ sauce. When it's done, slice it into 1/4-1/2 inch slices. Mix with BBQ sauce.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Add pork to pie crust, apply top crust and seal edges. Brush with egg wash. Slice steam vents into the top.
Bake 50-55 minutes, until golden brown.
Hamburger and Spinach Pie
1 Basic 9" Double Pie Crust (unbaked)
1 lb. lean ground beef
5 eggs
2 (10 ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
16 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
Egg wash
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Cook beef until well browned. Break into tiny pieces and drain well.
In a large bowl, combine the eggs, beef, spinach, and cheeses, and fill pie crust.
Apply top crust and seal edges. Brush with egg wash. Slice steam vents into the top.
Bake 60-75 minutes, until golden brown.
Shepherd's Pie
4 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp finely chopped onion
1/4 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
salt and pepper
5 carrots, chopped
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1 pound lean ground beef
2 tbsp flour
1 tbsp ketchup
3/4 cup beef broth
1/4 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
Boil potatoes until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain and mash. Mix in butter, onion and 1/4 cup shredded cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste; set aside.
Boil carrots until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain, chop, and set aside.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Sauté onion until clear. Add ground beef and cook until well-browned. Drain excess fat, then stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Add ketchup and beef broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
Spread the ground beef in an even layer on the bottom of a 2-quart casserole dish. Layer the carrots on top of that. Top with the mashed potato mixture and sprinkle with remaining shredded cheese.
Bake for 20 minutes, until golden brown.
Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 1/2 cup vegetable broth (reserved from cooking the vegetables)
2/3 cup milk
2 cups broccoli, chopped into florets
2 cups cauliflower, chopped into florets
1 cup carrots, sliced
For the topping:
3 large russet potatoes
1/4 cup butter
1/3 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste
Blind bake the pie crust.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Prepare the filling: Cook vegetables in boiling water until tender, but firm. Drain and set aside.
Melt butter in saucepan. Whisk in flour, salt, and pepper. Cook over low heat until smooth and bubbly.
Stir in vegetable broth and milk. Bring to a boil, stirring continuously.
Stir cooked vegetables into sauce mixture.
Prepare the topping: Peel potatoes and chop into small pieces. Boil until tender. Drain and mash.
Add butter, milk, salt, and pepper, and mix well.
Pour vegetables into pie crust. Top with potato topping.
Bake 25 minutes. (Optional: After baking, place under broiler to brown the top.)
Old-Fashioned Sweet Potato Pie
2 cups peeled, cooked, cubed sweet potatoes
1 1/4 cups sugar, divided plus a pinch
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) melted butter
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract or 1 to 2 tbsp bourbon
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 cup milk
1 Basic 9" Pie Crust (unbaked)
3 egg whites
Cream the sweet potatoes with an electric mixer. This will produce a smooth, creamy pie with no lumps.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Filling:
In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, 1 cup of the sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla, salt, and spices. Mix thoroughly. Add the milk, stirring until well combined.
Pour the mixture into the pie crust and bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes our clean. Place the pie on a rack and cool to room temperature before covering with meringue.
Meringue:
Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form; beat in the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. Continue beating until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is glossy and stiff, but not dry. With a rubber spatula, spoon the meringue mixture on the pie, forming peaks. Make sure the meringue touches the crust all around.
Sprinkle with a pinch of sugar. Bake for 5 to 10 minutes, or until delicately browned. Cool and serve.
Easy Sweet Potato Pie
1 (1 pound) sweet potato
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 Basic 9" Pie Crust (unbaked)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Boil sweet potato whole in skin for 40 to 50 minutes, or until done. Run cold water over the sweet potato, and remove the skin.
Break apart sweet potato in a bowl.
Add butter, and mix well with mixer.
Stir in sugar, milk, eggs, nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla.
Beat on medium speed until mixture is smooth.
Pour filling into an unbaked pie crust.
Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. (Pie will puff up like a soufflé, and then will sink down as it cools.)
Sweet Potato Quiche
1 Basic 9" Pie Crust (unbaked)
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 sweet potato, boiled, peeled, and sliced thin
1/2 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup frozen corn
1/4 cup green pepper, chopped
1/4 cup red pepper, chopped
olive oil, dash
1 tomato, chopped
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Sauté onion, garlic, and peppers in olive oil.
When onion turns translucent, turn off the heat and add the tomato.
Whisk eggs, and add milk slowly. Add spices to egg mixture.
Spoon 3/4 of the onion mixture into pie crust.
Layer slices of sweet potato over that.
Sprinkle evenly with cheese.
Add another layer of potato slices.
Top with the rest of the onion mixture.
Pour the egg mixture over all, letting it seep through into all openings.
Bake uncovered for about 45 minutes.
Chicken and Biscuit Pot Pie
Cooking spray
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
4 tsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1/2 pound green beans, trimmed and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups lowfat milk
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup peas, thawed if frozen
1 1/2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Spray a large shallow casserole dish with cooking spray.
Season the chicken with 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 2 teaspoons of the oil over a medium-high heat. Add the chicken to the pan and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer the chicken with its juices to a bowl.
Add 2 more teaspoons of oil to the same pan and heat it over a medium-high heat. Add the onions, carrots and celery and cook until the vegetables begin to soften. Add the green beans, garlic and remaining salt and pepper and cook for 2 minutes more. Add the milk. Stir the flour into the broth until it is completely dissolved and add to the pan. Cook, stirring, until the mixture comes to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 2 minutes more. Return the chicken with its juices back to the pan. Add the peas and thyme and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Spoon the mixture into the baking dish.
Prepare the biscuit crust and drop in 6 mounds on top of the chicken mixture.
Bake until filling is bubbling and the biscuit topping is golden brown, about 20 minutes.
Easy Chicken Pot Pie
1 Basic 9" Double Pie Crust (unbaked)
2 (10 3/4 ounce) cans cream of potato soup
1 (16 ounce) can mixed vegetables
2 cups diced chicken, cooked
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 egg wash (optional)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Combine potato soup, vegetables, chicken, milk, thyme, and pepper and pour into pie crust.
Cover with top crust and crimp edges to seal.
Brush with egg wash.
Slit top crust to allow steam to escape.
Bake 40 minutes.
Quiche Lorraine
1 Basic 9" Pie Crust (unbaked)
6 slices bacon (uncooked)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 cups shredded swiss cheese
1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk
3 eggs
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp nutmeg
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cook bacon in skillet. When it starts to brown, add the onion. Cook until bacon is crisp, then drain.
Sprinkle the cheese into the bottom of the pie crust.
Top cheese with bacon and onion mixture.
Mix together the evaporated milk, eggs, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Pour into crust.
Bake for 30-35 minutes. Cool before serving.
Hot Chicken Salad Pie Recipe
2 cups diced, cooked white chicken meat
1 cup diced celery
1 tsp salt
dash of pepper
1/4 tsp oregano
1 tbsp chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1 cup shredded cheese
1-1/2 cups mayonnaise
Crushed Potato Chips
Blind Bake pie crust.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In large bowl, mix all the ingredients together (except the pie crust and potato chips). Make sure the mixture is well moistened.
Pour mixture into baked pie crust and top with crushed potato chips.
Bake for 25 minutes.