This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure here.

This recipe, originally a French-Canadian favorite, became popular in New England. This dish also tends to be most popular during Lent, in the weeks leading up to Easter. This recipe is a seafood version of the French-Canadian recipe Tourtière, a traditional meat pie that is also enjoyed throughout Canada and New England. This Salmon Pie as well as the Meat pie tend to be served at holidays. I find them to be a great, year round dish.

Ingredients for Salmon Pie

Like many recipes that I ask my mother about, her response is usually, “I don’t have a recipe, this is what I do.” or “I don’t measure, I just add…”. So in my efforts to remember these recipes, I make these recipes with the information she gives me and add my own touch as I see fit, but never enough to alter the flavor of it much, then document them on here. 

• Salmon – Typically canned salmon is used but I have also made it with fresh salmon fillets.
• Potatoes –  Yukon Gold or Russet potatoes are best. The higher starch potatoes hold up best for the fluffy consistency and flavor with the other ingredients.
• Onions – Yellow onion is usually used but any type can work just fine.
• Garlic, Thyme, butter, milk, as well as 2 pie crusts.

Tools you will need for Salmon Pie

• Rolling Pin
• 1-  9 inch pie pan
• Large skillet – cast iron is best
• Potato masher or mixer
• Large mixing bowl or the pot you boiled the potatoes in

How to Make Salmon Pie with Sourdough Crust

Prepare the crust

First you will want to prepare your pie crust. You can use store bought or homemade pie crust forgoing the sourdough. I prefer to have the benefits of the fermented flour.

If you choose to long ferment your pie crust, “feed” your starter 24 hours before you plan to make your pie or you can use sourdough discard.

Add 2 cups of all purpose flour, 2 teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon sugar to a large bowl, mix together. Add 1 cup of cold cubed butter and mix together. Don’t over mix, you want a chunky consistency. This may be easier to mix together with your hands or a potato masher to break up the butter into smaller pieces. Add in 1 cup of fed sourdough starter or discard and mix until combined. Divide into 2 sections and form a disk with each and wrap in plastic wrap, then refrigerate overnight to ferment. You could leave it out on the counter to ferment but refrigerating for the fermenting does best to make a flaky crust.

When your ready to make your pie, roll out your pie dough on a lightly floured surface to about an inch larger then your pie pan, about 9″ inches. Do this with both disks. Place the bottom crust in the pan and gently fold the second crust in half and put on top of the pan and place both in the fridge until your ready to add the filling.

Prepare the Salmon Pie Filling

Preheat your oven to 400 F

Next, add about 6 medium potatoes to a pot and fill till just covered with water and bring to a boil on high heat. Once boiling, lower the heat to medium-low and allow to cook until fork tender, about 15-20 minutes. Careful not to over cook them, you don’t want them to absorb too much water, it’ll make for a soggy pie.

You can peel the potatoes if you choose, if you don’t, just check for any discoloration or bruises and remove them.

While your potatoes are cooking, preheat a cast iron frying pan on medium heat with 2 tablespoons butter. Finely chop an onion and add it to the pan and cook until it starts to become translucent. Add your minced garlic and cook until onions are cooked, don’t brown them.

Once the potatoes are cooked, drain and mash the potatoes. To the mashed potatoes, add the onion mixture, thyme and 4 tablespoons butter and 1/2-3/4 cup milk. Add salt and ground black pepper to taste. Mix well until creamy, add more milk if necessary. 

Drain 2 cans of wild caught salmon and add to a small bowl. Remove the spine bones (or crush finely with a fork and add to the mixture, this adds tons of calcium) and add the salmon to the potato mixture. Mix together well until smooth and creamy. I use a potato masher, you can also use a mixer.

Add the salmon mixture to your pie pan on top of the bottom crust. Add the second crust on top of the pie and cut a few slits into the top crust center for the steam to escape.

Crimp the pie crust edges together and trim off any excess dough from the edges of the pie crust. 

Bake in a preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Remove from oven and let cool for about 10 minutes and serve warm.

Note: 

You can use a fresh salmon fillet instead of canned salmon. You will need roughly,  a 1 pound salmon fillet. Cook this with the onions and garlic in the large skillet. 

Puff pastry can also be used in place of the pie crust.

What to Serve with Salmon Pie

Serve with a white sauce or a Béchamel sauce.

Our family favorite is to melt some butter on top and then put some sweet pepper relish on top. We like the Howard’s brand.

Storage

Homemade salmon pie is good in the fridge for about 4-5 days. Allow to cool and cover leftovers with plastic wrap or place in an airtight container.

Store the baked pie in the freezer for about 3 months. ​Allow to cool to room temperature and wrap tightly with plastic wrap or in an airtight container.

Products Mentioned

Cast Iron Skillet

9″ Pie pan

Howard’s Sweet Pepper Relish

Other Recipes You May Like

Baked Spaghetti Pie Recipe an Easy Meal Idea

Easy Classic American Potato Salad Recipe

Chinese Pie Recipe – How to Make Pâté Chinois

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French-Canadian Salmon Pie with Sourdough Crust

Yield: 8

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Additional Time: 12 hours

Total Time: 13 hours 20 minutes

This French-Canadian Salmon Pie is a family favorite. This recipe has seasoned salmon and potato with onions, baked in a flaky sourdough pie crust. Among my other French-Canadian recipes, this is another favorite to add to the list. If you like salmon, you will enjoy this pie.

Print

Ingredients

• Sourdough Crust
• - 2 cups all purpose flour
• - 2 tsp salt
• - 1 tbs sugar
• - 1 cup cubed cold butter
• - 1 cup fed sourdough starter or discard
• Pie Filling
• - 6 medium potatoes boiled and drained
• - 1 onion finely chopped
• - 1 clove garlic minced
• - 1 tsp thyme
• - 6 tbs butter
• - 1/2 cup - 3/4 cup milk
• - salt and pepper to taste
• - 2 15 oz cans, wild caught salmon, drained and large bones removed if desired

Instructions

Prepare the crust

• First you will want to prepare your pie crust. You can use store bought or homemade pie crust forgoing the sourdough. I prefer to have the benefits of the fermented flour.
• If you choose to long ferment your pie crust, "feed" your starter 24 hours before you plan to make your pie or you can use sourdough discard.
• Add 2 cups of all purpose flour, 2 teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon sugar to a large bowl, mix together. Add 1 cup of cold cubed butter and mix together. Don't over mix, you want a chunky consistency. This may be easier to mix together with your hands or a potato masher to break up the butter into smaller pieces. Add in 1 cup of fed sourdough starter or discard and mix until combined. Divide into 2 sections and form a disk with each and wrap in plastic wrap, then refrigerate overnight to ferment. You could leave it out on the counter to ferment but refrigerating for the fermenting does best to make a flaky crust.
• When your ready to make your pie, roll out your pie dough on a lightly floured surface to about an inch larger then your pie pan, about 9" inches. Do this with both disks. Place the bottom crust in the pan and gently fold the second crust in half and put on top of the pan and place both in the fridge until your ready to add the filling.

Prepare the Salmon Pie Filling

• Preheat your oven to 400 F
• Next, add about 6 medium potatoes to a pot and fill till just covered with water and bring to a boil on high heat. Once boiling, lower the heat to medium-low and allow to cook until fork tender, about 15-20 minutes. Careful not to over cook them, you don't want them to absorb too much water, it'll make for a soggy pie.
• You can peel the potatoes if you choose, if you don't, just check for any discoloration or bruises and remove them.
• While your potatoes are cooking, preheat a cast iron frying pan on medium heat with 2 tablespoons butter. Finely chop an onion and add it to the pan and cook until it starts to become translucent. Add your minced garlic and cook until onions are cooked, don't brown them.
• Once the potatoes are cooked, drain and mash the potatoes. To the mashed potatoes, add the onion mixture, thyme and 4 tablespoons butter and 1/2-3/4 cup milk. Add salt and ground black pepper to taste. Mix well until creamy, add more milk if necessary. 
• Drain 2 cans of wild caught salmon and add to a small bowl. Remove the spine bones (or crush finely with a fork and add to the mixture, this adds tons of calcium) and add the salmon to the potato mixture. Mix together well until smooth and creamy. I use a potato masher, you can also use a mixer.
• Add the salmon mixture to your pie pan on top of the bottom crust. Add the second crust on top of the pie and cut a few slits into the top crust center for the steam to escape.
• Crimp the pie crust edges together and trim off any excess dough from the edges of the pie crust. 
• Bake in a preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until golden brown.
• Remove from oven and let cool for about 10 minutes and serve warm.

Notes

• You can use a fresh salmon fillet instead of canned salmon. You will need roughly,  a 1 pound salmon fillet. Cook this with the onions and garlic in the large skillet. 
• Puff pastry can also be used in place of the pie crust.

Storage

• Homemade salmon pie is good in the fridge for about 4-5 days. Allow to cool and cover leftovers with plastic wrap or place in an airtight container.
• Store the baked pie in the freezer for about 3 months. ​Allow to cool to room temperature and wrap tightly with plastic wrap or in an airtight container.

What to Serve with Salmon Pie

Serve with a white sauce or a Béchamel sauce.

Our family favorite is to melt some butter on top and then put some sweet pepper relish on top. We like the Howard's brand.

Nutrition Information:

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 90.58Total Fat: 38.86gSaturated Fat: 21.701gTrans Fat: 1.313gUnsaturated Fat: 3.051gCholesterol: 156mgSodium: 1356mgCarbohydrates: 54.54gFiber: 3.5gSugar: 5.58gProtein: 34.54g

Nutrition information isn't always accurate, especially calories.

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The post French-Canadian Salmon Pie Recipe with Sourdough Crust appeared first on Natural Living Homestead.

This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure here.

This recipe is a fun twist on traditional spaghetti. Still all the great flavor but just packed in a pie or springform pan and baked until it reaches that tasty golden brown crust on top. Who could resist! My Aunt first introduced me to spaghetti pie years ago as a kid and I never forgot it. Spaghetti noodles, tomato sauce, meat and cheese, all baked in a pan then cut into pie wedges. Yum! 

This is definitely a favorite in my family. When I thought I gave my 2 year old too much of it, he surprised me and ate just about every bit of it, leaving show of it on his whole face. My husband and the rest of the family even went back for seconds.  

Baked Spaghetti Pie Tips

Meat Alternatives

If you want, you can swap out the ground beef for chopped chicken or turkey for a bit lighter version of this recipe. Ground Italian sausage would also taste great.

Cheese 

If you want to swap out the ricotta cheese, cottage cheese is a good alternative. I’ve heard of people swapping out the ricotta for cream cheese, this will just make for a more creamy dish.

Don’t skip on using the egg. 

The egg is important to hold the ingredients together, otherwise you’ll be left with a mess and it won’t hold it’s shape.

Veggies

If you want to add in some extra veggies, you can add chopped bell pepper  and garlic and top it with some chopped fresh herbs after baking.

Ingredients for this Baked Spaghetti Pie Recipe

• ​Cooked ground beef
• ​Cooked Onions
• Marinara Sauce – Homemade marinara sauce or store bought
• Eggs
• Ricotta cheese
• Parmesan cheese 
• Salt 
• Parsley or Italian Seasoning

Topping

• Mozzarella cheese
• Parmesan

How to make this Baked Spaghetti Pie Recipe

Preheat the oven to 350 F

First, cook spaghetti noodles according to the package directions. 

While the pasta is cooking, dice up an onion and melt some butter in a large skillet and cook your onions.

Once the onions start to turn brown around the edges, set aside in a small dish. 

Now add in the ground beef  to the cast iron skillet and cook on medium heat and cook until browned.

When your pasta has finished cooking, it should be al dente. Drain the water and add the noodles to a large bowl.

Add the cooked ground beef, cooked onions, ricotta cheese, marinara sauce, parmesan cheese, salt, parsley and eggs into the bowl with the spaghetti and give it all a good mix until thoroughly combined.

Pour it into your springform pan then top it with your shredded mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese.

Put in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes or until the cheese on top is a nice golden brown and has crispy edges.

Serve this with a side of a green leafy salad or warm garlic bread, potato salad even goes great with it.

Slice and Enjoy!

Note: If you don’t have a springform pan you can use a casserole dish or a very deep pie dish.

Storage

Once cooled to room temperature, store any leftovers in a airtight container for up to 5 days in the fridge. You can also cover the pan it was cooked in, tightly with plastic wrap.

Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions

Make Ahead

If you want to make this a few hours ahead of time, you can mix everything together, just don’t bake it until your ready to serve it. If your looking to make this a day in advance, mix everything together in your large bowl except the marinara sauce. When your ready to bake it, add the sauce to the rest of the ingredients in the bowl and mix together then put in your springform pan to bake. Letting it sit, with the sauce, in the dish for a day would allow the juice from the sauce to pool at the bottom of the pan and make for some soggy spaghetti.

Freezing

Cook the spaghetti noodles until just al dente then assemble the pie as usual. Cover with a layer of parchment paper on top, then aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw in the fridge then bake as usual. 

Products Mentioned

Cast Iron Skillet

Springform Pan

Other Recipes You May Like

Easy Classic American Potato Salad Recipe

The Best Chicken Divan Casserole Recipe

PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD

Show your support and appreciation. If you made this recipe and loved it, give it a 5 star review and leave a comment. Follow me on Instagram @naturalliving.homestead then tag me in a photo of your amazing creation! Thank you!

Baked Spaghetti Pie Recipe

Yield: 8-10

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

This Baked Spaghetti Pie Recipe is an easy meal you can quickly put together on those busy week nights. This baked dish is cheesy and packed with flavor that the whole family will love.

Print

Ingredients

• 1 pound spaghetti
• 1 pound cooked ground beef
• 1/2 cup cooked onions
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups marinara sauce
• 1/2 cup ricotta
• 1/2 cup parmesan
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbs parsley
• 1 cup mozzarella
• 2 tbs parmesan

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F
2. First, cook spaghetti noodles according to the package directions. 
3. While the pasta is cooking, dice up an onion and melt some butter in a large skillet and cook your onions.
4. Once the onions start to turn brown around the edges, set aside in a small dish. 
5. Now add in the ground beef  to the cast iron skillet and cook on medium heat and cook until browned.
6. When your pasta has finished cooking, it should be al dente. Drain the water and add the noodles to a large bowl.
7. Add the cooked ground beef, cooked onions, ricotta cheese, marinara sauce, parmesan cheese, salt, parsley and eggs into the bowl with the spaghetti and give it all a good mix until thoroughly combined.
8. Pour it into your springform pan then top it with your shredded mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese.
9. Put in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes or until the cheese on top is a nice golden brown and has crispy edges.
10. Serve this with a side of a green leafy salad or warm garlic bread, potato salad even goes great with it.

Slice and Enjoy!

Notes

If you don't have a springform pan you can use a casserole dish or a very deep pie dish.

Storage

Once cooled to room temperature, store any leftovers in a airtight container for up to 5 days in the fridge. You can also cover the pan it was cooked in, tightly with plastic wrap.

Make Ahead

If you want to make this a few hours ahead of time, you can mix everything together, just don't bake it until your ready to serve it.

If your looking to make this a day in advance, mix everything together in your large bowl except the marinara sauce. When your ready to bake it, add the sauce to the rest of the ingredients in the bowl and mix together then put in your springform pan to bake. Letting it sit, with the sauce, in the dish for a day would allow the juice from the sauce to pool at the bottom of the pan and make for some soggy spaghetti.

Freezing

Cook the spaghetti noodles until just al dente then assemble the pie as usual. Cover with a layer of parchment paper on top, then aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw in the fridge then bake as usual. 

Nutrition Information:

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 57.41Total Fat: 11.24gSaturated Fat: 4.663gTrans Fat: 0.218gUnsaturated Fat: 1.009gCholesterol: 123mgSodium: 550mgCarbohydrates: 49.91gFiber: 3.1gSugar: 4.41gProtein: 34.12g

Nutrition information isn't always accurate, especially calories.

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The post Baked Spaghetti Pie Recipe an Easy Meal Idea appeared first on Natural Living Homestead.

When it comes to BBQ’s having a side of creamy potato salad along side a grilled hamburger or steak makes for a perfect meal. This American Potato Salad Recipe and is so simple to make and it travels so well. Be it to a friend or family’s BBQ, a picnic or even a weekend at the camp, it should be in your cooler, ready to go and enjoy when you get there. 

Potato Choices

Russet potatoes tend to be the choice of potato for this potato salad. They are starchy potatoes and they tend to be a bit more flaky and crumbly that will enhance the creamy texture. 

Yukon Golds and Red potatoes are waxy potatoes, they tend to be more heartier and dense. They do have a higher sugar content so they will hold their shape better but they won’t be as creamy.

In this recipe I used Yukon gold potatoes.

Classic American Potato Salad Mix-ins

Traditionally potato salad is made with potatoes, hard boiled eggs, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard or yellow mustard and maybe some sweet relish with some onions and/or celery. I tend to opt for a more simplified version but will add in some extras if i want a little more pizazz in my potato salad. I also tend to opt for a homemade mayonnaise instead of the store bought Miracle Whip or Hellman’s mayonnaise.

Optional Mix-ins for your Classic Potato Salad Recipe

If you want to make this recipe more colorful, feel free to add any number of ingredients that can give it some color and some extra texture.

• Red onion and crunchy celery are good for crunchy and colorful aspects to a potato salad.
• Red bell peppers are great for color and some crunch.
• Chives or green onions are also a great option. They give a bit of an onion flavor without the crunch and give a nice green color sprinkled throughout the salad. 
• Celery seed, small but mighty. These little seeds might not seem like much but can add that extra boost of flavor to your dish.
• Dill or sweet pickle relish are also a good option for a more tangy or sweet flavor. Even a little bit of the pickle juice can add the flavor without the crunch. Just be carful not to add too much of the juice, too much can make for a soggy dressing or potato.
• Diced sweet pickles or dill pickles if you like a bigger chunk of pickle.
• Some like to add sour cream in addition to the mayonnaise.
• If your a fan of the Hawaiian style food, you can add some chopped ham, pineapple and maybe some diced fuji apples.

Easy Make Ahead American Potato Salad Recipe

Planning ahead for your backyard barbecues or other get-together, you can make this up to 2 days ahead of time, just keep it in an airtight container in your refrigerator. 

What to Serve with Potato Salad

• Baked Beans
• Hamburgers 
• Grilled Steak
• Meatloaf
• Coleslaw

​The possibilities are endless.

​How to make American Potato Salad Recipe

Peel your potatoes if you don’t want the skins on. I usually leave them on. Half or quarter the potatoes depending on the size of the potato. I usually do around a 4×4″ size so they cook a bit faster.

Place potatoes to a medium or large pot and just cover and bring the water to a boil on high heat until it starts to bubble. Then bring the heat down to medium low, adjust as necessary and allow to lightly boil for about 15 minutes. 

After the 15 minutes, check the potatoes with a fork or knife to see how soft they are. You want them to be “fork tender”, so easily pierced with a fork but the potato does not fall apart. You don’t want to boil for too long, the potatoes will fall apart and turn to mush when your mix your salad together.

Once the potatoes are cooked as described, completely drain of water and set aside to cool. If you able to let them cool in the fridge in a bowl, this can speed up the process a bit for mixing it with the mayonnaise later.

Cook your eggs either stove top or in the instant pot. In the instant pot, just put your trivet on the bottom of the insert, put your eggs on top, add a cup of water and set to pressure-cook for 5 minutes. Let pressure naturally release for 5 minutes after. Be sure to take out right after that and add to a ice or cold water bath to quickly cool them down for easiest peeling.

If you want to cook them on the stovetop I have a post HERE on how to quickly steam your eggs.

Once your potatoes and hard-boiled eggs are cooled down and no longer warm, peel the eggs and cut the eggs and potatoes into about 1.5 inch to 2 inch pieces. Add them to a large bowl.

Add in your mayo and any other mix-ins of your choosing and give it a good mix.

Garnish on top of the potato salad with some scallions or chives.

Serve right away or cover and set in the fridge to chill until ready to serve. 

Note: You want your potatoes to be room temperature or cold when you start to assemble the salad. Warm potatoes will melt or cook your mayonnaise and you won’t have a good texture and coating on your ingredients.

Storage

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Other Recipes You May Like

The Best New England Maine Baked Beans Recipe

How to Cook Easy Peel Steamed Hard Boiled Eggs

Easy Gluten Free Stuffed Mushrooms Recipe

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Show your support and appreciation. If you made this recipe and loved it, give it a 5 star review and leave a comment. Follow me on Instagram @naturalliving.homestead then tag me in a photo of your amazing creation! Thank you!

American Potato Salad Recipe

Yield: 8 - 10

Classic American Potato Salad is the perfect side dish for your BBQ or potluck dinners this upcoming summer. Made with hard boiled eggs and homemade mayonnaise, this American Potato Salad Recipe is creamy and definitely comforting.

Print

Ingredients

• 3 pounds potato of choice chopped into small chunks
• 6 hard boiled eggs diced
• 1.5 cups mayonnaise
• Any optional mix-ins

Instructions

1. Peel your potatoes if you don't want the skins on. I usually leave them on. Half or quarter the potatoes depending on the size of the potato. I usually do around a 4x4" size so they cook a bit faster.
2. Place potatoes to a medium or large pot and just cover and bring the water to a boil on high heat until it starts to bubble. Then bring the heat down to medium low, adjust as necessary and allow to lightly boil for about 15 minutes. 
3. After the 15 minutes, check the potatoes with a fork or knife to see how soft they are. You want them to be "fork tender", so easily pierced with a fork but the potato does not fall apart. You don't want to boil for too long, the potatoes will fall apart and turn to mush when your mix your salad together.
4. Once the potatoes are cooked as described, completely drain of water and set aside to cool. If you able to let them cool in the fridge in a bowl, this can speed up the process a bit for mixing it with the mayonnaise later.
5. Cook your eggs either stove top or in the instant pot. In the instant pot, just put your trivet on the bottom of the insert, put your eggs on top, add a cup of water and set to pressure-cook for 5 minutes. Let pressure naturally release for 5 minutes after. Be sure to take out right after that and add to a ice or cold water bath to quickly cool them down for easiest peeling.
6. If you want to cook them on the stovetop I have a post HERE on how to quickly steam your eggs.
7. Once your potatoes and hard-boiled eggs are cooled down and no longer warm, peel the eggs and cut the eggs and potatoes into about 1.5 inch to 2 inch pieces. Add them to a large bowl.
8. Add in your mayo and any other mix-ins of your choosing and give it a good mix.
9. Garnish on top of the potato salad with some scallions or chives.
10. Serve right away or cover and set in the fridge to chill until ready to serve. 

Notes

You want your potatoes to be room temperature or cold when you start to assemble the salad. Warm potatoes will melt or cook your mayonnaise and you won't have a good texture and coating on your ingredients.

Storage

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Nutrition Information:

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 60.91Total Fat: 35.01gSaturated Fat: 6.097gTrans Fat: 0.077gUnsaturated Fat: 19.038gCholesterol: 157mgSodium: 319mgCarbohydrates: 30.37gFiber: 3.7gSugar: 1.98gProtein: 8.55g

Nutrition information isn't always accurate, especially calories.

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The post Easy Classic American Potato Salad Recipe appeared first on Natural Living Homestead.

This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure here.

Another staple in our household are old fashioned baked beans. These go great with many New England favorites like brown bread and hot dogs. In our family we love to add hot dogs to the pot at the end of the cooking time. Lets not forget some sweet and tangy, homemade coleslaw and a side of dinner rolls or crusty bread. Yummmm, sounds delicious! 

History of Baked Beans

Canned baked beans were first introduced around 1880 by an American man named, Henry Heinz. Who is the owner of the Heinz food company. Heinz then brought them to the UK and they became an extremely popular British favorite. Now the British are known to be the worlds biggest baked beans fans. This became a favorite in many places because they were a great pre-cooked meal at the end of a long day in the factory. They were prepared typically on a Saturday and then baked overnight and we’re ready the following day for lunch. Even today, these make the best leftovers, just reheat on the stove or in the oven and your only minutes from a hot meal.

The Old Fashioned Way of Baking Beans

Bean-hole beans are an old way of making baked beans. This was done by making a stone lined pit in the ground where a fire was made until a good bed of coals formed. Then the Maine baked bean recipe is put in a cast iron pot and covered with it’s lid. They then place this cast iron pot in the pit on top of the hot coals and then covered with soil. Then allowed to cook, usually overnight, making the nice thick stew we all love. 

Nowadays we have ovens that maintain their heat well and can be made in less time, no digging required. Though there are still many places that do this old fashion method. Unless they have stopped doing this in the recent years, the Common Ground Fair in Unity, Maine used to do this method in the Folk Arts Area of the festival. Read more about this here.

Ingredients for Maine Baked Beans Recipe

• Dry Navy Beans – this is the kind of bean I feel cook the best considering time.
• Onions 
• Salt Pork
• Mustard
• Molasses 
• Brown Sugar
• Apple Cider Vinegar – for soaking beans

Substitute Ingredients for Maine Baked Beans

• Dry Navy beans are typically used because of their size. Being a smaller white bean, they don’t take as long to bake. Alternatively, you can use Great Northern beans and Cannellini beans. With them being larger, they will take longer to cook even if you par-boil them. If you find you don’t have any of these beans on hand some other types of beans that could still be used are, soldier beans, yellow eye beans, Jacob’s cattle or pinto beans. Kidney beans and black beans have even been used in baked bean recipes. With a larger bean size, be sure to adjust your cooking time accordingly.
• Canned beans could also be used, just remember they are already cooked, so your recipe won’t need to be cooked as long in the oven. 
• Brown sugar is typically used but some will use maple syrup instead.
• Salt pork is the best for the fat and flavor but if you can not find any you can use bacon. Just remember that bacon will give you a smoky undertone in your baked beans. Pancetta could also be used since it is from pork belly and it has not been smoked.

How to Make Maine Baked Beans Recipe

The night before you want to have the beans, rinse your beans and make sure there are no small pebbles. Place in a pot that is at least double the amount of beans you have. Add filtered fresh water to the pot with a couple tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and allow to soak overnight or at least 8-12 hours. 

The Next Morning

Preheat your oven to 350 F

Drain the water from the pot of beans. Add filtered fresh water to at least one inch above the beans and bring to a boil. As the bean boil, skim off any scum or foam that forms on top of the water. Allow the beans to boil until the skins begin to peel away from the bean when you blow on them. Drain the water and add the beans to your bean pot or large Dutch oven. 

Note: Don’t skip boiling the beans first. Parboiled beans makes sure the beans are nicely tender and flavorful when your done baking them.

Add your chopped onions, mustard, salt pork, molasses and brown sugar to the bean pot on top of the beans. Top with filtered fresh water. Add enough water until the beans are completely submerged with about an inch above the ingredients. Give a good stir and cover with a lid.

Add the covered pot to the preheated oven and bake for at least 6 hours. Keep an eye on it and add more water if the level begins to drop below the top of the food. You may want to add a catch pan under your pot to catch anything that may spill over while cooking.

Once the 6 hours have passed, take bean pot out and taste test one of the beans to make sure they are soft.

When the beans are done cooking or just about done, now is when you can add your hot dogs to the pot so they can warm up in time for when your ready to serve. 

Storage

Homemade baked beans can last in the fridge for 3 – 5 days if stored in an airtight container. 

To freeze: Allow the baked beans to cool to room temperature and portion out into appropriate portion sizes. Place in the freezer for up to 6 months. 

I like to use Souper Cubes when it I freeze things like this or a liquid item. They come in various sizes from 1/2 cup up to 2 cups. Once frozen, I pop them out of the molds and put them in freezer bags and label.

What to serve with Maine Baked Beans Recipe

• Brown Bread
• Hot Dogs
• Cole Slaw
• Potato Salad
• Macaroni Salad
• Dinner Rolls
• Hamburgers

Besides adding hot dogs like mentioned in the recipe, you can serve it with some dinner rolls or a slice of buttered bread, brown bread is also popular with baked beans. 

The best baked beans are not always served as the main course. At BBQ’s they are typically a side with so many other dishes like hamburgers and French fries. 

Potato salad is also a great side dish along with coleslaw.

Many people even like to put baked beans in between a couple slices of bread and make a sandwich out of it. Surprisingly, I have not tried this but it certainly sounds delicious.

Products Mentioned

• Berkey
• Souper Cubes
• Bean Pot – Here is a similar one (I got mine from my mother years ago)
• Apple Cider Vinegar

Other Recipes You May Like

Easy Gluten Free Stuffed Mushrooms Recipe

Slow Cooker Ham and Pea Soup with Bacon Recipe

Easy Gluten Free Chicken Salad Recipe – Dairy Free

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Maine Baked Beans Recipe

Yield: 5-6

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 7 hours

Additional Time: 10 hours

Total Time: 17 hours 5 minutes

This Maine Baked Beans recipe is another staple in a lot of New England Households. This is a slow baked, sweet and savory, bean dinner. Using Molasses and Brown Sugar giving it that rich dark color we are all familiar with. 

Print

Ingredients

• 1 pound - dry Navy Beans
• 1 Onion - chopped
• 1/2 cup - Molasses
• 1/2 cup - Brown Sugar
• 2 Teaspoons - Mustard
• 12 ounces - Salt Pork
• 2 Teaspoons - Apple Cider Vinegar (for soaking beans)

Instructions

1. The night before you want to have the beans, rinse your beans and make sure there are no small pebbles. Place in a pot that is at least double the amount of beans you have. Add filtered fresh water to the pot with a couple tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and allow to soak overnight or at least 8-12 hours. 
2. The Next Morning - Preheat your oven to 350 F
3. Drain the water from the pot of beans. Add filtered fresh water to at least one inch above the beans and bring to a boil. As the bean boil, skim off any scum or foam that forms on top of the water. Allow the beans to boil until the skins begin to peel away from the bean when you blow on them. Drain the water and add the beans to your bean pot or large Dutch oven. 
4. Add your chopped onions, mustard, salt pork, molasses and brown sugar to the bean pot on top of the beans. Top with filtered fresh water. Add enough water until the beans are completely submerged with about an inch above the ingredients. Give a good stir and cover with a lid.
5. Add the covered pot to the preheated oven and bake for at least 6 hours. Keep an eye on it and add more water if the level begins to drop below the top of the food. You may want to add a catch pan under your pot to catch anything that may spill over while cooking.
6. Once the 6 hours have passed, take bean pot out and taste test one of the beans to make sure they are soft.
7. When the beans are done cooking or just about done, now is when you can add your hot dogs to the pot so they can warm up in time for when your ready to serve. 

Notes

Don't skip boiling the beans first. Parboiled beans makes sure the beans are nicely tender and flavorful when your done baking them.

Storage

Homemade baked beans can last in the fridge for 3 - 5 days if stored in an airtight container. 

To freeze: Allow the baked beans to cool to room temperature and portion out into appropriate portion sizes. Place in the freezer for up to 6 months. 

I like to use Souper Cubes when it I freeze things like this or a liquid item. They come in various sizes from 1/2 cup up to 2 cups. Once frozen, I pop them out of the molds and put them in freezer bags and label.

Nutrition Information:

Serving Size: 200 grams
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 108.73Total Fat: 46.88gSaturated Fat: 16.803gUnsaturated Fat: 6.02gCholesterol: 49mgSodium: 1560mgCarbohydrates: 86.72gFiber: 11.9gSugar: 42.5gProtein: 20.03g

Nutrition information isn't always accurate, especially calories.

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The post The Best New England Maine Baked Beans Recipe appeared first on Natural Living Homestead.

My mom made this casserole dish a regular recipe in our house when I was growing up. Over the years I’ve changed a few things to make it my own but it still has all the delicious flavors that I remember. This is an easy recipe if you have little chefs in your house that would love to help add the ingredients to make this easy chicken divan recipe. Kids are sure to love this cheesy chicken and rice casserole for dinner time.

What is Chicken Divan Casserole?

Chicken divan is a classic chicken casserole that consists of chicken, broccoli and a cheesy cream sauce. This creamy casserole is usually paired with white rice or buttery mashed potatoes. It is thought that the name Divan originated from the Divan Parisien Restaurant in New York City where the dish was created in the early 20th-century.

Recipe Substitutions Ideas

• Don’t have any chicken on hand? Turkey and rabbit meat work perfectly as well.
• You could leave out the rice from the main baking dish and leave it on the side or make a bed of it on your plate and put the casserole right on top when your ready to serve. This is the most common way to serve this casserole. I just find I tend to forget the rice if I leave it separate, so I keep it all together to keep it simple and all in one dish.
• You could also completely omit the rice and use cauliflower rice or boil some potatoes and make a bed of buttery mashed potatoes on your plate and put the casserole on top.
• Sour cream can be used in place of mayonnaise. You can also use your favorite mayo of choice if you don’t want to make your own but honestly, it’s very quick and simple to make your own if you have an immersion blender.
• Switch out the cheddar cheese and use a gruyere cheese for a more complex flavor with a creamy and nutty flavor or try sprinkling parmesan cheese as well
• Some recipes have you add crumbled ritz crackers or panko bread crumbs, I prefer the creamy texture without the crunch of the crackers or bread crumbs.

Ingredients for Chicken Divan Casserole

• Chicken – Chicken breasts or a whole rotisserie chicken can be used. Also any lean white meat can work, like turkey or rabbit.
• Broccoli – fresh or frozen works. If you use frozen, make sure that it’s chopped broccoli. I find the broccoli cuts and broccoli florets are too large. If you use fresh broccoli you may want to chop it and steam it for a few minutes. You want it to be slightly tender and then it will cook the rest of the way in the oven. Just make sure you drain all the water out after you steam it so your casserole isn’t too watery.
• Rice – White rice or brown rice work just fine.
• Cream of Mushroom soup – If I have fresh or frozen mushrooms on hand I like to make my own. I will also use an Organic cream of mushroom soup to avoid the some of the unwanted added ingredients. Canned soups are a great time saver but I often find myself out of cream of mushroom soup. That’s why I’ve started making my own because I may have some sliced mushrooms in my freezer. 
• Mayonnaise – I make homemade mayo with just Avocado oil, an egg, lemon juice, mustard and salt. 
• Milk – I use raw cows milk but use your milk of choice. I’m not sure how plant based “milk” would work but you could give it a try.
• Cheese – I use sharp cheddar cheese, I feel it has the best flavor with chicken.

How to Make Chicken Divan Casserole

Preheat your oven to 350 F degrees

Cook one cup of dry rice.

Once your chicken is cooked and cooled unless your using leftover cooked chicken. Shred the meat or cut it into bite size pieces. Evenly spread out the meat in the bottom of a 10 x 10 casserole pan. 

Next add the broccoli cuts evenly on top of the chicken.

Add the rice on top of this evenly (unless leaving out to add to dish later).

Make the cream sauce: In a medium bowl, add cream of mushroom soup, mayonnaise, and milk. Mix together well until there are no large lumps.

Spread evenly over the rice allow it to mix into the rice and soak into the casserole. 

Shred the cheese and spread the shredded cheddar cheese evenly over the casserole.

Bake in the oven for about 45 minutes or until the cheese on top is a nice golden brown.

You may want to allow it to cool for 10 minutes and then serve.

You can pair this recipe with some buttered crusty bread on the side or just leave it as it is. You can also make some quick garlic bread. Spread butter on some sliced bread and sprinkle some garlic powder. Toast it in the oven for a few minutes until crispy.

Storage

If you happen to have any leftover chicken divan, let it cool to room temperature and you can tightly cover the pan in plastic wrap or keep the leftovers in an airtight container. Store in the fridge for 3 – 5 days.

To reheat – you can reheat it in the microwave or in the oven at 350 F for 15 – 30 minutes or until bubbly. When you reheat it you may want to add a little bit of milk and/or butter to keep it from drying out and keeping it nice and creamy. 

Other Recipes You May Like

Easy Gluten-Free Chicken Salad Recipe – Dairy-Free

Chinese Pie Recipe – How to Make Pâté Chinois

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Show your support and appreciation. If you made this recipe and loved it, give it a 5 star review and leave a comment. Follow me on Instagram @naturalliving.homestead then tag me in a photo of your amazing creation! Thank you!

Chicken Divan

Yield: 6 - 8

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

This Chicken Divan Casserole is one of the top picks for comfort food. It is a classic recipe that is rich and creamy and will certainly be a family favorite. With fresh chicken breasts, broccoli covered in a creamy sauce and cheese, it's sure to please the whole family. 

Print

Ingredients

• 5 cups - Chicken
• 3 cups - Chopped broccoli
• 4 cups - Cooked Rice
• 1 cup - Cream of Mushroom soup
• 1 cup - Mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup - Milk
• 8 oz - Shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 F degrees
2. Cook 1 cup of dry rice.
3. Once your chicken is cooked and cooled unless your using leftover cooked chicken. Shred the meat or cut it into bite size pieces. Evenly spread out the meat in the bottom of a 10 x 10 casserole pan. 
4. Next add the broccoli cuts evenly on top of the chicken.
5. Add the rice on top of this evenly (unless leaving out to add to dish later).
6. Make the cream sauce: In a medium bowl, add cream of mushroom soup, mayonnaise, and milk. Mix together well until there are no large lumps.
7. Spread evenly over the rice allow it to mix into the rice and soak into the casserole. 
8. Shred the cheese and spread the shredded cheddar cheese evenly over the casserole.
9. Bake in the oven for about 45 minutes or until the cheese on top is a nice golden brown.
10. You may want to allow it to cool for 10 minutes and then serve.

You can pair this recipe with some buttered crusty bread on the side or just leave it as it is. You can also make some quick garlic bread. Spread butter on some sliced bread and sprinkle some garlic powder. Toast it in the oven for a few minutes until crispy.

Notes

Storage

• If you happen to have any leftover chicken divan, let it cool to room temperature and you can tightly cover the pan in plastic wrap or keep the leftovers in an airtight container. Store in the fridge for 3 - 5 days.

• To reheat - you can reheat it in the microwave or in the oven at 350 F for 15 - 30 minutes or until bubbly. When you reheat it you may want to add a little bit of milk and/or butter to keep it from drying out and keeping it nice and creamy.

Nutrition Information:

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 76.59Total Fat: 33.56gSaturated Fat: 10.35gTrans Fat: 0.412gUnsaturated Fat: 9.057gCholesterol: 107mgSodium: 724mgCarbohydrates: 33.55gFiber: 2.6gSugar: 2.02gProtein: 37.25g

Nutrition information isn't always accurate, especially calories.

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The post The Best Chicken Divan Casserole Recipe appeared first on Natural Living Homestead.

What is Chinese Pie

This comforting recipe entails of a bottom layer of seasoned ground beef, layered on top of that is a mixture of whole and creamed corn, topped with a mashed potato layer. I can see why this three-layered dish became a favorite dish in so many New England family homes and especially in Canada.   

One Origin Theory

This dish originated from Quebec, Canada called Pâté Chinois which translates to “Chinese Pie”. At some point it got misinterpreted as a Chinese dish when there is nothing Chinese about it. There are some theories as to how this recipe came about. Over a century ago in the late 19th century, Irish and Chinese Immigrants working for the National Railroad in Canada used what was abundant in the area, like corn and potatoes. So the cooks for the Irish and Chinese workers came up with this recipe. Which then became this dish called Chinese Pie. The French Canadians apparently loved it so much that it then became the national dish of Quebec. In New England this has been known as a delicious French Canadian dish. 

Similar Dishes to this Chinese Pie Recipe

Shepherd’s Pie is a pretty similar dish that I think a lot of people confuse for Chinese Pie. Shepherd’s Pie is more of an Irish dish that is made with ground lamb as opposed to ground beef. Also, a lot of recipes for Shepherd’s Pie have other vegetables included like carrots and peas. 

English Cottage Pie, also referred to as Shepherds pie occasionally, is another similar dish traditionally made with minced meat, typically ground beef. That is then cooked with onions, corn and carrots and simmered with beef broth and tomato paste to thicken it up a bit and add more flavor. Then is topped with mashed potatoes and sprinkled on top with shredded cheese. 

Hachis Parmentier is a French recipe that typically calls for shredded pot roast or occasionally ground beef or lamb cooked with garlic and onions and simmered with some beef broth and an added egg then sprinkled with parmesan cheese. This is then topped with a creamy mashed potato layer.

Pastel De Choclo (Chilean Beef & Corn Casserole) a South American dish that has a corn crust then layered with a seasoned ground beef. Then an added layer of whole black olives, raisins and hard boiled eggs. This is then topped with the remaining corn crust mixture. 

Ingredients for this Chinese Pie Recipe Pate Chinois

Ground beef Layer

• 2 pounds ground beef
• 2 medium yellow onions
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon parsley flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon celery seed
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika 
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt

Corn Layer

• 4 cups whole corn
• 1/2 cup cream

Mashed Potato Layer

• 2 – 2 1/2 pounds white or yellow potatoes
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup cream

How to Make this Chinese Pie Recipe Pate Chinois

Preheat a large skillet or 10 inch cast iron skillet on medium heat.

Wash your potatoes (peel them if you choose) and add them to a large pot, just cover with water and boil.

While the potatoes are cooking, add your ground beef layer ingredients and cook until browned.

Once your ground beef is finished cooking, spread evenly in your 9×13″ casserole pan.

Spread evenly 2 cups of whole corn on top of the ground beef.

To a blender, add remaining 2 cups of corn and 1/2 cup cream and blend until very slightly chunky. Spread the creamed corn mixture on top of the whole corn. 

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Once your potatoes are fork tender, drain the hot water and to the cooked potatoes, add 6 tablespoons butter and 1 cup of cream to the potatoes still in the pot they boiled in or a large bowl. 

Mash until well mixed together.

Spoon large dollops of potato evenly on top of the corn layer until all of the mashed potato is used. Then gently spread and smooth out the mashed potatoes to fill any gaps all the way to the edges of the pan.

Put the pan into the preheated oven and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the potatoes have a nice golden brown top.

What to serve with this Chinese Pie Recipe

Sweet pickled beets or sweet pickles make a great side dish. These two were always a delicious option with this dish when I was a kid.

Notes:

• If you choose, you can cook your diced onion in the large skillet with some butter or olive oil first until they become translucent then add the ground beef to the onions. I find that this cooking method is not necessary and you can save yourself some cooking time to add it all in at the same time and it cooks just as well. 
• If you do not have all the spices/herbs on hand that I mentioned for the ground beef layer, you can always add 2 packets of onion soup mix to the ground beef when cooking that part. I don’t like to add these because of the other added “ingredients”.
• I prefer to make this simple version of creamed corn. Usually homemade creamed corn includes cheese and/or sugar and then cooking but I find it’s even more simple to do it this way and it still comes out amazing. You can make your own homemade creamed corn as other recipes instruct, I would do this before I purchased store bought canned corn. Though if your crunched on time and your local store carries it you can grab some from there. Either option still work well.
• Other add ins that some people like to include with this recipe is diced bell pepper, sliced mushrooms, carrots or even green peas.

How to Store this Chinese Pie Recipe

• Once cooled, store in the fridge for 5-7 days. Keep in an airtight container or tightly covered with plastic wrap. 
• If you want to freeze this, store tightly covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container. For best quality, it can last 4-6 months but it can last much longer if stored at a consistent proper below freezing temperature. 
• Another great way to store this is to portion it out into 1 or 2 cup portions when freezing this dish. I like to use Souper Cubes. They have silicone containers that work great for portioning out food when freezing. Then you just pop them out of the containers and store them in labeled freezer bags.

SHOP THIS POST

• Lodge Cast Iron Pan
• Ninja Blender or Immersion Blender
• Souper Cubes

Other Recipes You May Like

• Homemade Corn Chowder Recipe
• Pork Hock and Meatball Stew
• Slow Cooker Ham and Pea Soup with Bacon Recipe

PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD

Show your support and appreciation. If you made this recipe and loved it, give it a 5 star review and leave a comment. Follow me on Instagram @naturalliving.homestead then tag me in a photo of your amazing creation! Thank you!

Chinese Pie

Yield: 10

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

This Chinese Pie Recipe is a quick and simple, one pan dish. It's a delicious comfort food that the whole family is sure to love. This comforting recipe entails of a bottom layer of seasoned ground beef, layered on top of that is a mixture of whole and creamed corn, topped with a mashed potato layer.

Print

Ingredients

Ground Beef Layer

• 2 pounds ground beef
• 2 medium onions
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon parsley flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon celery seed
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt

Corn Layer

• 4 cups whole corn
• 1/2 cup cream

Mashed Potato Layer

• 2 - 2 1/2 pounds white or yellow potatoes
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup cream

Instructions

1. Preheat a large skillet or 10 inch cast iron skillet on medium heat.
2. Wash your potatoes (peel them if you choose) and add them to a large pot, just cover with water and boil.
3. While the potatoes are cooking, add your ground beef layer ingredients and cook until browned.
4. Once your ground beef is finished cooking, spread evenly in your 9x13" casserole pan.
5. Spread evenly 2 cups of whole corn on top of the ground beef. To a blender, add remaining 2 cups of corn and 1/2 cup cream and blend until very slightly chunky.
6. Spread the creamed corn mixture on top of the whole corn. 
7. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
8. Once your potatoes are fork tender, drain the hot water and to the cooked potatoes add 6 tablespoons butter and 1 cup of cream to the potatoes still in the pot they boiled in or a large bowl. 
9. Mash until well mixed together.
10. Spoon large dollops of potato evenly on top of the corn layer until all of the mashed potato is used. Then gently spread and smooth out the mashed potatoes to fill any gaps all the way to the edges of the pan.
11. Put the pan into the preheated oven and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour until the potatoes on top have a nice golden brown top.

Notes

If you choose you can cook your diced onion in the large skillet with some butter or olive oil first until they become translucent then add the ground beef to the onions. I find that this cooking method is not necessary and you can save yourself some cooking time to add it all in at the same time and it cooks just as well. 

If you do not have all the spices/herbs on hand that I mentioned for the ground beef layer, you can always add 2 packets of onion soup mix to the ground beef when cooking that part.

I prefer to make this simple version of creamed corn. Usually homemade creamed corn includes cheese, sugar and cooking but I find it's even more simple to do it this way and it still comes out amazing. You can make your own homemade creamed corn as other recipes instruct, I would do this before I purchased store bought canned corn. Though if your crunched on time and your local store carries it you can grab some from there. Either option still work well.

Other add ins that some people like to include with this recipe is diced bell pepper, sliced mushrooms, carrots or even green peas.

Storage

Once cooled, store in the fridge for 5-7 days. Keep in an airtight container or tightly covered with plastic wrap. 

If you want to freeze this, store tightly covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container. For best quality, it can last 4-6 months but it can last much longer if stored at a consistent proper below freezing temperature. 

Another great way to store this is to portion it out into 1 or 2 cup portions when freezing this dish. I like to use Souper Cubes. They have silicone containers that work great for portioning out food when freezing. Then you just pop them out of the containers and store them in labeled freezer bags.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 10
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 76.33Total Fat: 25.92gSaturated Fat: 12.96gTrans Fat: 0.618gUnsaturated Fat: 1.747gCholesterol: 122mgSodium: 367mgCarbohydrates: 58.66gFiber: 5.8gSugar: 3.96gProtein: 30.62g

Nutrition information isn’t always accurate, especially calories.

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The post Chinese Pie Recipe – How to Make Pâté Chinois appeared first on Natural Living Homestead.

This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure here.

Don’t have any left over ham or ham bones? No worries, I can help you find some substitutions in the FAQ’s for this slow cooker recipe.

At my house we love ham, and one of the things I look forward to is having pea soup from the ham bone afterward during those cooler months. My mother would always save the ham bone after an Easter or other holiday dinner and make the family’s favorite pea soup. Simmered for several hours on the stove and the aroma of ham and onion throughout the house made into a nice thick hearty soup.

Why whole peas vs split peas

There isn’t much reason to use whole peas instead of split peas. It’s more of a preference, that is always what my Mother and Grandmother both used in their homemade soup and it just kind of stuck. Whole peas just have a longer cook time. If you only have split peas, that can be used just as easily. Follow the recipe as usual just cut your cooking time down by about half. Split peas take much less time to cook, so your pea soup will be ready much sooner. 

If you do decide to use whole peas but you want to cut down the cooking time, you can soak your peas in water overnight before you plan to make this delicious soup. Soaking the whole peas is also a great way to remove gas producing starches in the peas and will drastically reduce your cooking time by about half.

What you Need to Make Slow Cooker Ham and Pea Soup with Bacon Recipe

• Left over Ham bone
• Additional 2 cups of ham chunks or shredded
• 1/2 pound Bacon
• 1 pound yellow peas
• 1 Onion 
• 2 cloves of Garlic
• 8 cups meat stock or bone broth. 
• Slow Cooker 

Some add ins when cooking your slow-cooker split pea soup

• ​Bay leaf
• Bacon fat for even more bacon flavor 
• Canadian bacon works if you don’t have regular bacon on hand
• A couple medium carrots finely diced
• Celery finely diced

How to Make Slow Cooker Ham and Pea Soup with Bacon Recipe

For this recipe I will be using my Instant Pot on the Slow Cooker setting. If you have one, you could also use a crock pot. My Instant Pot Slow Cooker setting will work just like a crock pot, so no need to run out and get a slow cooker.

Dice up your onion and add it to your slow cooker.

​Mince the garlic and add that in as well.

Add your ham bone and ham chunks.

Pour in the peas and add your stock or broth.

Set your slow cooker for 6 hours.

Keep an eye on it to make sure it does not run out of water, or it will burn. If you put the 8 cups water in you shouldn’t have any issues.

When your soup is done and your about ready to serve, preheat a cast iron pan on medium – medium/low heat.

While your pan is heating up, remove the ham bone and remove any leftover ham from the bone and add it back into your soup.

Chop up the bacon into finely diced pieces and add to your preheated pan and cook until crispy.

Remove from pan once done and sprinkle a small amount of crumbled bacon onto each bowl of soup.

Enjoy!

Notes:

I do not add any salt to this recipe because there is already a lot of salt in the ham/ham bone as well as the smoky bacon bits.

If you want a smoother soup that’s not so lumpy, you can take a small portion and blend it in your blender a few pulses or for less dishes, use an immersion blender right in the slow cooker.

What to Serve with Slow Cooker Ham and Pea Soup

Croutons are a great addition to your ham soup. A nice slice of crusty bread slathered with butter is always a crowd pleaser as well.

How to Store Leftover Slow Cooker Ham and Pea Soup with Bacon

Store in an airtight container in your fridge for up to a week. This soup makes for amazing leftovers if it lasts that long before getting eaten.

You can also freeze them in a airtight container for up to 3 months.

I like using Souper Cubes so its easily portioned out and there’s no need for glass or plastic containers stashed away in the freezer. 

To use these, allow the soup to cool completely and add to your chosen Souper Cube container. They come in a variety of sizes, 1/2 cup and 1 cup sizes are most common.

Place the lid on and put on a level surface in your freezer and freeze until solid.

Once they are frozen, pop them out of the molds and place into a freezer bag. Don’t forget to label the bag!

Products Mentioned

6 QT Instant Pot – this has the Slow Cook option

Cast Iron Pan

Souper Cubes

Slow Cooker Ham and Pea Soup with Bacon FAQ’s

What can I use instead if I don’t have a ham bone?

You can check with your local butcher shop and see if they have any ham bones. You can also use a pork shank or ham hock. These are from the legs of the pig. The pork shank is from the shoulder and the hock is the ankle. Pork hocks and shanks can usually be found at your local grocery store. Most of the time you will find smoked pork hocks, this will work fine as well. 

Can I use green or yellow split peas instead of whole yellow peas?

Green or yellow split peas will work just the same. Be mindful of the cooking time. Since the peas are split in half they will cook much faster, so I would cut your cooking time down by about half. Just keep an eye on it, especially for water level. Also, green peas a are a bit more sweet then yellow peas, so if you don’t want a sweeter soup, yellow peas may be better. Green peas will also make your soup a bit of a green color of course, if color doesn’t matter to you, use the green if you please.

What can I use if I don’t have meat stock or bone broth?

Chicken broth or Chicken stock can both work. The same for vegetable broth or just cold water – filtered if possible. I prefer to use bone broth so I have the added health aspect of the collagen and other nutrients from long simmered bones.

Why were my peas were not cooked completely

If you were using whole peas, you will just need to cook it longer, also tap water can be a bit acidic and can prevent the pea from breaking down well. Soaking whole peas can be done overnight in some water and it will help cut down the cooking time because of how much water they absorb from soaking for so long.

Another possible cause is if your peas are too old. They can dry out even more over time and then need to be cooked even longer then a new bag of peas.

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Other ways to cook this slow cooker split pea soup recipe

If you don’t have time for slow cooking your crockpot split pea soup, the pressure cooker is a great, quick method for some Instant Pot Split Pea Soup. The stove top is also a great way to cook this easy recipe – just keep an eye on the water level so it doesn’t burn!

Other Recipes You May Like

How to Make Hearty Pork Hock and Meatball Stew

Homemade Corn Chowder Recipe

The Best Instant Pot Bone Broth

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Slow Cooker Ham and Pea Soup with Bacon Recipe

Yield: 6

This Slow Cooker Ham and Pea Soup with Bacon Recipe is a hearty recipe that is comforting on those cold early spring days. It's a perfect recipe for using up left over ham bones with simple ingredients from your holiday dinner.

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Ingredients

• Left over Ham bone
• Additional 2 cups of ham chunks or shredded
• 1/2 pound Bacon
• 1 pound yellow peas
• 1 Onion 
• 2 cloves of Garlic
• 8 cups meat stock or bone broth

Instructions

1. Dice up your onion and add it to your slow cooker.
2. ​Mince the garlic and add that in as well.
3. Add your ham bone and ham chunks.
4. Pour in the peas and add your stock or broth.
5. Set your slow cooker for 6 hours.
6. Keep an eye on it to make sure it does not run out of water, or it will burn. If you put the 8 cups water in you shouldn't have any issues.
7. When your soup is done and your about ready to serve, preheat a cast iron pan on medium - medium/low heat.
8. While your pan is heating up, remove the ham bone and remove any leftover ham from the bone and add it back into your soup.
9. Chop up the bacon into finely diced pieces and add to your preheated pan and cook until crispy.
10. Remove from pan once done and sprinkle a small amount of crumbled bacon onto each bowl of soup.

Enjoy!

Notes

• I do not add any salt to this recipe because there is already a lot of salt in the ham/ham bone as well as the smoky bacon bits
• If you want a smoother soup that's not so lumpy, you can take a small portion and blend it in your blender a few pulses or for less dishes, use an immersion blender right in the slow cooker.

Optional Add Ins When Cooking

Bay leaf

Bacon fat for even more bacon flavor 

Canadian bacon works if you don't have regular bacon on hand

A couple medium carrots finely diced

Celery finely diced

Storage

Store in an airtight container in your fridge for up to a week. This soup makes for amazing leftovers if it lasts that long before getting eaten.

You can also freeze them in a airtight container for up to 3 months.

I like using Souper Cubes so its easily portioned out and there's no need for glass or plastic containers stashed away in the freezer. 

To use these, allow the soup to cool completely and add to your chosen Souper Cube container. They come in a variety of sizes, 1/2 cup and 1 cup sizes are most common.

Place the lid on and put on a level surface in your freezer and freeze until solid.

Once they are frozen, pop them out of the molds and place into a freezer bag. Don't forget to label the bag!

Nutrition Information:

Serving Size: 2 cups
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 117Total Fat: 33.75gSaturated Fat: 8.342gTrans Fat: 0.162gUnsaturated Fat: 10.186gCholesterol: 151mgSodium: 1227mgCarbohydrates: 55.55gFiber: 23.8gSugar: 4.28gProtein: 99.52g

Nutrition information isn't always accurate, especially calories.

The post Slow Cooker Ham and Pea Soup with Bacon Recipe appeared first on Natural Living Homestead.

I know this isn’t the usual cut of meat that we are used to getting from the grocery store but it is just as good, if not even healthier for us. Heart meat is also a great addition to your diet if you are on the carnivore diet.  

This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure here.

Where to Buy Beef Heart

Most likely you will need to find a local butcher or a local farmer. Grocery stores don’t usually carry this type of meat. Though I occasionally find different cuts like ox tail and liver more commonly, heart is not one of them. Beef heart is not a common cut of meat that people are looking for. If you are unable to find beef heart near you you can check out US Wellness Meats. 

What is the texture of Beef Heart

Beef heart is much like a steak but with a more rich beef flavor. Though, it is not as tender as a steak, it is much firmer. This is where using your pressure cooker or slow cooker comes in hand. This is a great start if someone is wanting to get started with getting more organ meats into their diet. Especially since it’s taste and texture is more similar to a steak than other organs like beef kidneys or liver. 

How to eat Beef Heart

The most common way I find is to just eat it as is once cooked and still warm or cut some slices and fry it on the stove a bit. I used to cut the raw heart into chunks and fry it in a cast iron skillet with some melted fat and eat it like a steak. Although a bit tough this way, it’s doable.

You can also take your cooked heart meat and shred or cut it into small pieces and add it to your stew like you would any other cut of beef and call it beef heart stew. Use it in any other meat-based recipes that you like to make.

In the Book Nourishing Traditions, Sally Fallon suggests grinding it up and mixing it in with your ground beef as an easy way to add it to almost any meat-based recipe for your whole family to get the health benefits.

Another great way to add raw beef hearts to your diet is to make it into some assembled kebab skewers, you could even add in a small piece of beef liver (about 0.5 oz) and cook that over your grill. 

What are the Health Benefits of Beef heart

There are many health benefit of eating beef heart. Some of the important nutrients that you get from it are: 

• Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) 
• Iron
• Zinc
• Selenium
• B2 (Riboflavin)
• B6 (Pyridoxine)
• B9 (Folate)
• B12 (Cobalamin)

The heart of a cow is very high in B Vitamins and CoQ10 which is very beneficial for your own heart health as well as the rest of your body. Here is a good source about the benefits of CoQ10

As well as this source on beef and heart disease among other things from The Weston A. Price Foundation. 

In the book Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon she talks a lot about getting more organ meats into you and your families diet.

How to Prepare Beef heart for the Instant Pot

If you acquire your heart meat frozen, you can thaw it in it’s package in some cold water or leave it in a dish to thaw in the fridge. You can cook it frozen but you will have to increase your cooking time.

Some people may say to remove all the strings and other connective tissue from the muscle meat but that just removes beneficial parts of the heart. Since you are slow cooking this muscle meat, all those things will be tender and hardly noticeable once cooked.

Other sources will say to remove excess fat from the outside of the heart. I do not recommend doing this as this is already a very lean muscle meat that you want to keep as much of the fat that you can. The more fat that is there, the better the health benefits to you as well as the flavor benefits.

Sometimes you may find what is called Silver Skin on your muscle meat. It is a silvery connective tissue that is very tough and unfortunately does not break down during the cooking process. So if you happen to see any of that, you may want to remove that without removing too much of the meat. 

Cooking Beef Heart

There are different ways of cooking beef heart. If you find that you do not have an Instant Pot you can use a slow cooker, just put it on low heat and cook for 6-8 hours. If you don’t have a slow cooker either, you can cook it on low heat in a stock pot covered with filtered water on your stove and keep an eye on it throughout the day.

What do you need to make Beef Heart in the Instant Pot

• An Instant Pot or other brand of pressure cooker
• Raw beef hearts or even Veal Hearts
• Filtered Water or Bone Broth  
• Salt
• Any add ins you may want, veggies like a sliced onion, celery, carrots, etc.

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How to Cook Beef Heart in the Instant Pot

• Once the pieces of beef heart are thawed, put the stainless steel insert in the instant pot and add the meat to the insert.
• Add 1 cup of filtered water or bone broth on top of the meat.
• Add your sliced onion or any other vegetables cut into smaller pieces (optional)
• Put the lid on the Instant Pot and turn the valve to “Seal”
• Press the “Pressure Cook” button and set the pressure to “High” 
• Set the time to cook for 75 minutes and press start if your brand of pressure cooker has that feature.
• Once the timer goes off and it has finished cooking, allow the pressure to naturally release for 30 minutes. Doing this step helps to make it more tender.
• Remove the meat from the instant pot, and allow to cool on a cutting board. (Don’t throw out the liquid in the instant pot insert. There are many nutrients left in that from the heart. Use it in your other beef recipes like beef stew.)
• Once cooled you can slice the meat into thick or thin slices as you please. If you want to serve it like this, that is fine or add it to your favorite dish. 

How to Make Crispy Beef Heart

If you like your meat to be a bit more crispy, here’s what I recommend. After you have sliced the meat into about 1″ – 2″ thick slices, and add it to a preheated cast iron pan. Sear it in some healthy fat, you could do olive oil but I prefer to use an animal fat like butter or rendered beef fat like tallow. Cook it like you would a steak but not quite as long since it is already cooked, you don’t want to dry it out. It needs to be cooked long enough so that it gets crispy on the bottom before you flip it to the other side. Serve it with some sauerkraut to help with your immune system and some steamed vegetables, delicious!

​

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• The Berky Filter I Use
• My Cast Iron Pan I have 2 this size
• My 6 quart Instant Pot I like this one because it has the yogurt function. I love making my Raw milk Greek Yogurt in this.

Other Recipes You May Like

Here are more Instant Pot and Animal Based recipes and probiotic rich food.

• 2-Ingredient Animal Based Pancakes – Dairy Free
• The Best Instant Pot Bone Broth
• Raw Milk Greek Yogurt – In the Instant Pot
• Instant Pot Applesauce – No Peeling
• How to Make Homemade Sauerkraut
• Homemade Fizzy Kombucha Tea Recipe

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How to Cook Beef Heart In the Instant Pot

The Instant pot is a great way to cook your beef heart and make this tough meat super tender and delicious!

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Ingredients

• An Instant Pot or other brand of pressure cooker
• 3-4 lbs Raw beef hearts or even Veal Hearts
• 1 cup Filtered Water or Bone Broth  
• 1 tsp Salt
• Any add ins you may want, veggies like a sliced onion, celery, carrots, etc.

Instructions

1. Once the pieces of beef heart are thawed, put the stainless steel insert in the instant pot and add the meat to the insert.
2. Add 1 cup of filtered water or bone broth on top of the meat.
3. Add your sliced onion or any other vegetables cut into smaller pieces (optional)
4. Put the lid on the Instant Pot and turn the valve to "Seal"
5. Press the "Pressure Cook" button and set the pressure to "High" 
6. Set the time to cook for 75 minutes and press start if your brand of pressure cooker has that feature.
7. Once the timer goes off and it has finished cooking, allow the pressure to naturally release for 30 minutes. Doing this step helps to make it more tender.
8. Remove the meat from the instant pot, and allow to cool on a cutting board. (Don't throw out the liquid in the instant pot insert. There are many nutrients left in that from the heart. Use it in your other beef recipes like beef stew.)
9. Once cooled you can slice the meat into thick or thin slices as you please. If you want to serve it like this, that is fine or add it to your favorite dish.

Notes

If you like your meat to be a bit more crispy, here's what I recommend. After you have sliced the meat into about 1" - 2" thick slices, and add it to a preheated cast iron pan. Fry it in some healthy fat, you could do olive oil but I prefer to use an animal fat like butter or rendered beef fat like tallow. Cook it like you would a steak but not quite as long since it is already cooked, you don't want to dry it out. It needs to be cooked long enough so that it gets crispy on the bottom before you flip it to the other side. Serve it with some sauerkraut to help with your immune system and some steamed vegetables, delicious!

Nutrition Information:

Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 197Total Fat: 53.62gSaturated Fat: 18.82gTrans Fat: 2.449gUnsaturated Fat: 7.43gCholesterol: 1687mgSodium: 3664mgCarbohydrates: 1.91gProtein: 241.13g

The post How to Cook Beef Heart in the Instant Pot appeared first on Natural Living Homestead.

This is a French Canadian recipe that has been pass down through my family. You may find other recipes that include different ingredients and methods of making this meatball and pork stew. This way of making it is pretty simple and not a lot of extra ingredients but still having that delicious flavor and smell everyone will love.

My grandmother was from Canada so my mother grew up with this recipe. My mother then made it for my siblings and I and I loved it. I find that this is pretty similar to biscuits and gravy. My mother would make this every now and then throughout the year but this would be a great meal for the holiday season.

What Does the Name Mean?

“Ragoût” means a seasoned dish that with small cuts of meat and is then stewed with vegetables.

Now “Cochon” means “Pig” and “Pattes” means “Feet”. Then “Boulettes” means “meatballs”. You then have what says “Ragout Pigs feet and meatballs”. I know that doesn’t sound very appetizing with the pig feet. This part of the recipe, pig feet, is technically the ankle of the pig. So the trotters “hooves” have been removed and your left with the meaty bone part which is mostly the ankle.

My family has always pronounced this recipe as “Ragu” since the “out” part of the word is silent anyways. We just spelled it Ragu.

I promise you this is very delicious and such a hearty and filling recipe.

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Why you should use pork hock

Pork hock is such a tender meat to add to meals. It has a good amount of fat and skin which adds so much flavor to your dish if cooked until it falls off the bone.

Its a good way to use all of the animal, which would typically get thrown out unfortunately. Sadly in todays culture these things are considered gross and always go to waste or maybe get repurposed into say, dog food or something similar.

With proper cleaning and if done right, there is no gross things left. Typically the top thin layer of skin is removed and discarded along with the hair. The same thing is done for the rest of the animal if someone is wanting to save the skin of a pig for example. That’s how you start the process to make pork rinds.

​Frequently asked questions

Can I use pork shanks instead of a pork hock?

You can use a pork shank in place of a pork hock you just need to make sure it’s cooked nice and slowly. It’s a tougher cut of meat so if you simmer it on the stove as per the directions in this recipe it should make the pork meat come out nice and tender.

Should I brown hocks and the meatballs?

You could brown them a bit to give them a bit more texture and flavor but it’s not necessary.

Can I bake the meat in the oven?

You may find other recipes say you can cook the meat in the oven. I have not personally tried this method. You don’t want to use baking sheets, it would still be best to simmer it in a pot covered with broth. I would include the meatballs as well, having them simmered in the broth with the pork meat adds so much flavor to them. With both the pork hock and meatballs simmering together it makes for a much richer stock.

Can I use plain flour instead of browned/roasted flour?

You could, but I would not recommend it. Using browned flour gives it so much more flavor. Browning it gives a nuttier flavor with a soft and smooth texture.

Other Add-ins/Alternatives for Pork Hock and Meatball Soup

A bay leaf and onions are something you can add in when you cook the meat. I have not personally used bay leaves in this recipe neither my mother but if you like the flavor you get, then go for it.

Ground Pork is an alternative to ground beef. We have always used ground beef in this recipe but I don’t see why ground pork couldn’t be used as well.

Noodles or white could be an alternative to potatoes. Though I have not tried the other add-ins, I personally like the texture of potatoes in this dish.

Ingredients For Pork Hock and Meatball Stew

• Pork Hocks
• Ground Beef
• Ground Cloves
• Ground Nutmeg
• Salt
• Black Pepper
• Bone Broth or water
• Browned Flour
• Potatoes

Note: Try to find pork hocks that are not smoked. This recipe tastes best with pork hocks that have not been smoked.

How to Make Pork Hock and Meatball Stew

Cook the Meat

First make up your meatballs. Take about a pound of ground beef in a large bowl and add your ground cloves, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Mix together well and form into roughly 1 inch balls.

Then to a large pot, add your pork hock and meatballs. Add your bone broth or cold water make sure to add enough water so that it is covering all the meat.

Set it to simmer on your stove. I had my heat on about 2 out of 10. So in between low and medium low heat.

Let this simmer for a cooking time of a couple hours at least with the lid on. The meat should be easily pulled off the bones.

Cook the Flour and Potatoes

While your meat is finishing cooking, not long before your going to serve, boil your potatoes and drain.

Once the meat is cooked, pull all the meat off the bones and shred it into small pieces and add it back to the pot with the meatballs and discard the bones.

If you lost some liquid while simmering you may need to add more liquid back in.

Add your flour to a pan on the same heat setting and brown your flour. Stir constantly so it doesn’t burn. You want it to be almost a dark brown color.

Slowly add a couple cups of liquid from the stew to the pan of browned flour or mix it together in a medium bowl making sure to mix out any lumps as you go.

Add the flour mixture to the rest of the stew meat and mix in well to make a gravy.

Plate up some of the boiled potatoes and top it with some meatballs and a generous portion of the gravy.

Other Recipes You May Like

The Best Instant Pot Bone Broth

Homemade Corn Chowder Recipe

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Pork Hock and Meatball Stew

Yield: 6

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 3 hours

Total Time: 3 hours 15 minutes

This is a hearty recipe that offers tender, long simmered pork hock and seasoned meatballs. Then a browned flour gravy, topped over boiled potatoes to finish off this stew.

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Ingredients

• 2 Pork Hocks
• 1 pound Ground Beef
• 1/8 tsp Ground Cloves
• 1/8 tsp Ground Nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tsp fresh ground Black Pepper
• 4 cups Bone Broth or water
• 2/3 cup Browned Flour
• 2 pounds Potatoes

Instructions

1. First make up your meatballs. Take about a pound of ground beef in a large bowl and add your ground cloves, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Mix together well and form into roughly 1 inch balls.
2. Then to a large pot, add your pork hock and meatballs. Add your bone broth or cold water make sure to add enough water so that it is covering all the meat.
3. Set it to simmer on your stove. I had my heat on about 2 out of 10. So in between low and medium low heat.
4. Let this simmer for a cooking time of a couple hours at least with the lid on. The meat should be easily pulled off the bones.
5. While your meat is finishing cooking, not long before your going to serve, boil your potatoes and drain.
6. Once the meat is cooked, pull all the meat off the bones and shred it into small pieces and add it back to the pot with the meatballs and discard the bones.
7. If you lost some liquid while simmering you may need to add more liquid back in.
8. Add your flour to a pan on the same heat setting and brown your flour. Stir constantly so it doesn't burn. You want it to be almost a dark brown color.
9. Slowly add a couple cups of liquid from the stew to the pan of browned flour or mix it together in a medium bowl making sure to mix out any lumps as you go.
10. Add the flour mixture to the rest of the stew meat and mix in well to make a gravy.
11. Plate up some of the boiled potatoes and top it with some meatballs and a generous portion of the gravy.

Notes

Try to find pork hocks that are not smoked. This recipe tastes best with pork hocks that have not been smoked.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6 Serving Size: 551 grams
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 76.33Total Fat: 24.63gSaturated Fat: 8.272gTrans Fat: 0.453gUnsaturated Fat: 2.239gCholesterol: 201mgSodium: 1840mgCarbohydrates: 37.29gFiber: 3.8gSugar: 1.22gProtein: 53.55g

The post How to make hearty Pork Hock and Meatball Stew appeared first on Natural Living Homestead.

Years ago my husband and I regularly visited a small bakery/cafe on the weekend. We fell into a bit of a routine and got the same meal each time if possible. I always love the poached egg with Canadian bacon on top of a warm croissant. Usually this was on an English muffin but who could resist a buttery, flaky croissant. This was all then topped with a delicious hollandaise sauce.

My husband on the other hand loved a recipe that they called the “Ian”. A soft plain bagel with delicious cream cheese spread on each half. Then on the bottom half of the bagel, thin layers of smoked salmon were layered, then a nice whole thin slice of a red onion. They then sprinkled yummy capers on top of it all and topped it with the other cream cheese slathered bagel. They’d slice it in half and ran a pick through each half holding it together. Sounds scrumptious!

For each of us, they were the best meals ever. Delicious brunch meals that we loved.

Fast forward a few years and unfortunately we don’t live near that cafe anymore. We try to make a stop in whenever we visit the area. My husband brought up the idea to have that meal again, recently and I decided I had to make this dish for him. It had been so long since I’ve seen the sandwich so i tried my best to remember all that was in it and tried to recreate it. With a few questions for my husband, I made it for brunch one morning recently and I apparently got it just right.

It’s a very simple sandwich but it packs a lot of flavor. He was pleasantly surprised to get it, as I didn’t tell him I was making it. Point 1 for me!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make this ahead of time?

Though they taste best made right before you serve it you can make them ahead of time. I have made these the evening before my husband took it to work the following day. I put it in an air tight container to keep it fresh.

What other toppings can I add?

You can add anything that you like. Some add a poached egg. You could also thinly slice up some avocado or even cucumbers. The cucumbers add a nice fresh and crisp taste to the sandwich. Thinly sliced tomatoes or even microgreens or arugula or baby spinach would be delicious.

What is the best smoked salmon to buy?

I try to find something that is wild caught like an Atlantic Salmon. I have read that the Latitude and DuckTrap Spruce Point brands seem to be the best when it comes to flavor and texture. If you like the added flavor of dill you could try the Gravlax Style of the DuckTrap Spruce Point brand. Next, take note of any added flavors or preservatives, you’ll want to avoid these.

Ingredients for a Smoked Salmon Bagel

• Bagel – Feel free to use what ever type of bagel you fancy. Plain bagels tend to be more popular but an everything bagel or even a cheese bagel would be delicious. I used a homemade sourdough bagel for this sandwich. I think the sourdough adds another tasty flavor to the sandwich.
• Smoked Salmon – Try to find a good quality smoked salmon. If you can find one that’s not farmed and wild caught, that would be best. Also, take note if it has any coloring added to it. You can use regular cooked salmon, it just won’t have the same flavor that smoked salmon does.
• Cream cheese – I used regular whole fat cream cheese but you could use a whipped cream cheese. If you fancy a flavored cream cheese you can add some herbs to give your sandwich even more flavor. You could try a little dill, garlic and green onions and a couple dashes of pepper mixed in.
• Red onion – Slice them very thinly, this makes for an easier time to not get too much onion and just the right amount with each bite. If you find pickled red onions that will add for a nice sweet and tangy flavor.
• Capers – I added about a tablespoon but if you really like them, feel free to add more. Maybe add it to the cream cheese before your smoked salmon so it doesn’t fall out.

How to Make a Smoked Salmon Bagel

Start off with your bagel. You may toast it if you like, that adds another tasty texture to your sandwich. If you prefer, just slice it in half and leave it as it is.

Next add your cream cheese. I like to put a generous amount of the cream cheese on each halves of the bagel.

Add your salmon, the thinner the slices the better, you’ll find that this brand of salmon has them thinly layered. I did about 2 oz per sandwich. The package of smoked salmon I had was a 4 oz package. If you add more toppings than in this recipe, I would add closer to 1 oz of salmon per sandwich.

Add the red onions

Next, add the capers and any other toppings if you choose.

Slice and Enjoy!

Show your support and appreciation. If you made this recipe and loved it, give it a 5 star review and leave a comment. Follow me on Instagram @naturalliving.homestead then tag me in a photo of your amazing creation! Thank you!

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Show your support and appreciation. If you made this recipe and loved it, give it a 5 star review and leave a comment. Follow me on Instagram @naturalliving.homestead then tag me in a photo of your amazing creation! Thank you!

Smoked Salmon Bagel

Yield: 2

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

This Smoked Salmon Bagel sandwich is a delicious and simple meal you can make in just a few minutes. It makes a great breakfast, brunch or lunch sandwich. It's very customizable to include ingredients that you love.

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Ingredients

• 2 Bagels
• 2 oz Cream Cheese
• 1 4 oz package Smoked Salmon
• 1 oz Red Onion
• 2 tbsp Capers

Instructions

1. Start off with your bagel and slice it in half.
2. Next add your cream cheese. I like to put a generous amount of the cream cheese on each halves of the bagel.
3. Add your salmon, the thinner the slices the better, you'll find that this brand of salmon has them thinly layered. I did about 2 oz per sandwich. The package of smoked salmon I had was a 4 oz package. If you add more toppings than in this recipe, I would add closer to 1 oz of salmon per sandwich.
4. Add the red onions
5. Next, add the capers and any other toppings if you choose.
6. Slice and Enjoy!

Notes

You may toast your bagel first it if you like, that adds another tasty texture to your sandwich.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 2 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 55Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.023gUnsaturated Fat: 2.25gCholesterol: 64mgSodium: 1002mgCarbohydrates: 50.4gFiber: 4.4gSugar: 7.74gProtein: 24g

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Other Recipes You May Like

Homemade Corn Chowder Recipe

The Best Instant Pot Bone Broth

Sourdough Maple Syrup Dumplings (Grand-Pères)

The post Smoked Salmon Bagel appeared first on Natural Living Homestead.