Get it? 3/14?

Yeah - I have the feeling that the idea of Pi Day appeals to The Man about as much as Pie Day appeals to me. So – for him I will not roll my eyes when he does a little dance during Pi MINUTE (3:14 on 3/14). I will also not point out that true Pi Minute was at 3:14 this morning. 

For YOU Dear Readers, I have a great pi(e) recipe that will knock your socks off. It’s a favorite in the Kasten house and if you’ll try it out, it’ll be sure to be a favorite in yours too. 

Taco Chili Pie

This is an amazingly affordable recipe that feeds a big crowd. If you make your own pie crust it’s a full meal for eight to ten people for less than $10. It has a tiny amount of meat in it, but a large amount of beans and spinach. It is one of my kids’ favorite meals and by FAR the most requested. It’s surprisingly tasty and good for both grown-up and kid tastes. Please don’t shy away from the large amount of spinach in this dish. Even the most seasoned “Spinach Haters” will never know it’s there.

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Ingredients

1 pound ground beef
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1 cup chopped onion
4 cups torn fresh spinach
1 can (16 oz.) red kidney beans, rinsed & drained
1 can (15 oz.) pinto beans, rinsed & drained 1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce
1 can (14 ½ oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 packet Taco seasoning
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon molasses
Pie crust dough for TWO double crust pies (four sheets total) – Use your favorite recipe or store bought pie crusts.

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Instructions

It’s easy to let kids help with this dish. Tearing the spinach, opening and draining the cans and adding the ingredients are all great kid-friendly activities. One of the best investments I ever made was a “no-edge” can opener. You can get one of these for less than $5 at most grocery and home stores. Once you have one, children can open cans without the usual danger of sharp edges.

In a Dutch oven or very large skillet, cook beef, mushrooms and onion until beef is no longer pink, then drain off the liquid.
Add all of the other ingredients and stir over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil

Before stewing, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes uncovered, stirring occasionally.

After stewing, line 2 9-inch pie plates with pastry.
I put the shells right up against the pot I stewed in. This way, I don’t drip taco-chili goodness all over the counters. Use a ladle and alternate, it’s better than eyeballing the division. (Especially if you’re cheap like me and don’t have matching pie plates.)

Divide mixture between the two pies.

Top with another pastry sheet, trim, seal and flute edges.
Cut slits in the top to vent.

Bake at 400° for 20 minutes.
Reduce heat to 375°; bake 30-35 minutes more or until golden brown.

Let stand for 10-15 minutes before serving.
Serve with traditional chili garnishes – green onion, cheese, sour cream, etc.

all photos copyright © 2010 by jodi a. kasten • all rights reserved
Original recipe was published by "Taste of Home" magazine. Modifications are by the author.