Irish Ham and Cabbage Pie
Put a delicious twist on a traditional Irish dish by swapping the bacon for ham and baking it in the oven with puff pastry on top. This easy dinner recipe is perfect for a St. Patrick’s Day party. Ham and cabbage pie is a comfort food everyone will love!
Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 529kcal
Ingredients
For the Meat & Veggies
- 1 medium head of green cabbage about 2½ pounds
- 2½ cups smoked ham chopped
- 3 cups yellow onions chopped (1½ large onions)
- 2 tablespoons garlic cloves minced
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
For the Gravy
- 3½ tablespoons salted butter
- 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ cup whole milk
- 1½ cups low-sodium chicken stock
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¾ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- ¼ teaspoon ground sage
For the Pastry
- 1.3 pounds puff pastry
- 1 large egg beaten
Instructions
Making the Filling
- Remove the stem and outer leaves from the cabbage, cut in wedges, then chop in bite-sized pieces. Rinse in a colander, then place in a large Dutch oven and add 3 inches of water. Cover and bring to a boil, then let the cabbage simmer, covered, until crisp-tender, about 8-10 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water.
- Cut the ham into bite-sized pieces and set aside.
- Chop the onions and mince the garlic, then saute with the 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet until golden brown. Spoon into a bowl and set aside.
- In the same skillet, melt 3½ tablespoons of butter and whisk in the flour. Cook over medium heat for a couple minutes, whisking constantly.
- Whisk in the milk, then the chicken stock. Keep stirring until the gravy has thickened, then season with salt, pepper, dried thyme, and sage.
- Stir the sauteed onion mixture and chopped ham into the gravy and heat through. Spoon the gravy into a large bowl and stir in the cabbage until it's well mixed.
- Spread the filling evenly in a 6-cup (1.4 liter) capacity pie dish, and let it cool for a while before you put the pastry on top.
Assembling the Pie
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Roll out the chilled rough puff pastry and cut out a lid to fit on top of the pie. Use the remaining pastry to cut strips of pastry to go around the lid of the pie plate.
- Brush the lip of the pie plate with beaten egg and stick on the strips of pastry. Brush the pastry with more beaten egg, then stick on the lid, pressing the edges firmly to seal. Brush the whole pie with beaten egg and decorate with any scraps of pastry. Cut a few vent holes to allow the steam to escape.
- Bake at 400°F for about 35 minutes, until the pastry is a rich golden brown. Cover any areas of the pastry that are darkening too quickly with aluminum foil.
- Let the pie cool on a wire rack for about 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Adjust the seasonings to taste.
- Whisk the gravy well as you're making it, or it will be lumpy.
- Don't skip the egg wash. This is what makes the pastry golden as it bakes.
- Let the pie cool before serving to allow the filling to thicken.
- Leftovers will keep for 3-5 days in the fridge if they're tightly covered.
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 529kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 129mg | Sodium: 899mg | Potassium: 471mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 440IU | Vitamin C: 37mg | Calcium: 95mg | Iron: 3mg
