Amish and Mennonite culinary traditions are defined by resourcefulness. Historically rooted in agrarian lifestyles, their recipes were designed to sustain hard-working families using exactly what was available in the root cellar and the dairy house.
The Savory Potato Pie is a perfect example of this philosophy. While sweet pies like Shoofly or Sugar Pie get most of the tourist attention, savory pies were the backbone of the dinner table. Often referred to in community cookbooks simply as “Potato Pie,” it is frequently served alongside—or sometimes topped with—a generous helping of Chow-Chow, a traditional sweet-and-sour pickled vegetable relish. The rich, creamy, and salty profile of the potato pie perfectly balances the tangy, vinegary crunch of the chow-chow.
While tourist brochures often paint a romanticized picture of Amish and Mennonite cooks laboring over antique wood-burning stoves, the reality is far more practical. Most Mennonite cooks, and many Amish households (using pneumatic or generator-powered appliances depending on their specific ordnung), utilize fully modern kitchens to produce their famous baked goods. The secret to their legendary pies isn’t a magical antique oven; it’s the reliance on scratch-made ingredients, high-quality dairy, and generations of refined technique.
Here is a traditional recipe for a rich, savory Amish Potato Pie.
Authentic Amish Savory Potato Pie
Yield: One 9-inch pie (6-8 servings)
Prep time: 20 minutes
Bake time: 45 minutes
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 1 unbaked 9-inch pie crust (homemade lard or butter crust is most authentic, but store-bought works in a pinch)
For the Filling:
- 3 cups russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 1/2 cup yellow onion, finely diced
- 4 slices thick-cut bacon (or 1/2 cup cooked, crumbled sausage)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream (or whole milk)
- 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 tbsp butter, melted
- 1 cup sharp cheddar or Swiss cheese, shredded
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
The Method
- Preheat your modern oven to 400°F.
Line a 9-inch pie dish with your unbaked crust, crimping the edges. Place it in the refrigerator to chill while you prepare the filling. - Place the cubed potatoes in a pot of salted water and bring to a boil. Cook until fork-tender (about 10 minutes). Drain well and set aside in a large mixing bowl.
- While the potatoes boil, fry the bacon in a skillet until crisp. Remove the bacon, crumble it, and use a tablespoon of the leftover bacon grease to sauté the diced onions until translucent.
- Add the sautéed onions, crumbled bacon, melted butter, and heavy cream to the bowl with the potatoes. Mash them roughly—you want the mixture to be cohesive but still have plenty of texture and distinct potato chunks. Let the mixture cool for about 5 minutes so it isn’t piping hot.
- Once the potato mixture has cooled slightly (to prevent scrambling the eggs), stir in the beaten eggs, shredded cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper. Mix until everything is evenly distributed.
- Pour the filling into your chilled pie crust. Bake on the middle rack for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the center is set and the top is golden brown and slightly puffed.
How to Serve: Let the pie rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing. Serve it warm with a large dollop of cold Chow-Chow relish on the side. The contrast between the hot, rich pie and the cold, acidic relish is the defining characteristic of this meal.
