Apple Pie with Cheese — The Two-Hundredth Post

The two hundredth post. Almost four years into the notebook. The household has four people at the table now (Dustin most weekends), a brother working full-time at an auto-body shop, a college freshman in her second semester, a college boyfriend who shows up for car-door-opening every single time. The math has continued to compound.

The recipe Sunday was apple pie with cheese, the Midwestern classic where cheddar cheese is incorporated into the pie pastry. The cheese plays the role butter usually plays, melting into the crust during the bake and giving it a slight savory richness that pairs surprisingly well with the sweet apple filling. Granny Smith apples sliced thin, tossed with brown sugar, cinnamon, lemon juice, and a touch of flour. Top crust on, slits cut for steam, brushed with egg wash, sprinkled with coarse sugar.

The recipe is below. The trick is the cheese in the pastry.

Apple Pie with Cheese

Prep Time: 30 min | Cook Time: 55 min | Total Time: 1 hr 25 min | Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 2 rounds pie crust dough (homemade or store-bought), chilled
• 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, finely shredded, divided
• 6 medium apples (Granny Smith or Honeycrisp), peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 large egg, beaten (for egg wash)
• 1 tablespoon coarse sugar (for topping)

Instructions

1. Preheat. Heat oven to 425°F with a rack in the lower third. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and set aside.
2. Make the filling. In a large bowl, toss the sliced apples with both sugars, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and lemon juice until evenly coated. Let sit 10 minutes while you prepare the crust.
3. Fit the bottom crust. Roll one round of dough and fit it into a 9-inch pie dish, leaving a 1-inch overhang. Scatter 1/2 cup of the shredded cheddar evenly over the bottom crust.
4. Fill the pie. Spoon the apple mixture over the cheese layer, mounding it slightly in the center. Dot the top of the filling with butter pieces, then scatter the remaining 1/2 cup cheddar over the apples.
5. Add the top crust. Roll the second dough round and lay it over the filling. Trim any excess, then fold the edges under and crimp firmly to seal. Cut 5–6 small slits in the top crust to vent steam.
6. Finish and bake. Brush the top crust with beaten egg and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Set the pie on the prepared baking sheet. Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 375°F and bake an additional 38–42 minutes, until the crust is deep golden and the filling is visibly bubbling through the slits.
7. Cool before slicing. Transfer to a wire rack and cool at least 1 hour before cutting—this lets the filling set so it doesn’t run. Serve warm or at room temperature, with extra sliced sharp cheddar on the side if you like.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 385 | Protein: 6g | Fat: 17g | Carbs: 54g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 310mg