8/01/12

Zucchini Pie

A savory pie or tart recipe made with zucchini, mozzarella cheese and Italian herbs baked in a crescent roll crust.

JUMP TO RECIPE

This recipe is a staple for my family. I've been using the hand-written copy I scribbled from Mom’s recipe book for almost twenty years now.

I'd never known anyone else to make it so imagine my delight when a friend brought it to a potluck last week!

It was like I’d run into my kindergarten teacher. And she still looked exactly the same as she did in 1979. And then she gave me the best hug.

Zucchini Pie! A savory pie or tart recipe made with zucchini, mozzarella cheese and Italian herbs baked in a crescent roll crust.

This is a recipe Pillsbury published decades ago to use with their crescent rolls. We've made a few minor tweaks to it but, for the most part, it's the original. 

The changes I've made are really about measurements. Their recipe reads to use 4 cups of zucchini but sliced zucchini is a hard thing to measure. Depending on the size of the zucchini and what you're using to measure, "4 cups" can yield a lot of different amounts.

Just be sure to use small zucchini and start with about 1.5 pounds. It's better to have a little too much than not enough. You can always discard the little bit of excess you might have.

Zucchini Pie! A savory pie or tart recipe made with zucchini, mozzarella cheese and Italian herbs baked in a crescent roll crust.

I really and truly SUCK at estimating what size pie pan to use for recipes. I’m ashamed to admit how many times I’ve poured whatever filling into a crust to find it only came halfway up the side. Which means I either have to start over with another pan or just have an ugly pie. 

Recipes are notoriously vague or just outright WRONG about pie pan sizes. As I’ve said before, any jackleg can make a recipe blog. Ha!

I’ve failed enough times to make me pull out my math hat and lean on some basic geometry. Sorry Mrs. Hoffman, I didn’t actually remember how to do any of it but I did look it up and employ it, so that’s something.

Zucchini Pie! A savory pie or tart recipe made with zucchini, mozzarella cheese and Italian herbs baked in a crescent roll crust.

HOW TO DETERMINE WHICH SIZE PIE PAN TO USE

Multiply the radius (half of the diameter) times the radius again times 3.14 (pi) times the depth to get the cubic inches of the pan. To calculate the volume, divide the cubic inches by 14.44.

It’s not as hard as it sounds.

RADIUS x RADIUS x 3.14 x DEPTH = CUBIC INCHES

CUBIC INCHES / 14.44 = VOLUME

So, if I had a 9-inch pie pan that was 2 inches deep, I would multiply 4.5 x 4.5 x 3.14 x 2 which would give me 127.17 cubic inches. 127.17 x 14.44 = 8.8 cups of filling.

Then you either have to apply some common sense or literally measure the filling to determine if the pan size will work. Looking at this recipe, I see we’re starting with 6 cups of zucchini and an onion (which I know will cook down some) and adding some cheese and eggs, then I figure the crust will take up some volume and that I’m not likely to fill it all the way to the brim and I figure that size pan will be about perfect. 

Zucchini Pie! A savory pie or tart recipe made with zucchini, mozzarella cheese and Italian herbs baked in a crescent roll crust.

This recipe is perfect for squash too! We always had a garden when I was growing up and always had more zucchini and yellow squash than we could eat so we used this recipe with both!

This really has an Italian feel to it from both the mozzarella and herbs but not so much that it doesn’t pair well with any holiday meal or Sunday dinner.

This is also great for a meatless main dish or even to serve at breakfast since it's such a close cousin to quiche!

Zucchini Pie! A savory pie or tart recipe made with zucchini, mozzarella cheese and Italian herbs baked in a crescent roll crust.

NOTES ON COOKING ZUCCHINI PIE

Using small zucchini will allow you to measure more accurately AND will produce less liquid when cooking. You will need about 6 small zucchini or approximately 1.5 pounds. 

Use a pie pan that will hold about 8 cups of filling. Either a 2-inch deep 9-inch pan or 1.5-inch deep 10-inch pan is perfect.

The filling will not expand much when cooking so you can fill the crust pretty full.

Be sure to read the note in Step 2 about pouring out any excessive liquid. If the zucchini are older, too large or if they may have partially frozen in a super cold refrigerator, they are likely to really put off some water. 

Don't fret over the making the crust. The dough is very forgiving and pliable. Just get it in there the best you can and if it looks a mess when you're done it will just add to the rustic appeal of the recipe!

You can use a ready-made crust for this but the crescent roll crust really is worth the effort. There's just something about it that goes with this. I can't say I'd love this as much as I do without the crescent roll crust.

Don't skip the mustard. I know it sounds odd but it gives the pie a little nip of acid that balances the richness from the crust, eggs and cheese.

The original recipe uses yellow mustard but I really like dijon better. 

Recipe for Zucchini Pie

Zucchini Pie! A savory pie or tart recipe made with zucchini, mozzarella cheese and Italian herbs baked in a crescent roll crust.
Zucchini Pie

Zucchini Pie

Yield: 8 Servings
Author: Mandy Rivers | South Your Mouth
Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 40 MinTotal time: 1 Hour
A savory recipe for a zucchini pie or tart with mozzarella cheese and Italian herbs baked in a crescent roll crust.

Ingredients

  • 6 cups sliced zucchini (see notes)
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 tablespoon dried parsley
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
  • 2 eggs, well beaten
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
  • 1 8-oz. can crescent rolls

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Sauté zucchini and onions in butter in a large skillet for 6-8 minutes or until tender then remove from heat. Some liquid is OK but if your zucchini puts off a lot of liquid (say more than 1/4 cup), pour off excess.
  3. Stir in parsley, salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano and basil then let cool a bit while you prepare the crust.
  4. Separate dough into 8 triangles. Place dough pieces in ungreased 9-10 inch pie plate (see notes), press over bottom and up sides to form crust. Firmly press perforations to seal.
  5. Brush bottom of crust with mustard. You can use the backside of a spoon or a pastry brush for this.
  6. Add eggs and cheese to zucchini then stir well to incorporate.
  7. Pour filling into prepared crust then bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until mostly set. If necessary, cover crust with aluminum foil during last 10 minutes of baking to prevent excessive browning.
  8. Remove from oven and let stand, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes for pie to set up completely before serving.

Notes

  • Using small zucchini will allow you to measure more accurately AND will produce less liquid when cooking. You will need about 6 small zucchini or approximately 1.5 pounds. 
  • Use a pie pan that will hold about 8 cups of filling. Either a 2-inch deep 9-inch pan or 1.5-inch deep 10-inch pan is perfect.
  • The filling will not expand much when cooking so you can fill the crust pretty full.
  • Be sure to read the note in Step 2 about pouring out any excessive liquid. If the zucchini are older, too large or if they may have partially frozen in a super cold refrigerator, they are likely to really put off some water. 
  • Don't fret over the making the crust. The dough is very forgiving and pliable. Just get it in there the best you can and if it looks a mess when you're done it will just add to the rustic appeal of the recipe!
  • You can use a ready-made crust for this but the crescent roll crust really is worth the effort. There's just something about it that goes with this.
  • Don't skip the mustard. It gives the pie a little nip of acid that balances the richness from the crust, eggs and cheese.
  • The original recipe uses yellow mustard but I really like dijon better. If using yellow mustard, reduce to 2 teaspoons.
zucchini, squash, casserole, pie, tart, italian, crescent, Pillsbury, original, recipe, easy, best, cheese, quiche, meatless, mozzarella
side dish
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10 comments:

  1. Oh my, haven't seen one of these ever! Love it!

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  2. Do you think yellow squash would work well with this recipe instead of zucchini?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Absolutely! You kinda lose the "Italian" vibe but it's still good! I've made it with yellow squash several times.

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  3. Zucchini Pie was a Bake-Off winner one year. I remember seeing it in one of the Bake-Off cookbooks.
    Joan Fisher Demshock
    (on FB)

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  4. I just took this out of the oven for a potluck tomorrow and it is nothing short of AMAZEBALLS!!

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  5. Do you think that the filling would set up ok and be servable without the crust? I eat low carb and even though I love crescent rolls, they are way too high in carbs for me now. The filling recipe sounds great!

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    Replies
    1. I think it would do fine… If I were trying to do a low-carb version, I would make sure to start with an oven proof skillet to saute (sorry I don’t know how to make the accent mark over the “e" on the end) the veg with seasonings, then whisk the eggs, etc. separately… then incorporate that with the veggie mix already in the skillet, pop it in the oven and voila :) Crustless zucchini pie!

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    2. No, it won't. This is loose and cheesy, not set like a custard. If you'd like to experiment, use 4-5 eggs instead of 2. If you try it, I'd love to hear how it goes!

      Delete
  6. I lost my recipes a few years ago and have been thinking of this recipe on and off since then. I always paired it with a salad and steamed broccoli. yum yum . . so imagine my delight when I did a search and found yours. The only differences I remember with the recipe I had was it called for 2 pie crusts ( homemade or refrigerated ) and then the mustard was brushed on both crusts before filling. If I had large zucchini's, this would make 2 full pies, one to have and one to share :) Thank you

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  7. SO DELICIOUS!!! You really have a flair for seasoning dishes to perfection, Mandy. The flavors just fill the mouth when eating this zucchini pie. We all loved it. Thank you for sharing with those of us who are flat out of ideas for something new to make for dinner!

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Hi there! While I’m not able to respond to every comment, I try hard to answer any questions that haven’t been addressed in the post, recipe or in other comments.

I can tell you now 1) I have no idea if you can substitute Minute Rice or brown rice in my recipes because I’ve never used them and 2) If I know how to convert a recipe to a Crock Pot version, I will make a note about it (otherwise, I don’t know).

And though I may not respond to them all, I do read each and every comment and I LOVE to hear from you guys! Thanks, y’all! - Mandy