After the holiday whirlwind with all the expenses and social outings involved, we usually feel the need to take refuge from the cold and revel in the warmth and comfort of home. We reach for inexpensive recipes that can be made ahead of time and require only a handful of ingredients. This salmon pie is a classic choice that the entire family will love, can be prepared easily in advance and is just the thing for a busy weekday evening. To boost its nutritional value and skip a time-consuming step, the pastry has been replaced by rice (or leftover rice – even quicker).
Serves
4-6
Preparation
25 min
Cooking
45 min
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 ½ cups water or low-sodium vegetable broth
- ¾ cup basmati or whole grain rice (or 2½ cups leftover rice)
- ½ cup Natrel Fine-Filtered 2% milk
- 6 eggs
- 1 can 15 oz. skinless and boneless sockeye salmon
- 1 cup cheddar or Monterey Jack, grated
- 1 tsp. dried thyme
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
Preparation
- Place the oven rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). In a saucepan, brown the onion and garlic in the oil over medium heat. Season with salt and pepper. Continue cooking until the onion is transparent. Remove from heat and let cool.
- In another saucepan, add the water and rice. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium. Stir and cook, covered, for about 15 to 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk the milk and eggs together until the mixture is consistent. Add the onion and garlic mix, salmon and ¼ cup (60 ml) grated cheese. Add the thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Transfer the rice to a large deep pie plate. Using a fork or spatula, form a crust by firmly pressing the rice into the bottom and sides.
- Pour the salmon mixture onto the rice. Garnish with the rest of the cheese.
- Cook in the oven for 45 minutes or until the cheese is golden and a knife inserted into the centre of the pie comes out hot. Serve immediately.
