Spinach and Sausage Pie

Don't be fooled by the spinach and turkey sausage. This dish is not healthy and is quite heavy, so it's best paired with a salad loaded with fresh vegetables. The combination of cheese, sausage, spinach and a crumbly crust is perfect. A few tips though, before you get started. Make sure you bake the pie for at least 50 minutes. Depending on your oven, it might need more time. The first time I baked this pie for our KIPP Thanksgiving potluck, I took it out of the oven too soon. Although the filling was yummy, the pie crust wasn't cooked all the way through. Sorry AIM staff! Second, make sure you mix your egg wash well, otherwise you'll end up with funny looking yellow spots on your top pie crust (see below). Also, depending on the size of your pie crust, you may have enough filling to make two smaller pies, or Cornish pasties too! 

Ingredients:

1 pound Italian Turkey Sausage
1 medium onion, chopped
6 eggs, beaten 
2 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
4 cups (16 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Pastry for two-crust pie
1 tablespoon water
 

Directions:

Using a skillet, brown the sausage and onion until the sausage is cooked through and onion is tender. Drain. Separate 1 egg and set aside the yolk. In a bowl, beat the remaining egg white and whole eggs. Stir in the sausage and onion, spinach, mozzarella, ricotta, garlic powder and pepper. Line a pie plate with bottom pastry. Add filling. Top with upper crust; seal and flute edges. Cut slits in top crust. Combine water with reserved egg yolk; brush over top crust. Bake at 375° for 50 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.