Sausage Pie

Photo: flickr user The Gifted Photographer

Ingredients

1 onion - (1/2 lb) peeled, diced

1 tablespoon butter or olive oil

cup low-fat milk

cup all-purpose flour

3 lrgs eggs

pound cooked kielbasa (Polish) sausages cut 3" chunks

cup chopped green onions including tops

Salt to taste

Preparation

In a shallow 2-quart pan or a 10-inch frying pan over medium-high heat, frequently stir diced onion and butter until onion is limp, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a bowl with a whisk, or in a blender, mix milk, flour, and eggs until smooth.

Lay sausages in center of pan with onions. Pour milk mixture evenly over meat.

Bake in a 425 degree oven until egg mixture is puffed, very crisp, and richly browned, 35 to 40 minutes (25 to 30 minutes in a 400 degree convection oven). Remove sausage pie from oven and sprinkle with green onions. Scoop portions onto plates and add salt to taste.

This recipe yields 6 servings.

Comments: This savory pie - which looks impressive with very little effort on the cook's part - is one of my hip-pocket solutions when an unpremeditated urge to invite guests for dinner strikes. Except for the sausages, the ingredients are kitchen staples.

If you don't have green onions, sprinkle the pie with a couple of tablespoons of chopped parsley, watercress, fresh basil leaves - even lettuce - to give the dish a fresh-looking finish. Serve with Dijon mustard and sour cream or plain yogurt.