Ideas for Pi Day Recipes

Happy Pi Day! Pi is the ratio of the circumference of a circle to the diameter of a circle. This mathematical constant equates to 3.14159265359… and goes on and on. Therefore, it has become tradition to celebrate Pi Day on 3/14 or March 14th by eating all things pie. This year my family decided to go all out for Pi Day, having pie for all of our meals. Here are some pi day recipes to help you celebrate on your own:

Breakfast: Easy Quiche

You can make this the night before and then just reheat it in the morning. My husband loved this quiche so much he ate 3/4 of it all by himself. If you love quiche, I definitely recommend doubling this recipe. What makes quiche so great is that you can mix and match what sort of fillings you want. I used ham and bacon because I had it on hand, but you could also chop up onions, peppers, mushrooms, or green onions.

Ingredients:

• 1 frozen deep dish pie crust
• 6 eggs
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese (cheddar or swiss)
• 1/2 cup cubed ham
• 1/2 cup precooked bacon
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1 tsp. basil
• 1/2 tsp. paprika

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Layer cheese, ham, and bacon (or additional toppings) on top of frozen pie crust.
3. In separate small bowl, whisk together egg, cream, and spices. Pour mixture over cheese, ham, and bacon.
4. Loosely cover pie crust edges with aluminum foil.
5. Bake 35 minutes until center is just about set. Remove foil and bake another 5 minutes until crust has browned slightly.
6. To Reheat: Bring quiche to room temperature and bake at 350F for 15-20 minutes.

Lunch: Pizza Pies

Ingredients:

• 4 english muffins, sliced in half
• 1/2 cup pizza sauce
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• Optional toppings: pepperoni, diced ham, peppers, mushrooms, olives

Instructions:

1. Spoon pizza sauce onto english muffin slice.
2. Top with cheese and desired toppings.
3. Broil on HIGH for 2-3 minutes or until cheese is completely melted.

Hot Tip: If you don’t want to make these from scratch, you can cheat by packing some Pizza Lunchables in your kids’ lunchboxes.

Dinner: Shepherd’s Pie

I should say this is American Shepherd’s Pie, meaning it is made with ground beef. I learned that Shepherd’s Pie is actually made with minced lamb with the potatoes on top representing the lamb’s wool coat. Cottage Pie is technically the same, but made with ground beef. Either way, this recipe is delicious!

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 1 lb. ground beef or minced lamb
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 cup frozen peas & carrots
• 1 Tbsp. dried basil
• 1 Tbsp. dried thyme
• 1 Tbsp. dried parsley
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. pepper
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp. flour
• 1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1/2 cup broth
• 1 tsp. cocoa powder
• 1 tsp. instant coffee
• 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

Mashed Potato Topping:

• 4-5 golden potatoes, peeled
• 4 Tbsp. butter
• 2-3 Tbsp. heavy cream
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. pepper
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 tsp. chives

Instructions:

Make Mashed Potatoes:

1. Peel potatoes and cut into 2-inch cubes.
2. Add potatoes to instant pot and cover completely with water. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Cook on HIGH pressure for 8 minutes. Quick release.
4. Drain potatoes and return them to the pot.
5. Add in cream, butter, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Use a hand mixer to mash potatoes until smooth. If potatoes are too lumpy, add more cream and butter.
6. Fold in cheddar cheese and set aside.

Make Beef Mixture:

1. Brown butter in a large oven safe, sauté pan. Add ground beef to the skillet and allow to brown on each side before flipping. Break apart ground beef until thoroughly cooked.
2. Add chopped onions, peas, and carrots to skillet and cook until softened.
3. Sprinkle flour on top to coat beef and vegetable mixture.
4. Stir in all spices and garlic until fragrant.
5. Add tomato paste and flour stirring until combined.
6. Add red wine allowing to simmer until slightly reduced. Then, add in broth, cocoa powder, coffee, and Worcestershire sauce.
7. Allow entire mixture to reduce until slightly thickened.

Assemble:

1. Layer mashed potatoes on top of the beef mixture in your sauté pan making sure to seal the edges. Sprinkle with chives.
2. Bake at 350F for 25-30 minutes or until potatoes are lightly browned.

Dessert: Key Lime Pie

I absolutely love this key lime pie from Food & Wine! I make it every year for my husband’s birthday. It is not your typically dense pie, but rather light and fluffy like a mousse. My only change is incorporating some coconut flavor by making some coconut whipped cream to go on top.

Ingredients:

Crust

• 1 sleeve graham crackers, 8-9 crackers finely crushed
• 4 Tbsp. butter, melted

Pie Filling

• 3 large eggs, separated
• 1 large egg
• 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
• 16 oz key limes, juiced (about 1/3 cup)
• 1/2 tsp. lime zest

Coconut Whipped Cream

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 Tbsp. powdered sugar
• 1 tsp. coconut extract

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 325F.
2. In medium bowl, mix graham cracker crumbs and melted butter. Using a small measuring cup or your hands, firmly press the crumb mixture into a pie pan and up the sides.
3. Bake crust for 15 minutes and let cool.
4. In large bowl, whisk three egg yolks and one whole egg until slightly thickened (about 5 minutes on high speed). Beat in condensed milk, lime juice, and zest.
5. In separate bowl, use a hand mixer to beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Slowly fold in the egg whites to the custard mixture.
6. Pour the mixture over the graham cracker crust. Bake for 15 minutes or until barely set.
7. Let cool and transfer to the fridge to cool about three hours.
8. In large bowl, combine all whipped cream ingredients. Beat on high until cream forms stiff peaks. Pipe on whipped cream or scoop by the dollop and top with more lime zest.

Other Ways to Celebrate

Baking Party

What is Pi Day without baking? Gather a group of friends and bake as many different pies as you can. Everyone can bring their own recipe or help each other out. Grab a cookbook and try making fruit pies, frozen pies, custard pies, or cream pies!

Pie Contest

If you don’t want to have a baking day, have everyone bring a pie of their own for a pie contest. Have everyone anonymously vote for their favorite pie and give the winner a small prize (or bragging rights). Just make sure to take small bites and leave enough room for all that pie!

Pie Art

Make some pie related art with your younger ones. Our Family Code has some good ideas for art activities related to all things pi.

Read a Pi Book

I just learned about the book Sir Cumference and the Dragon of Pi, which is a cute fictional story for kids that helps teach about the concept of π. It is the story of a young boy whose father accidentally turns into a dragon. The only way to save him is to solve a math riddle that compares the distance around a circle (circumference) to the distance through a circle (diameter). This book makes for a great bedtime story!

Watch a Pie Movie

If you have read my previous posts, then you know I love a themed movie night. There is nothing better than ending your Pi Day with a pie related movie. Check out movies like Waitress, The Help, American Pie, or Julie & Julia while enjoying pie of your own!

Tell me below in the comments what wonderful treats you made for Pi Day!