Impossible Ham ‘n’ Cheese Pie: the Recipe with Puff Pastry

The ham and cheese savory pie is simple to make and very tasty. It is composed of a shell of fragrant puff pastry which contains a rich filling of ham, ricotta and mozzarella cheese. Crispy and golden on the surface, soft and stringy at the heart, it is excellent to serve at brunch, as an appetizer, for a tasty aperitif or a party buffet. It can be enjoyed as a main course, completed with a fresh and colorful salad, or as a takeaway meal for a picnic in the park or an out-of-town trip.

Easy to make, all you need to do is have some ready-made puff pastry available, fill it with your favorite ingredients and it will be ready in an instant. This savory pie is also an excellent "emptying the fridge" solution because you can add different ingredients to the filling, giving free rein to your creativity: cured meats, cheeses, grilled vegetables, boiled herbs, legume creams and so on.

You can replace the ham with sliced salami or bologna, the Emmental cheese with another type of stringy cheese you have available, such as scamorza or smoked provola; you can enrich the filling with some sautéed chard or spinach and add olives, dried tomatoes or a few drops of basil pesto. For optimal success, it is important that the ricotta is very dry: let it drain for at least an hour in a sieve, so that it loses part of its liquid.

Find out how to prepare the ham and cheese savory pie by following our step-by-step recipe.

How to Prepare the Ham and Cheese Savory Pie

Combine the ricotta in a large bowl and add the egg.

Add the grated parmesan and emmenthal cheese and then add the salt.

Work everything to mix it using a hand whisk.

At the end you will have to obtain a smooth and homogeneous cream.

Place a disc of puff pastry in a 24cm diameter cake tin and add the mozzarella cheese, cut into slices.

Spread the ham on top of the mozzarella cheese.

Add the ricotta cream, distributing it well with a spoon or a spatula.

Cover with the second disc of puff pastry and create a nice edge, joining the edges of the two puff pastry sheets and sealing everything.

Prick the surface of the puff pastry with a fork, to prevent it from swelling during cooking.

Brush the surface of the savory pie with the beaten egg yolk.

Bake the savory pie at 356°F/180°C for about 25-30 minutes.

Take the cake out of the oven, let it cool and then turn it out of the cake pan.

Transfer the cake to a serving plate and serve it in slices.

How to Store Ham and Cheese Pie

The ham and cheese savory pie can be stored in the refrigerator, covered with cling film, for a maximum of 2-3 days. It can also be frozen.