Mama’s Down Under Apple Pie Recipe

My family apple pie recipe that marries sweet and savory is always the star of Thanksgiving (aside from the turkey)

As this recipe card can attest, this apple pie recipe has seen a lot of action over the years. We attribute it to my grandmother, who my mother refers to as ‘mama’. My grandfather was an executive at Gourmet Magazine in its heyday, and she dutifully recreated many of its recipes for her large family, which included my mom and her three siblings. Its core difference from a standard apple pie is the topping which is made with cheddar cheese. 

I will admit this ingredient is polarizing — those who love it will never make another apple pie, and those who do not ask to pass the other pie option (this includes my husband!). So, I suggest you give it a try and see how the members of your household react. Perhaps you will have a new classic pie for your Thanksgiving table (or for any occasion in the Fall).

Since this recipe card is a little indecipherable, we’ll translate it below.

Some tips from our years of making this pie

A note on dough:
We have always used the premade dough from the store (Pillsbury Ready-to-Bake) found in the refrigerated section. It comes with two, but you only need one for this recipe, so save the other for another use, or make two pies! It’s so much easier, and it turns out great. But, if you want to make a freshmade crust, then knock yourself out!

A note on apples:
My mom is convinced, in addition to the cheddar cheese, another secret of this recipe is using a mix of apples and specifically tart apples. The tartness balances out the sweetness in the filling and topping (no need to squeeze lemon juice, just add the zest). And the mix of apples offers a “cacophony of flavors” (direct quote from mom) and textural interest. We’d definitely recommend apples, found at the farmers market, orchard and stores that source local like Whole Foods.

Before

After

Mama’s Down Under Apple Pie Recipe

Ingredients

Pie:

1 ready-to-bake pie crust (for bottom) 

6 tart apples thinly sliced (a mix of apple like Mutsu, Northern Spy)

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons flour

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon cloves

Topping:

1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

1/2 cup flour

1/2 stick of butter

1/4 cup sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

Steps 

1. Preheat oven - Set oven to 400 degrees.

2. Prepare pie crust - Fit the pie crust into a 9” pie dish. Cut off any excess. Crimp the edges using a fork or your fingers (my trick is to pinch with two fingers on the inside and one on the outside as I move along the edge).

3. Prepare pie filling - Mix all of the pie ingredients, except the pie crust, in a large bowl. 

4. Prepare the topping - Mix all of the topping ingredients, except the butter, in a small bowl. Melt butter and stir into the bowl. 

5. Put it together - Put the pie filling into the prepared pie crust, filling one layer at a time making sure to fill in the holes. Sprinkle the topping on top of the apples.

6. Bake - Bake for 40 minutes — topping should be golden, and if you stick a skewer inside, the apples should be soft. 

7. Serve it up - Serve it a la mode with vanilla ice cream (Haagen Daaz is our fav).