Mile High Salsa Pie Food

MILE HIGH SALSA PIE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400°F. In 10-inch nonstick skillet, cook beef or chicken, stirring occasionally, until thoroughly cooked; drain. Stir in seasoning mix (from dinner kit), water and half of the cheese sauce (from dinner kit). Heat to boiling over high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-high. Simmer uncovered 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in kidney beans and remaining cheese sauce; heat until hot.
• In ungreased 2-quart casserole, place 1 tortilla (from dinner kit). Layer with 1/4 of the salsa, beef mixture and cheese. Repeat layers, using up ingredients and ending with cheese on top.
• Cover; bake 17 to 22 minutes or until cheese is melted. Let stand 5 minutes.

MILE-HIGH SALSA PIE

Steps:

• 1. Heat oven to 400°F In 10-inch nonstick skillet, cook beef or chicken, stirring occasionally, until thoroughly cooked; drain. Stir in seasoning mix (from dinner kit), water and half of the cheese sauce (from dinner kit). Heat to boiling over high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-high. Simmer uncovered 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in kidney beans and remaining cheese sauce; heat until hot.
• 2. In ungreased 2-quart casserole, place 1 tortilla (from dinner kit). Layer with 1/4 of the salsa, beef mixture and cheese. Repeat layers, using up ingredients and ending with cheese on top.
• 3. Cover; bake 17 to 22 minutes or until cheese is melted. Let stand 5 minutes.
• High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): Cover; bake 20 to 25 minutes.

MILE HIGH PIE

Steps:

• Combine walnuts and biscuits. Add butter and mash thoroughly.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Butter a 10-inch diameter springform pan and press biscuit crust into base and 2-inches up side. Cover this crust with waxed paper, cut to fit bottom exactly. Fill pan with split peas, up to height of sides and bake "blind" for 1 hour. Let cool while still filled.
• When crust is cooled, removed pea weights and paper. Meanwhile, whip egg whites with cold water and salt until peaked. Fold in sugar a little at a time. Add vanilla and keep cool.
• Unmold ice cream from containers and cut horizontally through middle of each to yield 4 discs total. Place disks in pie crust, alternating strawberry and vanilla flavors. Top with meringue, letting it fall all around the ice cream. Set in freezer for 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Remove pie from freezer and place in oven to brown meringue tips. You may also use a blowtorch instead. Serve with chocolate sauce.

MILE-HIGH S'MORES PIE

Steps:

• Make the crust: Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Mix the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter in a medium bowl until combined. Press evenly into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate. Bake until lightly toasted, about 10 minutes; set aside to cool.
• Make the filling: Heat the milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat until almost simmering. Whisk the egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch and salt in a medium bowl to make a thick paste. Whisk about one-third of the warm milk into the egg mixture until smooth. Add this mixture to the remaining milk in the saucepan and cook, whisking constantly, until it starts to bubble and thicken, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking, whisking, until thick like pudding, 1 to 2 more minutes.
• Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the chocolate until melted and combined. Whisk in the butter until combined. Pour the filling into the graham cracker crust and refrigerate until completely cool, about 2 hours.
• Make the meringue: Whisk the egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar and salt in a large heatproof bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer) until combined. Set the bowl over a medium saucepan with 1 inch of simmering water (don't let the bottom of the bowl touch the water). Cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture is just hot to the touch and the sugar is completely dissolved, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Remove the bowl from the saucepan. Add the vanilla. Beat with a mixer on medium-high speed until stiff glossy peaks form, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer the meringue to a pastry bag fitted with a 3/4-inch-wide tip. Pipe large marshmallow-size mounds on the surface of the pie, leaving a small border of the filling exposed. Pipe another layer of mounds on top in a slightly smaller circle, then pipe a third layer on top, using the rest of the meringue. Use a kitchen torch to toast the meringue (or toast under the broiler). Refrigerate the pie until cooled before slicing, at least 1 hour.

MILE-HIGH APPLE PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Position an oven rack in the lower part of the oven and place a baking stone on it.
• Place the apples into a large mixing bowl, and toss with the lemon juice.
• Stir the potato starch, 3/4 cup sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in a bowl.
• Roll out half of the pie crust pastry on a lightly floured surface and fit it into a 10 inch pie plate. Pile half the apples into the crust, and dot with half the butter pieces. Sprinkle half of the potato starch-cinnamon sugar mixture over the apples. Pile the remaining apples into the pie plate. Sprinkle with the remaining butter pieces and sugar mixture. Roll out the remaining pie crust pastry, and place carefully over the apples. Pinch and crimp the edges to seal the crusts. Use a fork to poke holes in the top crust in a few places. Brush the top crust with milk, and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar.
• Place the pie in the preheated oven on the baking stone. Immediately lower the heat to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bake until the crust is golden brown, about 60 minutes. Check half way through the baking time, and cover the edges with aluminum foil for the last 30 minutes if necessary to prevent over-browning. Cool 3 hours on a wire rack before serving.