Family Hand-me-downs: Memérè's Onion Filled Meat Pie

Have you ever eaten something and have been immediately transported back to a certain place or time? I take a trip down memory lane each time I eat my Memérè's onion filled meat pie. My Memérè and Pepérè (that's French for grandma and grandpa) used to watch my sister and me during school vacation days and snow days when my folks were off at work. Memérè had the best imagination, and we would always make hand made cards and crafts. She always had the biggest meal of the day at lunch time, and my father worked right down the street from their home. He would come to their house to eat lunch with them just about every day.

Memérè was the definition, the true sense of the word "grandmother." She was kind and caring, always lending an ear and offering her support. She filled twenty nine years of my life with pure, true love. I miss her each and every day and wish she was still here to talk to. When she passed away in 2008, my sister asked if she could take Memérè's hand written cook book. She wasn't much of a cook, but she had a few staple dishes that were very good. This meat pie is one of them. A few weeks ago, Mr. Pickles and I traveled down to see my sister and her husband. I had forgotten about the cook book. My sister pulled it off a shelf in her kitchen, opened it up, and said "Smell the nostalgia." I closed my eyes and inhaled. It smelled just like the adorable cottage home that my grandparents lived in. I thumbed through the pages looking at her cooking instructions, written in her hand writing. It was almost as if I was visiting with her. What a great feeling that was.

This meat pie is so simple and quick to make. It also stores really well and is a fabulous left-over dish. I used very lean hamburg for this dish- 90% or leaner typically. It's a great weeknight dish that everyone will surely enjoy.

Memérè's Onion Filled Meat Pie

1 large sweet Onion, thinly sliced

1 lb. ground beef

3/4 c. seasoned bread crumbs

1 egg

1 tbsp. dried parsley

1/4 c. ketchup

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tbsp. butter

1/4 c. plus 1 tbsp. grated Parmesan

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Peel and slice onion into 1/4" slices. Separate into rings. 

Combine ground beef, bread crumbs, egg, ketchup, parsley, garlic, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Using your hands, mix well until incorporated. Spray a 9" pie plate with cooking spray. Pat the ground beef mixture into the pie plate to form a meat "crust." Bake for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, saute onion rings in butter over medium heat until limp, not browned. Remove meat from oven and drain off any fat. Sprinkle meat with 1/4c. Parmesan cheese. Spoon onions on top. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tbsp. of Parmesan. Bake for an additional 15 minutes. Serve.