Enjoy a slice of hearty stout caramelized onion and cheddar potato pie with a buttery pastry crust for a warm and comforting dinner! For more savoury pies try our pork, leek, and potato pie or our potato bacon pie.
At a Glance: Stout Caramelized Onion and Cheddar Pie
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Assembly Time: 20 minutes
- Baking Time: 2 hours
- Total Time: ~3 hours 20 minutes
- Servings: 8 servings
- Flavour: Creamy, buttery, tangy with a hint of sweetness
- Skill Level: Intermediate
- Why this Works: Sweet and tangy stout caramelized onions are layered with sharp cheddar cheese and thinly sliced potatoes in a buttery pie crust for a comforting and hearty entrée.
A Savoury Potato Pie
On cold wintery night, a warm slice of rich potato pie makes for a comforting and cozy meal. Thinly sliced onions are slowly caramelized and then glazed with dark stout adding a hint of bitterness to the sweet onions. The onions are then layered with sharp cheddar cheese and thinly sliced potatoes in a buttery pie crust. A splash of thyme-scented cream adds richness before the pie is baked until bubbling and golden.
For more savoury potato pie recipes try our sweet potato and sage pie or our potato leek pie.
Ingredient Notes
Potatoes: I prefer to use a waxy yellow-fleshed potato, such as Yukon Gold, which takes on a soft, creamy texture after baking. Russets would also work.
Onions: I used yellow onions, although sweet or white onions would work as well.
Stout: I used Guinness which is fairly easy to source, but any stout will work in this recipe. If you don't care for stout, then you could use an ale instead.
Brown sugar: The brown sugar helps to balance the bitterness of the stout in the caramelized onions.
Malt vinegar: Malt vinegar adds a balancing acidity to the onions. If you don't have malt vinegar then balsamic vinegar makes a great substitute.
Cheese: I used a sharp English style white cheddar but feel free to use another cheese instead. Gruyère would be another great option.
Tips for the Perfect Potato Pie
Here are a few tips for baking the perfect potato pie:
- Thinly slice the potatoes - The potatoes in this pie are added raw which means they will take a while to cook. Use a mandolin to thinly slice the potatoes about ⅛ to ⅙ inches thick. Do not slice them any thicker which could take even longer to bake.
- Limit excess liquid - With this potato pie in particular, the caramelized onions will add some extra moisture to the filling which will make slicing and serving the pie a little more difficult. Make sure the stout has been completely reduced and that the onions are sticky and glazed but not soupy. If it still looks like there's extra liquid, use a slotted spoon to lift the onions and allow the extra liquid to drain off. For this recipe I have also reduced the amount of cream to account for the extra moisture as well.
- Bake time - This potato pie takes a while to bake, at least 1 ½ hours or up to 2 hours depending on how thick the potato slices were and the consistency of your oven temperature. I typically don't bother checking whether the potatoes are done until about the hour and a half mark. You can also keep an eye on the pie crust and how dark it is getting. I don't usually find that's a problem, but you may want to cover the pie with foil the closer you get to the 2 hour mark.
- Cooling time - Allow the pie to cool for at least 20 to 30 minutes before cutting into it. This will allow the filling to cool and set a bit, otherwise the filling might be too soft to cut into neat slices. I found this was particularly the case for this version with the caramelized onions. The potato pie will retain its heat for a while so it should still be warm to eat.
How to Make Stout Caramelized Onion and Cheddar Potato Pie
1. Make the pie dough
In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour and kosher salt. Pulse once or twice to mix. Add the diced cold butter and pulse several times until the butter resembles small peas. Pour the ice water into the food processor while pulsing. Continue pulsing until the dough begins to stick together in small clumps. Check the dough – it should stick together if you squeeze it.
Dump the dough mixture onto the counter and use your hands to press it together. Divide the dough in half and shape each piece into a flat disc. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour.
2. Caramelize the onions
In a wide skillet, add the butter and olive oil and heat over medium heat until the butter begins to melt. Add all the onions along with a generous pinch of kosher salt. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes over medium heat until the onions begin to soften. Then turn down the heat to medium low.
Cook the onions over medium low heat until they are tender and golden brown colour. Keep an eye on the onions, stirring regularly, to ensure they caramelize evenly and do not stick to the pan. Add a bit more olive oil if the onions begin to stick. This will take about 20 to 30 minutes.
When the onions are browned, add the stout, brown sugar, and malt vinegar along with ½ teaspoon kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Turn the heat up to medium high and allow the stout to boil and reduce. Cook the onions, stirring regularly, until the liquid has reduced and the onions are glazed. There shouldn't be excess liquid in the pan, if there is, continue cooking there is no more liquid in the pan. Remove from the heat and spread the onions out on a plate to cool.
3. Prep the filling
If using yellow flesh potatoes, the peel doesn't need to be removed. Using a mandolin or food processor with a slicing attachment, thinly slice the potatoes into ⅛-inch slices. In a measuring cup, combine the heavy cream, flour, chopped fresh thyme and the remaining 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Whisk together until there are no lumps. Set aside.
4. Assemble the pie
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9” pie plate. On a lightly floured surface, roll one disc of dough out into a circle. The dough should be around 2 inches wider than the pie plate on all sides. Carefully fold the dough in half then lift it into the pie plate. Unfold the dough and arrange it in the pie plate letting the excess hang over the edges.
Arrange ⅓ of the potato slices in the bottom of the pie shell, fanning them out in a single layer. Top with ⅓ of the onions, spreading them evenly over the potatoes. Top with ⅓ of the cheese. Drizzle ⅓ of the cream mixture over the potatoes. Repeat two more times with the remaining ingredients.
Roll out the remaining disc of dough into a circle that is a little wider than the pie plate. Brush the bottom edge of the pie crust with the beaten egg. Place the top crust over the pie and press down to seal the edge. Trim the excess pie dough around the edge and crimp to create an attractive crust. Brush the top of the crust and the crimped edges with the egg wash. Cut several slits in the top crust for steam to escape.
5. Bake the pie
Place the pie on a baking dish to catch any drips – the filling may bubble over while baking. Bake for 1 hour 30 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes until the crust is brown and the potatoes are fully cooked. Check the potatoes are done by inserting a paring knife through the steam slits. If the crust becomes dark before the potatoes are done, cover with foil and continue baking until the potatoes are tender.
6. Serve the Stout Caramelized Onion and Cheddar Potato Pie
When the potato pie is fully cooked, set it aside to allow it to cool somewhat. It will be hard to cut the pie and have it hold its shape while the filling is hot straight from the oven. Let the pie sit for about 20 to 30 minutes. Slice and then serve. Enjoy!
More Cozy Recipes
- Caramelized Onion and Cheese Toasts
- Cider Braised Chicken with Bacon and Leeks
- Spiced Apple Butter Loaf
- Smoky Potato Cheddar Soup
- Sherry Braised Short Ribs
- Guinness Caramel Cinnamon Rolls
Stout Caramelized Onion and Cheddar Potato Pie
Ingredients
Pie Crust
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour plus extra
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup cold butter diced
- ½ cup ice water
Stout Caramelized Onion and Cheddar Potato Pie
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 large onions thinly sliced
- ½ cup stout beer
- 1 tablespoon malt vinegar
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 teaspoon kosher salt divided plus extra
- ½ teaspoon pepper divided
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
- 2 lb yellow flesh potatoes such as Yukon Gold
- 1 ½ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 egg
Instructions
Pie Crust
- In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour and kosher salt. Pulse once or twice to mix. Add the diced cold butter and pulse several times until the butter resembles small peas. Pour the ice water into the food processor while pulsing. Continue pulsing until the dough begins to stick together in small clumps. Check the dough – it should stick together if you squeeze it.
- Dump the dough mixture onto the counter and use your hands to press it together. Divide the dough in half and shape each piece into a flat disc. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour.
Stout Caramelized Onion and Cheddar Potato Pie
- In a wide skillet, add the butter and olive oil and heat over medium heat until the butter begins to melt. Add the onions along with a generous pinch of kosher salt. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes over medium heat until the onions begin to soften. Then turn down the heat to medium low.
- Cook the onions over medium low heat until they are tender and golden brown in colour. Keep an eye on the onions, stirring regularly, to ensure they caramelize evenly and do not stick to the pan. Add a bit more olive oil if the onions begin to stick. This will take about 20 to 30 minutes.
- When the onions are browned, add the stout, malt vinegar, and brown sugar along with ½ teaspoon kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Turn the heat up to medium high and allow the stout to boil and reduce. Cook the onions, stirring regularly, until the liquid has reduced and the onions are glazed. There shouldn't be excess liquid in the pan, if there is, continue cooking there is no more liquid in the pan. Remove from the heat and spread the onions out on a plate to cool.
- If using yellow flesh potatoes, the peel doesn't need to be removed. Using a mandolin or food processor with a slicing attachment, thinly slice the potatoes into ⅛-inch slices. In a measuring cup combine the heavy cream, flour, chopped fresh thyme and the remaining 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Whisk together until there are no lumps. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9” pie plate. On a lightly floured surface, roll one disc of dough out into a circle. The dough should be around 2 inches wider than the pie plate on all sides. Carefully fold the dough in half then lift it into the pie plate. Unfold the dough and arrange it in the pie plate letting the excess hang over the edges.
- Arrange ⅓ of the potato slices in the bottom of the pie shell, fanning them out in a single layer. Top with ⅓ of the onions, spreading them evenly over the potatoes. Top with ⅓ of the cheese. Drizzle ⅓ of the cream mixture over the potatoes. Repeat two more times with the remaining ingredients.
- Roll out the remaining disc of dough into a circle that is a little wider than the pie plate. Brush the bottom edge of the pie crust with the beaten egg. Place the top crust over the pie and press down to seal the edge. Trim the excess pie dough around the edge and crimp to create an attractive crust. Brush the top of the crust and the crimped edges with the egg wash. Cut several slits in the top crust for steam to escape.
- Place the pie on a baking dish to catch any drips – the filling may bubble over while baking. Bake for 1 hour 30 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes until the crust is brown and the potatoes are fully cooked. Check the potatoes are done by inserting a paring knife through the steam slits. If the crust becomes dark before the potatoes are done, cover with foil and continue baking until the potatoes are tender.
- When the potato pie is fully cooked, set it aside to allow it to cool somewhat. It will be hard to cut the pie and have it hold its shape while the filling is hot straight from the oven. Let the pie sit for about 20 to 30 minutes. Slice and then serve. Enjoy!
