April Fools' Meatloaf Pie
A cake-y chocolate brownie baked in a flaky pie crust and topped with an ample layer of light and fluffy strawberry mousse. How does that sound... for dinner? APRIL FOOLS! What looks like desert is actually a Meatloaf Pie topped with beet-infused mashed potatoes. The perfect dinner prank!
April fools!
Place this pie on the dinner table and everyone will think you've forgotten the main course and skipped straight for dessert, until they take a bite!
It's Actually Meatloaf Pie!
What looks like a chocolate brownie layer is actually meatloaf baked in a pie crust. The strawberry topping? It's fluffy mashed potatoes whipped with pureed beets.
Surprise!
But, with a surprise this tasty, it's hard to be disappointed for too long. (At least you didn't fill their donuts with mayo or sub out the cream in their Oreos for toothpaste. Seriously, that's just gross.)
The History of April Fool's Day
April Fools' Day as it is now known in Canada, Europe, Australia, Brazil, and the US has only been around since the 19th century, but you can find evidence of setting aside a day in early spring for foolishness throughout history and in many cultures. The Romans had a festival called Hilaria. In Medieval times they celebrated the Feast of Fools. And in India, you find the Holi festival of colors.
So, shake off the last of those winter blues and get a little foolish this week!
April Fools' Strawberry Pie
Ingredients
For the Pie Crust
- 1 c unbleached all-purpose flour
- ½ c white whole wheat flour or all-purpose
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 8 tablespoon unsalted butter, cold, cut into chunks
- 5 tablespoon ice cold water
For the Meatloaf Pie Filling
- 1 teaspoon salted butter
- 1 onion, minced
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 1 lb ground beef (90% lean)
- ½ c bread crumbs
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon parsley, dry
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ c milk
- 1 egg, beaten slightly
For the Beet Mashed Potato Topping
- 2 lbs Russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 1 small beet, peeled and sliced
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 tablespoon milk
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground white pepper
Instructions
For the Pie Crust
- Preheat your oven to 450F.
- In the bowl of your food processor combine flours, salt, and butter. Pulse to combine until the mixture resembles coarse sand and the butter is evenly distributed. Add the water 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing after each addition, until the dough comes together.
- Remove the dough from the food processor and knead it a couple of times to shape it into a ball. Roll the dough out into a 12” circle and place it into a greased, 9” pie pan.
- Prick the crust a few times with a fork to keep it from bubbling, and place it in the oven for 10-12 minutes, until lightly golden.
- Remove the crust from the oven and reduce the oven heat to 350F.
For the Meatloaf Pie Filling
- In a small sauté pan, heat the butter. Add the minced onions and garlic, and sauté over medium heat until the onions are golden, 7-10 min. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
- In a large bowl, combine meat, bread crumbs, cocoa powered, seasonings, milk, egg, and cooled onions. Mix until well combined.
- Spread the mixture into the par-baked pie crust. Wrap the outer edge of the pie pan with aluminum foil to cover the exposed crust, so that it doesn’t brown too quickly while the meat is cooking.
- Bake at 350F for 1 hour. (Your meat is done when a thermometer inserted into the center of the meat reads at least 180?F.)
For the Beet Mashed Potato Topping
- Place the chopped potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring the potatoes to a boil and simmer over medium heat until tender, 20 min.
- While the potatoes are simmering, place your beet and garlic clove in the bowl of your food processor. Pulse until everything is finely chopped. Set aside.
- Once the potatoes are tender, drain them. Add about ¼ c of your beet mixture to the drained potatoes along with the milk, salt, and pepper. Using a hand mixer, blend the potatoes until smooth.
- Spread the hot potatoes over the cooked meat, mounding them like you would whipped cream.
- Serve warm.
Nutrition
Unique April's Fool's Day recipes:
Entreés
- Shepherd's Trifle by The Joyful Foodie
- Skinny Fettuccine Alfredo & Peas by Momma's Meals
- Chicken Pad Thai with Zoodles by Nosh My Way
Desserts
- Strawberry Fool by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
- Poutine by A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures
Sarah founded Curious in 2010 as a way to save her recipe creations and share culinary experiences. Her love for cultural cuisines was instilled early by her French Canadian Grandmother. Her experience in the kitchen and in recipe development comes from over 10 years working in professional kitchens. She has traveled extensively and enjoys bringing the flavors of her travels back to create easy-to-make recipes.
Beet mashed potatoes sounds awesome! Such a clever idea, Sarah.
Thanks! I love the way the beets share their color!
So pretty and I'm sure so tasty!
Thanks Cindy! There's something about meatloaf and mashed potatoes that can't be beat!
Well done! It looks fabulous - and I bet tastes even better
Thanks Sarah!
I love that you added beets to the mashed potatoes to make your "strawberry" pie!
It surprised us how much color just a little bit of beets added!
The beets in the mash turned out so pretty! Funny thing, my brother has been asking me to make a ground meat pie in a pie crust. I'll have to show him this!
Wonderful! We hope he enjoys it!
This a perfect April Fools dish! I just love the color with those beets! Great recipe!
LOL I never ever ever would have guessed that's what this was. I thought it was going to be pie but like beets in the icing and not strawberries or something like that. Wow. Nice job!!!
Thanks! That's a great compliment!
Clever way to hide a savory pie! Great post!
Thanks! We had fun making it!
I LOVE this. Seriously. The colors are awesome and I bet it was different eating it. Sometimes perceptions really do mess with your taste buds.
It's so true. Tim was about to take a bite and asked, "So, what exactly are we eating...?" 🙂
I was wondering how you would make a strawberry pie into an entree! You did it so deliciously!
Thanks Liz!