Sausage and Corn Pie with Quick Press‑In Pan Crust

This sausage pie with corn and peppers is an easy, crowd-pleasing recipe that works perfectly for weeknight dinners or family gatherings. Savory Italian sausage combines with sweet corn, bell pepper, and onion in a simple flaky press-in-the-pan crust. Serve with a green salad while the pie bakes for a complete meal.

I always forget how much I love this simple sausage pie until the first bite reminds me: this is delicious. The filling has a frittata-like texture, but the press-in-the-pan crust lifts it to another level without the fuss of rolling dough.

This dish works as a pie, tart, or quiche—call it what you like. Use a tart pan with a removable bottom or a regular pie pan; both give great results.

Recipe Ingredients

Gather these ingredients for a hearty Italian-style sausage pie:

Ingredients & Substitutions

Most ingredients are pantry staples, and several substitutions work well.

• Sausage: Italian sausage, mild or hot. You can substitute another sausage type — if it’s pre-cooked or smoked, chop and warm it with the vegetables. Bacon variation: use cooked, crumbled bacon instead of sausage.
• Corn, peppers, onion: Fresh or frozen corn and peppers both work. This recipe is a great way to use frozen summer vegetables.
• Milk: Used in the crust and filling. Non-dairy milks likely work but haven’t been tested here.
• Flour: All-purpose mixed with whole wheat or whole wheat pastry flour both produce a tender crust. Regular whole wheat can make a denser crust.
• Oil: Olive or avocado oil are good choices.

The press-in-the-pan crust is quick and surprisingly flaky without chilling or rolling.

Let’s Make This Sausage Pie

Step 1: Make crust dough. Combine dry ingredients in a bowl. Stir together oil and milk, then add to dry ingredients and mix until combined.

Step 2: Press crust in pan. Scatter dough pieces evenly across the bottom of a 10-inch tart or pie pan and press to form a smooth crust about 1 inch up the sides. Use a glass or your hand to press and seal seams so the crust holds together.

Step 3: Bake crust. Prebake the crust for about 10 minutes. Make sure the surface is smooth and well-pressed so the filling won’t leak through.

Step 4: Cook filling. Brown the sausage in a skillet, breaking it up as it cooks. Add the corn, chopped pepper, and diced onion and sauté a few minutes until vegetables are softened. Remove the crust from the oven and set aside while you whisk the egg mixture.

Step 5: Fill crust and bake. Spread the sausage and vegetable mixture evenly over the prebaked crust. Whisk eggs, milk, flour or cornstarch, mustard, hot sauce, salt, and pepper; pour the egg mixture over the filling. Reduce oven to 350°F and bake 35–40 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. If using cheese, sprinkle it on at the end and bake a minute more to melt.

The pie takes about 40 minutes in the oven, giving you time to toss a salad and set the table.

I like to sprinkle a little grated Parmesan on top near the end of baking. The crust may not look perfect in photos—some egg can seep during baking—but the flavor is what counts.

Recipes to Serve With This

• Orange Almond Salad with Orange-Balsamic Vinaigrette
• Easy Kale Quinoa Salad with Lemon & Parmesan
• Cherry Salad with Feta and Walnuts

If you try this sausage pie, please leave a rating so others know how it turned out for you.

Simple Sausage Pie with Corn & Easy Press-in-Pan Crust

A savory sausage pie with corn, peppers, and onions in a flaky press-in-the-pan crust. A reliable weeknight or make-ahead meal. Bacon variation included.

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time40 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr

Yield: 8 Servings

Author: Jami Boys

Equipment

• 1 10-inch tart pan, pie pan, or springform pan

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Ingredients

For Press-in-Pan Olive Oil Crust:

• 1 ¾ cup flour all-purpose, half whole wheat, or whole wheat pastry flour*
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1/4 cup milk*

For Tart Filling:

• 2 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels about 2 medium ears (if frozen, thaw first)
• 1/2 pound Italian sausage regular or hot
• 1 small red bell pepper, chopped about 1/4 cup
• 1/2 medium onion, diced about 1/3 cup
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons flour or cornstarch
• 1 to 2 teaspoons hot sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt & pepper
• 2-3 tablespoons grated Parmesan, optional

Instructions

Prepare Tart Crust:

• Heat oven to 450°F.
• Combine flour, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir oil and milk together, then pour into dry ingredients and mix until blended.
• Scatter dough over the bottom of a 10-inch tart or springform pan (or a pie pan). Press the dough together and up the sides until smooth and cohesive. Bake 10 minutes.

Prepare Filling:

• In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the sausage, breaking it up as it cooks. Add corn, pepper, and onion and sauté about 5 minutes until vegetables are softened.
• In a small bowl, whisk eggs, milk, flour or cornstarch, dry mustard, hot sauce, salt, and pepper until blended.
• Spoon the sausage-vegetable mixture into the partially baked crust, then pour the egg mixture over evenly.
• Reduce oven temperature to 350°F and bake 35–40 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. If using cheese, sprinkle it on and bake a minute more to melt.
• Let cool 5–10 minutes before removing pan sides and slicing.

Notes

*If using all whole wheat pastry flour, add 1 teaspoon more milk for the crust.

Variation – Bacon Corn Tart:

• Cook 5–6 slices of bacon instead of the sausage. Remove bacon and sauté the corn, peppers, and onion in the bacon fat.
• Spread the vegetables over the crust, crumble the bacon over them, then pour the egg mixture on top and bake as directed.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice
| Calories: 408kcal
| Carbohydrates: 33g
| Protein: 11g
| Fat: 26g

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This recipe has been updated — originally published in 2014.