My great-grandfather, Grandpa Buck, was a coal miner in Pennsylvania. While they were living there, my great-grandmother, Grandma Buck, picked up and mastered the Pennsylvania Dutch Ham Pot Pie. This is one of those traditional family recipes that we all wish Grandma Buck had documented and not left out that one secret ingredient. Alas, she left it out, but I don't know a single family member who couldn't muster up a mouthwatering version of this soup. (You didn't read that wrong, ham pot pie is soup, not pie) It was almost as if she left the secret ingredient out to encourage us to cook and discover it for ourselves.
I think that one of my favorite things about Ham Pot Pie is how incredibly simple it is to make. The most 'intense' parts are making a decent broth (which if you bought ham with a bone in it is very simple to make) and then making the dumpling squares (if you can make a sugar cookie then you can make a dumpling)
Seriously though, it doesn't need to be fancy. Buy a $4 pre-cooked, bone-in ham steak, use a couple of potatoes or a bag of baby potatoes, one onion-whatever type you have on hand, and one or two carrots or a bunch of baby carrots or even frozen ones!
Personally I like to buy full-sized carrots and peel them to look more orange. I use the peel to add flavor to my homemade broth, which in this case I throw in as many bones as I can find or save to add flavor. If you ate chicken drumsticks the night before, throw in those bones along with the bone that came in your ham steak. If you have a whole ham then chuck some extra meat into the broth too!
I'm going to plug a couple of products now...but I'm not all monetized yet through affiliation links, so I won't be getting any profits. I'm just saying that should you see these products I would highly encourage you to buy them.
and
It may seem like cheating to add these to a broth...but the name of the game is flavor, and these bad boys are packed full of flavor.
Okay. So I said if you can make a sugar cookie then you can make these dumplings. That is true. But please don't hate me...I didn't exactly "measure" my ingredients for the dough. That's what I believe was part of my Great Grandma Buck's secret. I used roughly equal parts flour and shortening (2 cups each or so), added a BUNCH of black pepper, chicken bouillon, and dried parsley, 1 egg, and the additional 'wetness' I need to thoroughly combine the dough came from my broth.
This dough can be made in a bowl by hand or if you are lazy (like me) and have the means, by electric mixer.
After mixing the dough it is time to roll it out. The thinner the better! Don't go any thicker than the photo above, otherwise, the inside of your dumplings will still be raw/dry.
Cut out the dough into mini squares. They can be uneven, they just need to get cut up into almost bite-sized pieces. Let them sit for at least 20 minutes before throwing them in the soup.
If you have your broth all ready, then it is time to add all the ingredients together!
Bring your soup up to a boil and then add the squares. Put a lid on the pot, bring it down to a simmer (low heat) for 30-40 minutes. The soup is done when you can put a fork through the potatoes.
One last secret about ham pot pie.
-it's best as a second day soup-
So make enough for leftovers. The flavor seems to grow overnight!
Pennsylvania Dutch Ham Pot Pie
Ingredients:
Broth, enough to fill half the pot
Ham, cut into bite-sized chunks + Ham/Chicken Bones
1 Onion, chopped or sliced
2 Carrots, chopped
2-3 Potatoes, chopped OR a bag of Baby Potatoes
2c Shortening
2c Flour
1 Egg
Chicken Base
Ham Base
Black Pepper
Parsley (dried or fresh)
Directions:
Add the bones to the broth and simmer with the lid on for at least an hour to develop flavor. After an hour take the bones out. Taste the broth if the flavor is not strong enough, add some ham and chicken base.
In a mixing bowl, add the shortening, flour, egg, black pepper, some chicken base, and parsley. Mix together by hand or using an electric mixer. After it has been roughly mixed, slowly add some broth to the dough until it can form into a ball. The dough shouldn't be dry nor wet. If it doesn't stick to your hand and it doesn't crumble from dryness then you have found the right consistency. Divide the dough into quarters. Roll the dough out on a floured surface with a rolling pin as thin as possible. Cut into squares. Repeat with the remaining dough, and then let rest for at least 20 minutes.
Bring your broth to a boil and add the ham, onion, carrots, potatoes, and rested dumplings. Put a lid on the pot and bring it down to a simmer (low heat). Cook for 30-40 minutes or until you can put a fork through the potatoes.
Serve hot or let cool, refrigerate, and reheat to serve another day.
Enjoy!
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