Slice - slice.seriouseats.com

Um, Yeah, That's Not Really Pizza--Or a Burger

Posted by Adam Kuban, January 20, 2009 at 9:15 PM

Not the "Burger Pie," but probably about as appetizing. Photograph from Hell to the Yeah, Son! on Flickr

Laura Hoopes at the Christian Science Monitor recalls growing up pizza-deprived in Charlotte, North Carolina:

I had never heard of pizza when Jeanne first mentioned it, so I asked my mom if she knew what it was. She said no, but she had read about it in a recent magazine article. She took the magazine out and we read that it was a pie with tomato sauce, some kind of meat, and cheese.

Mom said she would try to make one. She produced a pie—in the sense of an apple pie—made with a crust containing tomato sauce and a meatloaf-like filling made with ground beef, which was topped with melted American cheese.

After real pizza finally came to town, her family had to rename their creation: Burger Pie, which sounds about right (or wrong). If you're curious, the recipe is included with Hoopes's recollections.

Of course, Charlotte is now home to Pie Town, renown baker (and author) Peter Reinhart's new joint.

11 Comments

Tags: burgers, Charlotte, fusion pizza, North Carolina, weird