Much of my early cooking came from my mother’s collection. Back-of-the-Box Recipeshe’ll pack dozens of things Cut-Out Recipe (from boxes, magazines, and even Cream of Wheat packets) to his 1933 Pillsbury “Balanced Recipes” cookbook, which had an Art Deco-style aluminum-hinged case.
The recipe book was from the 1930s, but my mother’s contributions created a time capsule of recipes from food manufacturers of the 70s and 80s, intended to entice you to buy their products. Part of that time capsule came from the back of a Bisquick box and it’s one of the first recipes I made myself: Impossible Bacon Pie.
Courtesy of Click Americana
The Impossible Bacon Pie was one of several “Impossible” pies that Bisquick had printed on its box. Other versions include the Impossible Cherry Pie, the Impossible Cheeseburger Pie, and the Impossible Tuna-Dill Pie. Each contained a combination of Bisquick, eggs, and milk – as well as ingredients that varied with each recipe – poured into a pie plate. At some point, Bisquick also published a crustless Impossible Pumpkin Pie (which our readers appreciate very much) and a Impossibly Easy Chicken Pot Pie,
Growing up, my family loved Impossible Bacon Pie. Not only was it delicious, but it was also the kind of dish that worked well with our family schedule. When I was a teenager in the 80s and started cooking, both my elder brother and father were working in shifts. I often stayed late in school for music and theater rehearsals. Anything we could reheat in our new microwave oven worked well, and the Impossible Bacon Pie checked that box.
How to Make the Impossible Bacon Pie
Making pie is easy. Sprinkle cooked and crumbled bacon, chopped onion and shredded Swiss cheese on the bottom of the prepared pie plate. Then, add a mixture of milk, Bisquick, eggs, salt and pepper before baking in the oven.
A slightly updated recipe is on the Betty Crocker website, now called Impossibly Easy Bacon PieIt’s easy and customizable.
betty crocker
Impossible Bacon Pie for the Next Generation
Now, I have a cookbook like my mom’s – filled with handwritten recipes, torn magazine recipes, and printed Internet recipes. My version of the Impossible Bacon Pie is titled “Spinach and Bacon Pie.” Somewhere along the way, I started adding 5 ounces of chopped spinach and an extra cup of cheese (a blend of Swiss and cheddar). I cook it in a casserole dish to accommodate the extra ingredients.
And while I still make it often with bacon, I also substitute leftover ham For the bacon. Sometimes, I’ll add fresh Chives Or green onion Instead of white onion.
My kids have always loved this pie. As they became young adults and I traveled frequently for work, this was one of the dishes I always cooked before leaving. The next generation now knows how easy it is to make the Impossible Bacon Pie and how convenient it is to reheat and eat it for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
