Inspired by Brazil’s love of savory, comforting dishes, this Ham and Leek Pie combines simple ingredients and creamy goodness in one golden-baked bite.
When you think of Brazilian food, your mind might jump straight to feijoada or pão de queijo—but Brazil’s culinary traditions go far beyond the classics. Across the country, cooks draw inspiration from European roots, fresh local produce, and a love of hearty, home-style meals. That’s exactly what inspired this Ham and Leek Pie.
This Ham and Leek Pie is pure comfort—chunks of ham, tender leeks, carrots, and potatoes baked in a creamy sauce under a golden, flaky crust.
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Brazilian Inspiration for Ham and Leek Pie
While savory pies aren’t as common in Brazil as they are in Europe, the ingredients in this dish—smoky ham, tender leeks, carrots, and potatoes—are staples in Brazilian kitchens. In fact, leeks (alho-poró) are beloved in Brazilian cooking and often show up in creamy tarts, empadinhas, casseroles, and festive holiday dishes.
This pie brings all those comforting flavors together in a rich, creamy sauce, tucked beneath a flaky golden crust. It’s the kind of dish that feels familiar if you grew up in Brazil, but also a little special—perfect for cozy family dinners or entertaining friends. And with the help of a store-bought pie crust, it’s surprisingly easy to pull off any night of the week.
Simple Ingredients and Substitutes
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- Extra Virgin Olive Oil - The oil in this recipe is used for cooking the vegetables. You can substitute in vegetable oil, canola oil, coconut oil, or other neutral oil that you have.
- Garlic cloves - Fresh is best when it comes to garlic. You can buy pre-minced garlic to save time or mince it in bulk and freeze it for use when you need it! You can also substitute in dried garlic flakes or garlic powder.
- Leeks - Leeks are part of the onion family but milder and sweeter, giving this pie a smooth, delicate flavor that blends beautifully with ham and potatoes. Find them near the green onions in the produce section and rinse well before using. Can’t find leeks? Substitute with a mix of mild onions and scallions or use shallots instead.
- Carrots - You can use whole carrots with the skin on or peeled. I peeled for this recipe. You can substitute with baby carrots diced or pre-diced carrots. You could use frozen carrots if you have them too. Simply add them straight from the freezer to the leeks, do not boil them first with the potatoes.
- Yukon Gold potatoes – I used Yukon gold, but you can use red potatoes or russet potatoes as well. If you use russet, make sure to peel the tough skins and then immediately put them into cold water as they start to oxidize and will turn brown otherwise. For a more fall-inspired take, swap potatoes with roasted butternut squash cubes or even sweet potatoes.
- All purpose flour – This is the thickener to mix with veggies.
- Chicken Broth or stock – You can also use, vegetable broth or stock or Beef broth or stock. You can also use water mixed with a beef or chicken bouillon cube or beef base or chicken base.
- Half and Half or milk - Half and half makes it an extra creamy sauce, but you can substitute with cold water, cold broth, or milk. You can also go creamier with heavy cream.
- Dijon Mustard – If you don’t have dijon, any grain mustard will work. You can use yellow mustard in a pinch. Ground mustard powder will work too.
- Ham- I used ham steaks for this, which you can find near the packaged sausages in the grocery store usually. You can also ask for a thick cut ham at the deli counter. Of course, if you have leftover ham roast, this is a great recipe to use it up.
- Fresh Italian Parsley – Fresh parsley is best, don’t even bother with dried parsley. You can substitute in other fresh herbs, such as fresh basil or oregano.
- Dried Thyme - You can also use 3-4 fresh sprigs. You can also substitute fresh oregano. You can substitute with Italian seasoning, thyme, rosemary, or marjoram.
- Salt and Ground Black Pepper, to taste
- Pie Pastry dough - Ready-to-bake Pie Crust dough rolls (thaw in fridge the night before if frozen) – Pie dough is what you want for that thin flaky crust. These are usually found in the prepared dough refrigerated section or the freezer section.
- Egg - The egg is used to brush the top of the puff pastry so it cooks up golden brown. You can substitute milk brushed on lightly.
See recipe card for quantities.
Simple Equipment You'll Need with Options
There really is nothing special here for this Ham and Leek Pie. You need a large sharp knife and cutting board for slicing and dicing. A large bowl is used to clean/soak the leeks in. And a medium to large pot for making the filling.
For baking this recipe, you will need a 10" Pie Dish. You could also bake it in skillet or other similar size casserole dish.
Easy Steps to Make Ham and Leek Pie
For this recipe you can prepare the leeks and the other veggies ahead. You can also make the filling ahead so it can cool.
Clean the Leeks...
First discard the end with the roots. Next, cut off the dark green leaves that are too tough to eat.
Then cut the white part of the leek in half lengthwise. If there's dirt you can give them a quick rinse before slicing.
Slice each of the halves into thin slices and place them into a large bowl.
Cover with cold water and using your fingers, gently pull apart the leek layers to make sure all of the hidden dirt is rinsed out and sinks to the bottom of the bowl.
Once the leeks look clean, you can scoop them out of the water with a small strainer or your hands and place in a clean towel until ready to cook.
Make the Filling
Add the diced carrots and diced potatoes along with enough water just to cover the veggies.
Bring to a boil, then cook for about 5 minutes - or until fork tender. Then strain the carrots and potatoes.
Add the olive oil, garlic, and sliced leeks. Stir to coat with oil.
Add the drained carrots and potatoes. Mix to combine. Add the flour and stir to combine and coat the veggies.
Add the broth/stock slowly stirring as you add so that it mixes smoothly with the flour. Turn the heat to a simmer.
Once the sauce is starting to thicken (about 3-4 minutes) add the Ham, Dijon mustard, Thyme, Parsley, and half and half (or milk). Stir to combine.
Taste and season as needed. Then pour the filling into a PIE DISH and let cool, so it is not steaming, about 30 minutes to overnight in the fridge.
Cover and Bake
Preheat the oven to 400 F degrees. Remove the pie pastry dough from the fridge and gently unroll it (NOTE, you may need to let it come to room temperature so that it unrolls easier).
Gently unroll and lay the pie pastry over the pie dish so that the pastry stretches over all sides of the dish.
Press the edges to seal in the pie and fold any excess dough back under itself on top of the pie pan edge so it is not hanging down. Cut 3-4 slits into the and lightly brush on the egg wash.
Bake on a sheet pan that is larger to catch any pie filling that may sneak out for 30-40 minutes at 400 F degrees, until the pie dough is golden brown and crispy.
Let cool for about 10 minutes before serving.
Ham and Leek Pie Recipe FAQs
1. Can I make this ahead of time?
Definitely! You can prepare the filling a day ahead, keep it refrigerated, and then assemble and bake the pie when you’re ready to serve. Leftovers reheat beautifully, too — the flavors get even better the next day.
2. What if I don’t have leeks?
No problem. You can use a combination of mild onions and scallions, or even shallots. The flavor will be a bit stronger, but still delicious.
3. Can I freeze Ham and Leek Pie?
Yes! Once baked, let the pie cool completely, then wrap it tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat, bake straight from frozen at 350°F until hot in the center and crisp on top.
4. Can I use puff pastry instead of pie crust?
Absolutely. Puff pastry gives you a lighter, flakier topping — just make sure to vent the top with a few slits so steam can escape while baking.
5. What can I serve with Ham and Leek Pie?
It’s a full meal on its own, but a crisp green salad or roasted vegetables make a simple side.
More Brazilian Inspired One-Pot Dishes
If you like how this Ham and Leek Pie is an all-in-one meal, then you will love these other one-pot dishes made in Brazilian kitchens!
Ham and Leek Pie Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 clove Garlic, minced
- 2 Leeks, white part only, sliced about 2.5 cups
- ¾ cup Carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 Yukon Potatoes, medium-large diced, about 2 cups
- 3 Tablespoons All purpose Flour, unbleached
- 1 ½ cup Chicken broth or stock
- ½ cup Half and Half or milk
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2 cups Cooked ham, diced about 2 ham steaks
- 2 Tablespoons Fresh Italian Flat Leaf Parsley
- 1 ½ teaspoons Dried Thyme or about 3-4 fresh sprigs
- Salt, to taste
- Ground Black Pepper, to taste
- 1 Pie Pastry dough, 10-inch circle
- 1 Large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water for egg wash
Instructions
Prep Ahead Steps
- Dice the ham. Peel and Dice Carrots. Mince garlic. Dice the potatoes (keep in cold water if doing this in advance to prevent browning). Slice and rinse leeks in cold water to remove any dirt or sand (see reference images and details in the post).
- Measure out your Chicken Broth, as well as half and half (or milk).
- To a large pot or large frying pan, add the diced carrots and diced potatoes along with enough water just to cover the veggies. Bring to a boil, then cook for about 5 minutes - or until fork tender. Then strain the carrots and potatoes.
- To the same large pot or pan over Medium-High heat, add the olive oil, garlic, and sliced leeks. Stir to coat with oil, then add the drained carrots and potatoes. Mix to combine.
- Next, add the flour and stir to combine and coat the veggies. Add the broth/stock slowly stirring as you add so that it mixes smoothly with the flour. Turn the heat to a simmer. Once the sauce is starting to thicken (about 3-4 minutes) add the Ham, Dijon mustard, Thyme, Parsley, and half and half (or milk). Stir to combine. Taste for seasoning and add a pinch of salt and black pepper as needed.
- Pour the filling of the pie into a PIE DISH and let cool, so it is not steaming, about 30 minutes to overnight in the fridge.
Baking Steps
- Preheat the oven to 400 F degrees. Remove the pie pastry dough from the fridge and gently unroll it (NOTE, you may need to let it come to room temperature so that it unrolls easier).
- Gently unroll and lay the pie pastry over the pie dish so that the pastry stretches over all sides of the dish. Press the edges to seal in the pie and fold any excess dough back under itself on top of the pie pan edge so it is not hanging down (see images in the post for reference). Cut 3-4 slits into the top of the pastry. Beat the egg in a small bowl with a tablespoon of water and then lightly brush it on the pie pastry dough.
- Bake on a sheet pan that is larger to catch any pie filling that may sneak out for 30-40 minutes at 400 F degrees, until the pie dough is golden brown and crispy.
- Let cool for about 10 minutes before serving.
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