Maryland Main Dish Recipes

Marylanders love to cook and these recipes highlight just some of the varied dishes from across the state.  From casseroles to savory pies, and from seafood to chicken Maryland enjoys a wealth of home style recipes.

Old Bay Onion Pie

Ingredients:
3 Tbsp. butter
6 med. onions, peeled and sliced
1 tsp. Old Bay Seasoning
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups milk
5 eggs, beaten
2 Tbsp. parsley
12 slices bacon, crumbled
1 pie shell, 9"

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350°. In a medium saucepan, melt butter and sauté onions, Old Bay, and salt over low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain. Add milk and stir in eggs. Pour mixture in pie shell. Top with parsley and bacon. Bake for 50 minutes until done.

 

Crab and Country Ham
Courtesy The Crab Cookbook by Whitey Schmidt

Traditional Southern style fare!

Ingredients:
6 to 8 very thin slices of country ham (cooked)
1 lb. backfin crabmeat
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 tsp. thyme
1 or 2 lemons
about 1/4 cup melted butter
salt and pepper
cayenne pepper

Instructions:
Grease with butter a shallow oven proof dish. Line dish with cold, cooked slices of country ham, making sure the bottom and sides are covered. Mix crabmeat in a bowl (being careful not to break up the lumps) with mustard and thyme then the salt, pepper and cayenne to taste. Spread crabmeat over ham slices. Sprinkle all over with the juice squeezed from the lemons and then pour the melted butter all over. Place under the broiler until crab is slightly brown and bubbly and ham is warmed through. Serve immediately. Serves 6-8.

 

Tomato Pie
Courtesy The Chesapeake Bay Cookbook by John Shields

Delicious as an appetizer or lunch dish!

Ingredients:
Pastry dough for single crust 9 inch pie (a package of pre-made dough works well)
6 ripe tomatoes, peeled and cut in 1/2 inch thick slices
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
salt and pepper to taste
pinch ground mace
1 cup dried bread crumbs
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup butter
1 egg, beaten with 1 tbsp. water

Instructions:
Prepare pastry dough, wrap and chill (or leave pre-made package in refrigerator). Preheat oven to 350°. Butter the bottom of a 9 inch pie pan. Make a layer of tomato slices in pan and sprinkle with some of the sugar, salt, pepper, mace and bread crumbs. Continue making layers as described, ending with bread crumbs. Sprinkle on lemon juice and dot with butter. Roll out pastry dough (or remove 1 piece from package), transfer to pan and flute edges. Brush the top with egg-water mixture. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until nicely browned. Serves 6 to 8.

 

Crab Pie
It's crabby, cheesy good!

Ingredients:
1 lb. crabmeat
4 eggs
2 Tbsp. flour
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup milk
8 oz. shredded Cheddar cheese
8 oz. shredded Swiss cheese
1 Tbsp. minced onion
1 Tbsp. minced green pepper
2 tsp. pimentos
2 nine inch deep dish pie shells

Instructions:
Combine eggs, flour, mayonnaise and milk in a bowl and mix well. Stir in the rest of the ingredients (being careful not to break up the crab lumps). Bake the pie shells at 350° for 5 minutes. Cool pie shells. Spoon crab mixture into pie shells. Bake at 350° for 50 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. 12 servings.

 

Bluefish Baybury
Courtesy From A Lighthouse Window Cookbook by The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum

Bluefish tip: remove the dark meat and soak fillets in milk before cooking

Ingredients:
1 fresh bluefish filet
2 Tbsp. butter, softened
1/8 tsp. each dried thyme, rosemary, oregano, basil, marjoram, and sage
1 tsp. minced green onion
teriyaki sauce
2 slices lemon

Instructions:
Lay bluefish fillet on the center of a large square of aluminum foil. Mix butter, herbs, and onion together. Spread on top of fillet. Shake on enough teriyaki sauce to have a "run-off" on the foil. Place lemon slices on top of fillet. Cover fillet with the rest of foil. Place on a barbeque grill or in a 350° oven for 15 to 20 minutes. Fish is done when it flakes easily.

 

Rockfish Stuffed with Crabmeat
Courtesy Maryland's Way - The Hammond-Harwood House Cookbook

A classic Maryland dish that combines two of the Chesapeake's most famous residents.

Ingredients:
3 to 5 lb. rockfish (striped bass)
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp. chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup butter
2 cups soft bread crumbs
1 cup flaked crab meat
1 Tbsp. chopped parsley
1 cup milk
1 large onion, sliced
parsley and lemon

Instructions:
Wash the rock (striped bass) and sprinkle it inside and out with salt and pepper. Sauté chopped onion and celery in 1/4 cup of butter until lightly browned. Mix together the sautéed vegetables, bread crumbs, crabmeat, chopped parsley, salt and pepper. Stuff fish and secure with skewers, or sew it together. Place fish in a shallow baking dish and put milk and sliced onion in the pan. Pour 1/4 cup melted butter over fish. Bake uncovered in a moderate oven at 350° for about 45 minutes. Garnish top of fish with thin slices of lemon dipped in chopped parsley. Serves 4 to 6.

 

Crabmeat Cobbler
A simple but tasty dish!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup flour
1 cup milk
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups tomatoes, drained
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. salt
1 lb. backfin crabmeat

Cheese Biscuit Topping:
1 cup flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. shortening
1/4 cup shredded American cheese
1/2 cup milk

Instructions:
Melt butter in a double boiler. Add green pepper and onions. Cook until tender. Blend in flour, milk and cheese, stirring constantly until cheese melts and sauce is thick. Stir in tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, salt and crabmeat. Pour into a buttered 2 quart casserole. Prepare cheese biscuit topping: Combine the dry ingredients. Add the shortening, American cheese and milk and mix well. Drop by teaspoon on top of crabmeat casserole. Bake at 450° for 20-25 minutes.

 

Chicken with Maryland Country Ham
Courtesy Maryland's Way - The Hammond-Harwood House Cookbook

An unbeatable combination!

Ingredients:
3 to 3 1/2 lb. frying chicken, cut up
flour
salt
pepper
butter or shortening
1/2 lb. mushrooms
2 cups heavy cream
slices of Maryland country ham

Instructions:
Cut chicken in pieces. Sprinkle with flour, salt and pepper. Fry golden brown in butter or shortening. Remove chicken from fat. Drain slightly. Place in 2 quart baking dish. Cover with sautéed mushrooms and cream. Bake in slow oven (325°) 40 to 45 minutes. Place pieces of chicken on hot slices of ham and spoon over cream sauce and mushrooms.

 

Well Done Wild Goose
Courtesy Queen Anne Goes To The Kitchen Cookbook by The Episcopal Church Women of St. Paul's Parish

This makes a flavorful and tender goose.

Ingredients:
1 wild goose
2 Tbsp. sherry
1 tsp. celery salt
1 tsp. onion salt
1 tsp. celery seed
1/2 tsp. curry
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 small onions, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
water
2 Tbsp. flour

Instructions:
Place goose in pan, breast side up. Sprinkle with sherry and seasonings. Leave in pan at least an hour; overnight is not too long. Place onions and celery in pan. Add 1/2 inch water. Bake at 500 degrees until breast is brown. Reduce heat to 300 degrees and cook, covered until well done and tender--at least 2 hours. Thicken sauce in pan with flour; strain and serve with goose.