Ham & Leek Hash Brown Pie | One Pot One Portion
This is my ham and leek hash brown Boxing Day pie and it’s perhaps the best possible way to use up any leftover Christmas ham. But instead of faffing around with fiddly pastry, we’re using my favourite kitchen hack and humble ingredient, the frozen hash brown. The result has the creaminess of a mashed potato topped pie, with the crisp golden top of a pastry lid.
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Ham and leek hash brown pie is a single-serve, oven-baked comfort dish made in one small pie dish. It combines softened leeks, savoury cooked ham, and a creamy stock-based sauce, topped with crisp golden hash browns instead of pastry. The flavour profile is rich, savoury, and gently sweet from the leeks, with crunch from the potato topping. Designed specifically for one portion, it’s practical, filling, and perfect for solo cooking. This is classic comfort food made approachable and low-waste for cooking for one.
Why You’ll Want to Make This Recipe
Single Serve, No Waste
This pie is carefully portioned for one, using half a leek, a modest amount of ham, and just enough sauce to feel generous without leftovers.
Comforting & Simple
Everything is familiar, cosy, and unfussy — leeks, ham, cream, and crispy potatoes. It’s exactly the kind of dinner you want when you need something warming and reliable.
One Pot / One Dish Cooking
The filling and topping bake together in a single individual-sized dish or air fryer basket, keeping washing up to a minimum.
A Clever Pastry Swap
Using hash browns instead of pastry gives you all the satisfaction of a pie topping with less effort and no leftover pastry to deal with.
Eleanor’s Top Tips for the Perfect Hash Brown Pie
- Slice the leeks thinly so they soften evenly and don’t stay stringy
- Bake the leeks first to drive off moisture and build flavour
- Mix the cornflour thoroughly with the ham before adding liquid to prevent lumps
- Use hot water to help the sauce thicken quickly in the oven
- Season lightly at first — ham and stock both add salt
- Arrange the hash browns snugly so they crisp evenly
- Bake until the filling is visibly bubbling around the edges
- Let the pie rest for a couple of minutes before eating so the sauce thickens
Ingredients and Tools You’ll Need
Essential Ingredients
- Leek (½, thinly sliced): Sweet, soft base
- Butter (20g): Adds richness
- Cooked Ham (85g): Savoury protein
- Cornflour (1 tsp): Thickens the sauce
- Water (100ml) + Vegetable Stock Cube (½): Forms the gravy
- Double Cream (2 tbsp): Creamy finish
- Fresh Parsley: Freshness and balance
- Frozen Hash Browns (3–4): Crisp pie topping
- Black Pepper: Essential seasoning
Essential Tools
- Individual pie dish or small ovenproof dish
- Spoon or spatula
- Knife and chopping board
Dietary Variations
Vegetarian
Swap the ham for sautéed mushrooms or extra leeks and use a vegetarian stock cube.
Gluten-Free
This recipe is naturally gluten-free — just double-check your stock cube.
Dairy-Free
Use olive oil instead of butter and replace the cream with a plant-based alternative.
Extra Vegetables
Peas or finely chopped spinach can be stirred into the filling for added colour and freshness.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: Can I cook this in an air fryer instead of the oven?
A: Yes — cook at 180°C, checking after 25 minutes. The hash browns should be golden and the filling bubbling.
Q: What size dish should I use for one portion?
A: A small individual pie dish or ramekin-style dish works best.
Q: Can I use fresh potatoes instead of frozen hash browns?
A: Frozen hash browns are best here for ease and crispness, but grated, squeezed potato would work with a longer cook time.
Q: How do I know when the filling is thick enough?
A: The sauce should bubble and look glossy rather than watery.
Q: Can I make this ahead of time?
A: It’s best eaten fresh, but you can assemble it a few hours ahead and bake when ready.
This ham and leek hash brown pie is proof that cooking for one can still feel hearty and indulgent — one dish, golden topping, and a deeply comforting dinner made just for you.
Ingredients
- 1/2 leek, thinly sliced
- 20g butter
- 85g cooked ham, chopped into pieces
- 1 tsp cornflour
- 100ml water + 1/2 vegetable stock cube
- 2 tbsp double (heavy) cream
- Handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 3-4 frozen hash browns
- Black Pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven/air fryer to 180ºC.
- Add the leeks and butter to an individual-sized pie dish. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until softened and slightly browned.
- Add the ham and cornflour to the leeks and mix together until the flour is combined.
- Add the water, stock, cream and fresh parsley. Season well with black pepper and mix well.
- Place the hash browns on top of the pie filling then bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes until the hash browns and golden and the filling has thickened and is bubbling.
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Great present! Bought this for my sister who cooks for one. She absolutely loved it finding it inspiring! So many great recipes to motivate and keep you cooking when it's just you eating!
Great present! Bought this for my sister who cooks for one. She absolutely loved it finding it inspiring! So many great recipes to motivate and keep you cooking when it's just you
Follow Eleanor on socials and knew I NEEDED this book immediately! SO glad I paid extra and had it shipped from the UK (to US). Eleanor's voice is loud and clear in every recipe. The pictures are beautiful, the instructions are perfectly clear, and I want to make EVERYTHING. I cannot recommend this book enough!
This recipe book is stunning and fulfils its role brilliantly in catering for individuals who want to eat delicious meals, but don't want to prepare family sized portions or devote their entire evening to cooking. Who'd believe you could make an entire roast for one person and only use one pan in the process! She is a genius and I couldn't recommend this book any more highly.
One of the best things about the book is that all the recipes are actually cooked in one pot - in a lot of other so-called books you still have to make your side dish in a separate pot. With these recipes, even if they include rice or pasta, it's all cooked together. No mountains of washing up!
This is the book I've been waiting for! I (very happily!) live alone, love to cook and read cookery books, but every recipe is for two people or more. This gorgeous book contains recipes perfectly proportioned for one person (and I'm always a very hungry one person!) which ensures more variety, less food waste, and pure, gluttonous joy.
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This book is like having all your favourite foods in one place with the added bonus of an old friend showing you the ropes. Congratulations Eleanor when can I pre-order the next one?