The Crispy Meat You Should Be Adding To Canned Pie Filling

Canned pie filling is a useful, but divisive, ingredient. Rather than having to peel, chop, and prepare your favorite fruit for your pie, all you need to do is pick up a can of the pre-made pie filling from your local grocery store, flop it into your prepared flaky pie crust, and voilà — you have a pie fit for any table. 

But, as wonderful and utilitarian as canned pie filling can be, it may be lacking in the texture and flavor department. The next time you need to upgrade your canned pie filling, consider chopping up some crispy bacon and stirring it in before you set it in your pie shell. Bacon is not only a very salty protein, but it also bursts with umami flavors that can tamper down an excessively cloying canned pie filling. It's important to only use fully cooked bacon for your pie filling, as your bacon strips will not fully cook under the layers of pie crust and filling.

One of the most obvious types of canned pie filling to use for this hack is apple. Apple pie filling already has cinnamon and brown sugar notes, both of which will complement the savory flavor of your bacon. Moreover, canned apple pie filling tends to have a mucusy texture, so adding in the bacon will diversify the bite a little bit more. Another canned pie filling that you may consider adding your chopped bacon to is pumpkin. However, some folks may not like how the bacon-studded pumpkin pie veers from the classic, silky texture of a "normal" version of the dessert. 

Bacon can be added to your pies in more than just the filling, too. The leftover grease is the secret ingredient for a tasty pie crust — and it will help you achieve those flaky layers that you crave. You could also omit the top crust of your pie entirely and make a bacon-latticed pie. This would be a great addition to a ho-hum apple pie since every bite will be balanced with salty, savory, and sweet notes.