Christmas 2020 was definitely one for both the history books and the bin for a multitude of reasons. Living in London meant that we were in what the UK Government calls “Tier 4” – something they created on a whim and meant that we were no longer allowed to spend Christmas all together. This was tough for families as we were given little notice and the hope and excitement was stripped away from us. Although we had to cancel our plans to celebrate as a family, I was fortunate enough to spend Christmas Day with my Mum and Nonna (aka the Queen), and even though we were only three, I still pulled together a full Christmas spread with all the trimmings!
I’m not a fan of turkey crown, as I enjoy the dark meat, so I went ahead and bought a “small” turkey which was nearly 4kg and could feed 6-8 people! I also did this with the idea of not needing to cook in the days that followed and we did indeed have plenty of leftover turkey! To add a bit of variety to our leftover lunches, I used the last batch to create this deliciously creamy leftover turkey pie. What’s great about this pie is that you can do it with leftover chicken and it will still taste incredible! So save this for those leftover roast dinner days!
I also had some leftover stuffing, which was a simple pork sausage, sage and onion stuffing, this added another level of flavour to the pie so if you also have any stuffing then chuck it in there! If you don’t, you can add some cooked pork sausages and even some sage leaves to get a similar flavour!
I also love to prepare the pie filling directly in my pie dish. This means less washing up which is always a winner! I have a Falcon oven tray which can be used on the hob but if you don’t have one that is compatible, simply prepare the filling in a frying pan and then transfer to your oven dish before placing your pastry on top!
On the pastry, honestly at this time of year I want to keep things simple and effortless, so get yourself some ready rolled shortcrust pastry and don’t stress! I keep one in my freezer for times of need and defrost it in the morning. It does the job and is delicious with no mess! If you want to make your own pastry then be my guest! But here you won’t need it!
You will also see that I don’t add any salt to my filling. That’s because the turkey and stuffing is already well seasoned from Christmas Day and I find that the chicken stock adds the additional salt required. You don’t want to end up with a super salt filling!
6
servings15
minutes45
minutes1
hourIngredients
200 g Pancetta, cubed
1 small White onion, diced
1 Garlic clove, finely chopped
500 g Cold turkey & stuffing, roughly chopped
120 g Mushrooms, sliced
5 Spring onions, roughly chopped
1 Bay leaf
Pinch ground nutmeg
1 Tbsp Plain flour, heaped
300 ml Chicken stock
200 ml Double cream
Ready rolled short crust pastry
1 Egg
2 Tbsp Olive oil
Pepper
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 200℃ / 180℃ Fan. Place an oven/stove-top safe tray on the hob on a medium heat, add olive oil and the pancetta. Fry until crispy, remove and set aside.
- In the same pan, add the diced onions and reduce the heat to low and sauté until almost translucent before adding the garlic for 1 minute.
- Add the turkey, stuffing, mushrooms, spring onions, pancetta (and all the juices) along with the bay leaf and stir well to combine followed by some nutmeg and pepper.
- Next sprinkle in the plain flour and ensure everything is well coated. Allow to cook for 2 minutes before increasing the heat and pouring in the chicken stock. Using your wooden spoon, scrap all the goodness from the bottom of the pan – this is full of flavour! Pour in the double cream and reduce the heat to a simmer for 2-3 minutes.
- Carefully place the ready rolled short crust pastry on top of the oven tray, trimming the edges (you can make some pretty designs if desired), cut a small slit in the middle and use a fork to crimp and seal the edges.
- Whisk the egg and gently brush all over the pastry. Place in the oven and bake until the pastry is golden and crisp – around 15-20 minutes. Allow the pie to sit for 5-10 minutes before serving.