Christmas Pie

I wanted to re-create the flavours of a Christmas Dinner in a pie which you could have any time of the year, after all a turkey is for every day of the year and not just Christmas!!

Anyway, here is my attempt

Serves 4

You will need:

1 pack of 250g diced turkey breast, cut again in half

6 rashers of streaky bacon, chopped

4 sausages, chopped into bite sized pieces

200g chestnuts (buy the peeled & ready to eat ones)

1 onion, chopped

2 leeks,sliced thinly

2 carrots, sliced thinly

1 small pack of sage & onion stuffing

3 tsp cranberry sauce

400ml thick chicken gravy (made with oxo roasted chicken gravy granules)

Black pepper

Olive oil

1 Knorr chicken stock pot gel/actual chicken stock

1 pack of ready to roll puff pastry

3 tbsp milk

Then you need to:

Make the stuffing according to the pack instructions and make into small bite size balls and cook in the oven for about 15 minutes

Add a glug of oil to a pan and brown the sausages and bacon for about 5 minutes and transfer to a slow cooker

Add another glug of oil and brown the turkey for about 3 minutes and then add the carrots, leeks and onions and cook for a further 10 minutes.
Transfer the turkey and vegetables to your slow cooker.

Add the chestnuts

Make the gravy and add the cranberry sauce and stir well and add some black pepper for seasoning and the chicken stock* 

*(I normally add a Knorr stock gel but I had some chicken stock left from a roast I did a few days earlier)

Pour the gravy into the slow cooker and mix well and then place the stuffing balls on the top.

Cook on the lowest setting for about 6 hours

*alternately cook in a conventional oven (180oC/160oC fan) for an hour - to an hour and half*

Once cooked, make your pastry lids by rolling out your puff pastry and cutting out 4 circles (I use the largest scone cutter I have, which you might find too small but it's enough for me)

Place onto a lightly greased baking tray and brush each one with milk and cook for 25 minutes as per the cooking instruction on the pastry packet

Then simple plate up your pie mix and top with the pastry lids and serves with roasted and vegetables

(this would obviously work with actual roast dinner let overs to as the pie contents!)

I am posting this recipe as part of the Britmums Lean On Turkey Competition

sponsored by www.leanonturkey.co.uk