Turkey Dinner Pie!

This recipe came about as part of my quest to find out what else I can put into a pie.  It is really very easy, and got excellent reviews from my test group :)


You could use leftovers from a turkey dinner,
or just cook about 1 1/2 lbs of turkey meat.  I think the flavor is better with roasted turkey meat, but if you don't have that just simmer the meat in chicken broth with some spices for about an hour.

Press shredded turkey meat into bottom crust.

Top with gravy.

Spread stuffing in even layer.  For best flavor I like to make the stuffing according to package directions but replacing part of the water with one can of chicken broth.  Reduce the remaining quantity of water by 1/2 cup to make stuffing a little more crumbly - it will absorb moisture from the other ingredients during cooking and if it starts out too wet it can overly soften the top crust.


Place top crust and crimp edges together.

Cut several slits in crust to let excess moisture escape.

Bake @ 350 for 50 minutes, covering crust edge with foil after 20 minutes.

Serve with cranberry sauce.  (I don't normally like cranberry sauce very much, but it really adds a lot to this combo of flavors.  Just use a can of jellied cranberry sauce and stir it a bit until smooth)

Stuff It!!

With a little imagination, you can stuff just about anything :)



Summer Veggie Stuff & Bake:

Hollow out veggies.  Peppers can be cut in half to make two little boats, then blanched in boiling water for two minutes. Drain and stuff.

The round things in this photo are small yellow zucchinis with the stem ends cut off and seeds scooped out.  Also try hollowing out large tomatoes, eggplant halves, onions, or regular long zucchinis sliced lengthwise to make two boats.  Put hollowed veggies into baking pan coated with cooking spray; bake at 350 for about 20 minutes before stuffing.



This stuffing has been approved by my testing victims, who all claimed to dislike stuffed peppers but had only tried the traditional method using green peppers, hamburg, rice, and tomato soup. I find that green peppers develop a bitter flavor when cooked with tomato, and prefer the sweeter yellow or red bell peppers.

Veggie Stuffing:
1 c.grated zucchini
6oz crumbled feta cheese
1/2 c. italian bread crumbs
15oz can small white beans, drained
14oz can diced tomatoes
half of a 3 oz jar Hormel Real Bacon Bits 
1 tsp each oregano, parsley, onion powder

mix & stuff. cover with shredded mozzarella or parmesan.  Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.  Broil on low for 2 minutes to toast the cheese.