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)

It's Game Time: Turky Bacon Apple Swiss Panini!

It turns out that turkys have TWO breasts.  Since the first one went into a pie, this one is going in paninis!

Underneath all that bacon is a big slab of wild turky.  Wild game meats are often dry, so the bacon is meant to keep it moist.  If you use commercially available turky meat, the bacon just makes it extra yummy :)

In any case, lay the bacon across the meat and roast at 325 for two hours, covered loosely with foil.  Thats it -  just put in the oven and leave it.

When the meat is ready, slice both bacon and turky into thin slices.


Panini can be made in a sandwich press or in a nonstick frying pan.  I have a waffle iron that can have flat grilling plates.

Thick cut "texas toast" style bread works really well - it can tolerate the heat long enough for the whole sandwich to get cooked.

Brush the bread with olive oil, and layer from the bottom up- turky and bacon first, then thin slices of apple, then swiss cheese, and another piece of bread brushed with olive oil.  Putting the apple in the middle prevents it from becoming overcooked before the cheese is melted.

The biggest challenge was holding off the testing group long enough to take a photo!  This combination was highly approved.