Leftover Turkey Hand Pies with Puff Pastry

If you like planning your Thanksgiving dinner menu or your Christmas dinner menu in advance, it's worth thinking about leftovers too. And trust me, there are always leftovers after such feasts.

But leftovers are the best bit to have on Black Friday or Boxing Day, as they can be turned into spectacular new dishes that absolutely everyone will love.

These lovely turkey pasties are the best I have made in a while, the 12 of them got demolished so quickly, I kind of wished I had made more. Which means, there will be back on our table pretty soon. If you don't have leftover turkey, you can use leftover roast chicken or rotisserie chicken, it's as good.

If you have other leftover vegetables, throw them in too, otherwise frozen mixed vegetables are the easiest and quickest way to add some good veggies to these yummy pies.

Leftover gravy can be used instead of chicken stock (broth), given that more often than not, there is always gravy left after a big meal.

Ingredients used

• leftover turkey - shredded or cut into small cubes
• frozen mixed vegetables - they are by far the easiest to use, otherwise leftover veggies are your best bet
• onion & garlic - nothing tastes as good without them
• vegetable oil - for frying the onion
• cornflour - corn starch for thickening the sauce
• milk - if you don't like the white filling in a pie, you can replace it with gravy
• ready-rolled puff pastry - far more convenient, otherwise a block of pastry can do
• salt and pepper - to taste
• bay leaves
•  egg - to brush the pies
• chicken stock - (broth) (or leftover gravy)

Step-by-step photos and instructions

Using puff pastry is easy, convenient and cheap. And way quicker than making your own pastry. You can replace it with shortcrust pastry though, it should not change the cooking time at all.

• in a pan, heat up the oil and add the peeled and chopped onion
• fry gently until golden, then add the garlic and mixed vegetables followed by the shredded turkey
• give it a good mix, add half a cup of chicken stock (broth) or leftover gravy with the bay leaves and leave to cook until the liquid is evaporated
• in a small bowl, mix the cornflour (cornstarch) with the milk, and add it to the turkey and vegetables

• stir well until it thickens into a sauce that coats well the turkey and veggies
• season with salt and pepper to taste, then leave to cool completely

Note! It is crucial to have the turkey filling cold before adding it to the puff pasty, otherwise this won't cook properly and become soggy in the oven.

• roll the puff pastry, cut it into 6 squares and add a tablespoon of the filling, then bring the corner together to form a triangle
• use a fork to press down on the sides to seal completely, then brush each pie with beaten egg
• repeat with the second ready-rolled puff pastry and bake in the pre-heated oven for about 20-25 minutes until the pies are golden

Note! You will need to bake them in batches depending on how big your oven trays are. You can chill the uncooked pies in the fridge until the second (or third) batch are ready to be baked. I prefer to bake one tray of pies at a time.

Can the pies be made with fresh turkey or chicken?

Absolutely! I used leftover turkey since I had plenty, but if you don't have any leftovers and want to give these pies a try, add the turkey or chicken pieces after the onion and garlic are cooked, and leave to fry till no longer pink, before adding the vegetables.

The meat will cook further when the chicken stock is added, so it should be cooked through when the liquid is evaporated. Follow the same instructions to make the pies after.

Other leftover turkey recipes

Leftover Turkey Risotto

Leftover Turkey Curry

Leftover Turkey Rice Soup

Healthy Leftover Turkey Wraps with Cranberry Sauce