Leftover Turkey Hand Pies Recipe with Puff Pastry, a great way of using up leftover turkey from your Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner. Super easy to make, and super delicious, these hand pies are a big hit with the whole family.
Fall is here, the season of harvest, coloured leaves, and one of the most awaited holiday of the year: Thanksgiving. Before we start the everything pumpkin frenzy, a nice leftover turkey recipe is more than welcomed. If you like planning your menu in advance, it’s worth thinking about leftovers too. And trust me, there are always leftovers after such a feast.
These lovely hand pies 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.
How to make leftover turkey hand pies
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, add the butter and olive oil and let the butter melt before adding the chopped onions
- 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.
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Leftover Turkey Hand Pies Recipe with Puff Pastry, a great way of using up leftover turkey from your Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner. Super easy to make, and super delicious, these hand pies are are a big hit with the whole family. If you are looking for leftover turkey recipes, this is one recipe you have to try!
- 2 cups leftover turkey (shredded)
- 1 cup frozen mixed vegetables
- 1 onion
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)
- 3 tbsp milk
- 2 ready-rolled puff pastry
- salt and pepper to taste
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 egg (to brush the pies)
- 1/2 cup chicken stock (broth) (or leftover gravy)
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In a pan, heat up the oil over a medium heat, add the peeled and chopped onion, and fry until golden.
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Add the peeled and chopped garlic, frozen vegetables and shredded cooked turkey together with the bay leaves and chicken stock.
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Leave to cook until the liquid is evaporated.
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In a small bow, mix the cornflour with the milk, and pour it over the turkey and vegetables.
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Stir until it thickens into a sauce that coats well the turkey and veggies.
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Season with salt and pepper to taste, remove the bay leaves and leave to cool completely.
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Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 Fahrenheit).
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Roll the puff pastry, and cut it into 6 squares.
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Add one tablespoon of the turkey filling in the centre of the pastry square, bring the corners of the pastry together to form a triangle, and press with a fork to seal the edges. Repeat with all the pies.
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Beat the egg, and brush each pie with it, then make 2 small cuts on top to allow the steam to be released while baking.
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Line 2 or 3 baking trays with non-stick paper and bake for about 25 minutes until golden.
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