Turkey and Stuffing Hand Pies

Recipe at a glance

Turkey and Stuffing Hand Pies gives holiday food a distinct second meal instead of simply reheating the original plate. Food Network’s collection of post-Thanksgiving ideas shows how turkey, stuffing, potatoes, vegetables and cranberry sauce can move into casseroles, sandwiches, soups, snacks and other formats; this version is an original formulation built around 2 cups turkey, 1 cup stuffing and 1/3 cup gravy. ^[1]

Yield: 8 hand pies. Preparation time: 30 minutes. Cooking time: 25 minutes. Use leftovers that were refrigerated promptly. FoodSafety.gov lists cooked meat and poultry leftovers at three to four days in a refrigerator kept at 40°F or below. ^[2]

Ingredients

1. 2 refrigerated pie crusts 2. 2 cups finely chopped turkey 3. 1 cup stuffing 4. 1/3 cup thick gravy 5. 1 teaspoon thyme 6. 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water 7. 1/2 cup cranberry sauce ^[1]

How to make turkey and stuffing hand pies

1. Heat the oven to 400°F and line a sheet pan with parchment. 2. Mix turkey, stuffing, gravy and thyme; the filling should hold together without being wet. 3. Cut eight 6-inch pastry rounds, place filling on one half of each and leave a border. ^[1]

4. Fold, crimp with a fork, vent and brush with egg wash. 5. Bake 22 to 25 minutes until deep golden and 165°F inside. Cool 5 minutes and serve with cranberry sauce. ^{[1] [2]}

Make-ahead, storage and useful substitutions

Cold filling keeps the pastry firm. Freeze assembled unbaked pies on a tray, then bag them and bake from frozen with extra time. Puff pastry produces a lighter shell. Replace stuffing with mashed potatoes if needed. ^[1]

Refrigerate turkey and stuffing hand pies within two hours in shallow covered containers. Count storage time from when the original Thanksgiving food was first refrigerated, not from when it was transformed into this recipe. Eat refrigerated cooked turkey and other perishable leftovers within three to four days, or freeze sooner. Reheat hot portions to 165°F and discard food that has spent too long at room temperature. ^[2]