Tourtière Hand Pies

These savoury hand pies are a hearty, handheld take on the French-Canadian classic, featuring a rich filling of spiced ground pork, tender lentils, and creamy potato, all encased in flaky pastry.

Course Appetizer, Cook with Meg recipes, Dinner & Main Course

Key Ingredient Lentils

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 25

Total Time 45

Servings hand pies

Calories 218

Ingredients

Filling

1 medium potato, peeled, cooked & mashed (about 1 cup/250 mL)
1 Tbsp (15 mL) butter, margarine or oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced or 1/2 tsp (2 mL) garlic powder
1/2 lb (250 g) ground pork or beef
1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt
1/2 tsp (2 mL) pepper
1/2 tsp (2 mL) dried thyme or 3-4 sprigs fresh
1/2 tsp (2 mL) ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp (1 mL) allspice, optional
pinch nutmeg
2 cups (500 mL) cooked or canned lentils, drained & rinsed (see notes)
1/4 cup (60 mL) beef or chicken broth, plus more if needed
1-2 Tbsp (15-30 mL) Worcestershire sauce, optional

Pastry

2 sheets thawed, store-bought puff pastry
1 egg, beaten with 1 Tbsp (15 mL) water
coarse salt, for topping, optional

Holiday Spiced Ketchup

1/2 cup (125 mL) ketchup
1 Tbsp (15 mL) brown sugar or maple syrup
1/4 tsp (1 mL) cinnamon
1/4 tsp (1 mL) thyme
1/8 tsp (0.5 mL) nutmeg
1/8 tsp (0.5 mL) cloves
salt & pepper, to taste

Instructions

Heat butter/oil in a skillet or large frying pan over medium heat. Add onion and cook for 2-3 minutes until softened and translucent, then add garlic and continue to cook for another 30 seconds.
Add ground pork, breaking it up and cooking until browned and no pink remains.
Stir in salt, pepper, thyme, cinnamon, cloves, allspice (if using) and nutmeg until pork is well coated.
Stir in lentils then add 1/4 cup (60 mL) broth and 1 Tbsp (15 mL) Worcestershire sauce, if using, and simmer for 5 minutes. Taste and add more Worcestershire sauce if desired.
Add mashed potato and stir until the mixture becomes thick and cohesive. If it seems a little dry, add 1–2 Tbsp (15-30 mL) more broth, If it’s too wet, simmer for another 1–2 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings.
Cool the filling before making the hand pies. Spread hot filling on a parchment lined baking sheet and place in the fridge or freezer for 10-15 minutes. At this stage, you could place the filling in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze it and make the hand pies at a later date.
While the filling is cooling, make the spiced holiday ketchup. Mix all the ketchup ingredients together in a small bowl; adjust seasonings and spices then cover and store in the fridge until the hand pies are cooked and ready to serve.
To assemble the hand pies, preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Roll out the puff pastry and cut into squares. For smaller pies, cut each puff pastry sheet into 9 squares. Add 2–3 Tbsp (30-45 mL) cooled filling to half of each square. Fold over and crimp edges and transfer to prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining pastry and filling.
Brush all the hand pies with egg wash and sprinkle with coarse salt if desired. Bake 20–25 minutes until golden brown. Serve with spiced holiday ketchup.

Notes

A 19 oz (540 mL) can of lentils, drained & rinsed, yields 2 cups (500 mL) cooked lentils.
Freezing option: freeze unbaked pies on a tray for a few hours, then transfer to a freezer bag or airtight container. Store for up to 1 month. To bake from frozen, remove from freezer, place on parchment lined baking sheet, brush with egg wash and bake at 400°F (200°C) for 28-32 minutes until golden brown.

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