Turkey Tourtieres Bundles

It's a Monday morning and I'm sitting on my couch looking out the front window hoping for snow - if not for the entire winter, at least for the holidays. A certain peace descends when the world is blanketed in white, and I long for the contentment of an evening walk through the neighborhood to admire the lights as the snow falls gently around me.

Last night I went for an early evening jog and was impressed by the creativity my neighbors put into their light displays - a talent that has never been our forte. In our family most of the Christmas creativity shines through with our indoor decorations and the food we cook - and this year more than ever, I'm having to be even more creative because I'm trying to lighten up some of our old classics.

That's what I have today. An amazing, delicious, new take on my family's Christmas Eve staple: Tourtieres. Traditional tourtieres is a meat pie made with ground pork, and ground beef - a recipe I thought couldn't be beaten - until now.

 















 My updated, lightened up Turkey Tourtiere Bundles are made with a mixture of ground turkey, turkey sausage, and granny smith apple. The turkey is infused with a sweet and savoury assortment of holiday seasonings and is then wrapped in a cozy blanket of Phyllo pastry and baked until crispy and golden.

Better still, these magical little delights can be made ahead and frozen for up to one month making them the perfect bite for holiday entertaining! Scroll down for the recipe or watch the How To video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVEF2ethUpI

 

Turkey Tourtieres Bundles
For printable recipe click HERE

















Ingredients
  • 1 pound lean ground turkey
  • 12 turkey sausages (1/2 pound)
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1 granny smith apple, peeled, cored and diced
  • 3 cloves minced garlic
  • 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 2 cups no salt added chicken broth
  • 3 potatoes, boiled and mashed
  • 1/4 cup Philadelphia Cream Cheese Light in the Chive and Onion flavor
  • 10 sheets of Phyllo pastry
  • 1/4 cup melted butter

Directions

  1. Brown the ground turkey and turkey sausage over medium high heat in a nonstick Dutch oven that has been prepared with cooking spray.
  2. When the turkey is cooked through, add the apple, onion, and spices. Stir well. Pour the chicken broth over all, turn to high, and bring to the boil. 
  3. Turn heat to medium and let the turkey mixture continue to boil until the liquid is almost completely evaporated. Stir in the mashed potatoes and the cream cheese. Set aside to cool.
  4. Lay 1 phyllo sheet on a work surface. (keep remaining phyllo covered with a damp towel) Lightly brush sheet with melted butter. Top with 1 sheet, brush with butter. Repeat with remaining 3 sheets, leaving top unbuttered. 
  5. Cut phyllo stack into 6, 5 1/2 by 6 inch pieces. Nestle each into a cup of a standard muffin tin. Spoon 2 tbsp of the tourtiere mixture into each. Fold top over enveloped style bringing the corners to the centre and brush with butter to seal. 
  6. The tourtieres bundles can be frozen at this point for up to one month or covered and refrigerated until ready to bake. 
  7. Bake in a pre-heated 375 oven for 14-16 minutes. If baking from frozen, add 2 minutes to the cooking time




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Author:

Lyndsay Wells is a professional trainer, writer, and program developer with a passion for food and cooking. She is an award winning recipe developer, and a website ambassador for Kraft Foods Canada. Lyndsay believes cooking should be approachable and easy and has great tips and ideas for putting together sophisticated looking dishes that cooks of all levels can accomplish.

Visit her daily on her blog, The Kitchen Witch or on her YouTube Channel, CHARMED With The Kitchen Witch.

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