Thursday, February 4, 2010

Home (Made) Easy: Mini Pot Pies

Today’s recipe is a mini pot pie I came up with. Today’s pot pies are made with my basic ground turkey mix. For me this mix is one of my staple mixes that I can go to for many different dishes. It mixes well for pasta and rice as well as a base for my chili and spaghetti. The dishes are endless.

As with many of my dishes this one is very simple to make and put together. I like to keep pre-made pie dough in the freezer as a got to. I use my Wilton mini muffin pans to make the pies because they are the perfect size for my bentos also they make the perfect bite size meal.



Basic Turkey Mix

Ingredients

1 lb Ground Turkey
6 oz French Cut Green Beans
1/4 cup Chicken Gravy [est.] (I usually use brown gravy for more flavor but I changed it for this recipe)
Salt (to taste)
Pepper (to taste)
Seasoning Salt (to taste)
3 tsp Vegetable Oil (or any oil you like to cook with)

Added for this recipe: (optional)

Cayenne Pepper (to taste)
Sesame Oil (to taste)

I cooked up the turkey as usual (see this post) the only difference is I used chicken gravy instead of brown gravy. I also decided I wanted a little kick to it so I added cayenne pepper (about a 1/2 teaspoon) to the mix. I then wanted to add some cumin but realized I didn’t have any. I forgot to replace it the last time I went to the grocery store. So it’s substitution time. After the mix was cooked I add some sesame oil. Yeah I know not exactly like cumin but it gave the mix a smoky and nutty taste so it worked for me. Once the mix was done I let it sit and cool for about 30 to 45 minutes stirring the mix occasionally to help it cool. I know it was going to be heated up when I put in the oven but for some reason I didn’t want to put the hot mix right into the uncooked pie crust. I thought it would make it get soggy and not bake right. I’ve never baked a pie from scratch so this was a gut instinct I don’t know if there is anything to it.

While the turkey mix was cooling I prepared the pie crust in the muffin pan. I cut out rounds in two different sizes for the top and bottom. Top 8” and the bottom 9” around. Because this was made in a muffin pan I had to make the measured cuts to make it easier to assemble. Even though the pan is nonstick I lightly sprayed it with cooking oil. Just as an aside I had a set of these pans before and did not spay them when I cooked with them every time and when things stuck to it the surface was ruined. Not taking any chances this time. I put the bottom round in the muffin cup and gently pressed it in.

When the mix was cooled I put in about a teaspoon in each cup (sorry I didn’t measure the amount) but basically I filled it to have a slight mound on it.

Then I added the lid sealing it as you do with any pastry by wetting the edges with water. Because of the size of the pot pies and how close they sat to each other, instead of using a fork to crimp the edges I used the blunt end of a knife. This kind of made them look like the crimping you see on the store bought ones.

I then cut slits in the top for ventilation in a star shape. Then I baked them in my toaster oven for 10 to 15 minutes at 425° or until they were lightly golden brown. I have to be very careful with my toaster oven because the heating element is only in the center and it can burn while cooking very easily.


Once they come out and have been cooked to a tasty golden crispiness I let them sit for about 5 minutes and then it’s time to eat or pack in my bento. The good thing about these mini pot pies is that they are good at room temperature so great for a bento or lunch box. However they can be reheated easily in the microwave for 30 to 45 seconds. Try not to over heat them or they will get a little soft and not have the crispiness of a pie (unless you like them like that).



I also made some mini apples pies but I will leave them for another post.

Itadaki masu!


19 comments:

Tasty Trix said...

Can a pot pie be cute? I vote yes!!!

Marisa Lyn said...

You know I was thinking the same thing. hee hee

Bentobird said...

Adorable, and I loved your photos of how you made these cute pies :)

Happy Little Bento said...

Those are beautiful! You are so talented with pastry. They look perfect for bento :)

Anonymous said...

Thats awesome! Bento sized pot pies! :D

Whats Cookin Italian Style Cuisine said...

perfect pies and healthy too!

Marisa Lyn said...

Thanks Sheri, I wanted to be a pastry chef when I was younger, I guess I went in another direction but all roads lead back to what you love I guess.

Marisa Lyn said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Marisa Lyn said...

Hi Susan, yeah I told my daughter I don't know why I like making food in miniature. She said it's because I live a compact life now. She's so smart. I guess that's why I love bentos so much. Thanks for stopping by.

Marisa Lyn said...

Hey Claudia, trying to eat healthier these days. I the past 2 years my daughter and I have lost around 80-90 lbs between us. We feel so much better now. Just trying to make healthy food fun and comforting. Thanks for stopping by.

Kim Adams said...

I'm diggin' these pies!

Marisa Lyn said...

Thanks Kim, I have to admit they are so cute. Best thing thou they are delicious. Thanks for stopping by.

Nichola said...

Yum, they look so good, and so easy! We call them savouries in New Zealand - I'm going to try making them!

Marisa Lyn said...

Thanks Nichola, I love them they are very versitile and so darn cute. ^_^ Thanks for stopping by.

Kim Adams said...

I'm going to make this tonight for dinner but use some left over duck meat. Thanks for the inspiration!

Marisa Lyn said...

Kim that really sounds tasty. Please let me know how it come out. I've never cooked duck before but I've wanted to. Thanks for stopping by.

Ludicrous Mama said...

I think we're going to make these for a Halloween party! My husband is going as Sweeney Todd, and I'm going as Mrs. Lovett... I'm bringing 'meat pies' to the party! These look perfect!

Marisa Lyn said...

Hi LM I'm so glad you found my blog. I'm really glad you liked my Mini Pot Pies. Wow Sweeny Todd and Mrs Lovett how cool and original. I hope your pies are a hit and thanks for the follow. I love the spooky recipes on your blog and your little one is so cute. Please come back again and I hope to see a post about your pies and the party.

Yoshi Blade said...

Thanks for the recipe for mini pot pies. They look quite delicious.