Stuffing Flavor in a Pastry Crust

I think it’s safe to say that the signature dish of Thanksgiving is stuffing. So what if you made a “stuffing” pie crust, filled it with traditional Thanksgiving staples and baked it in the oven? Brilliant, am I right?! When these pasties come out of the oven, they truly smell and taste like Thanksgiving. You may have a hard time only eating one!

The basis for my Thanksgiving pasties starts with the Chebe focaccia mix. It already contains rosemary and basil in the mix. To make it taste like stuffing, I add a teaspoon each of sage and thyme. After making the dough, I tossed it in the fridge to chill while I chopped my other ingredients.

Raw vs Pre Cooked Meat

The first time I made these Thanksgiving pasties, I started with cooked deli turkey. Let me tell ya, it didn’t cut it. Too dry. Even with the addition of goat and brie cheeses, it needed more moisture. This time I used Butterball turkey breast instead. 

The juices it released as it cooked helped to keep the pasty incredibly moist. As for the remaining ingredients, I went by an old hand-written recipe card from my husband’s grandfather. (The same one that gave me the recipe for that most amazing buckwheat bread.) Seeing his penmanship, so neatly done, brings warmth to my heart. Even though Papa Earle passed years ago, he can still be part of our holiday traditions.

What’s Inside a Thanksgiving Pasty?

To fill these Thanksgiving pasties, you mix all the meat and vegetables together in a large bowl. The one thing that makes these pasties stand out is the addition of cranberry sauce. Because one can’t have Thanksgiving with cranberries, am I right?

I’m not usually a fan of the canned stuff. I much prefer it made from scratch, like in this Cranberry Orange Sauce recipe from Texanerin. However, in this recipe canned cranberries will work just fine. When filling your Thanksgiving pasties, use 1/2 cup of filling, and place it on the front half of the dough. This allows you room to fold the top half over and seal the pasty.

Gravy or no Gravy?

These Thanksgiving pasties are so amazing, friends. Seriously, pictures and words can not do this justice. I literally ate this top half after taking pictures. It’s taking all the willpower I have to not go devour the second half. It pairs perfectly with Full Flavor Foods Turkey Gravy.

Thanksgiving Pasty Recipes That Use Leftovers

Now, if you’d rather not do all the chopping and cutting, there are recipes on the internet for using Thanksgiving leftovers in a pasty. This recipe for homemade Thanksgiving pasties from 12 Tomatoes uses leftover stuffing, mashed potatoes and turkey inside. I haven’t tried it, but if you decide to do so, let me know!

(And if you want an amazing way to use up leftover mashed potatoes, check out my gluten-free mashed potato crust quiche recipe!)

Can I Use A Different Crust Mix than Chebe?

You could likely use a gluten free pie crust recipe for the crust. Chebe already contains basil and rosemary in their mix. If you plan to use a homemade crust, you will need to add those herbs on your own. Maybe 1/2 tsp to a tsp each?

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Grain Free Thanksgiving Pasties

Author Margaret Clegg

Ingredients

Crust

• 1 pkg Chebe Focaccia mix
• 1 tsp sage
• 1 tsp thyme
• 4 tbsp cold butter cut in small pieces
• 2 eggs room temp
• 2 tbsp oil
• 4 tbsp ice cold water
• rice flour or grain-free starch for rolling

Filling

• 1/4 c. Brussels sprouts shredded
• 1/4 c onions diced
• 1/2 c. sweet potatoes diced
• 1/2 c. mushrooms diced
• 1/3 c. canned whole cranberry sauce
• 1/2 lb raw turkey breast diced
• 1 egg beaten

Instructions

• Add thyme and sage to Chebe mix. Next, add butter and cut it into the dry mix. This can be done in a food processor or with your hands. 
• Second, add eggs and oil to mix and stir to combine. 
• To finish making the dough, add the ice cold water, one tablespoon at a time until a solid ball forms. 
• Place dough in refrigerator to chill while you prep remaining ingredients. 
• Start prepping the filing by dicing the vegetables. I used my food processor to shred the sprouts. Chop the onion, sweet potatoes and mushrooms into 1/2 in" chunks. 
• Finally, chop your turkey meat. Ground turkey can also be used for this. Once your meat is chopped, combine it with the vegetables and cranberry sauce in a large bowl
• Remove dough from refrigerator and preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
• Light coat a flat surface (I use a pastry mat) with rice flour. (You can use potato starch if you need to keep it grain free.) Separate the dough ball into 4 equal portions. Roll one of the four small dough balls into a circle, roughly 7 in" in diameter. Repeat with remaining dough until all our portions have been rolled. 
• Using a 1/2 c. measuring cup, fill one half of a dough circle with the turkey and vegetable mixture. Place the filling near the the front half of the circle, allowing room to fold up the back half to close the pasty. (See the third picture in this post as an example.) Crimp closed and brush with beaten egg. 
• Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. 
• Serve hot, with turkey gravy if desired. (I use Full Flavor Foods gravy mix.) 

So what creative things have you made with Chebe products? Do you have something you’d like to see me create? Leave me a comment below and let me know how Chebe has impacted your baking!

**Chebe provided the ingredients for this post. I was not otherwise paid or compensated for my time. This post does contain affiliate links. Purchases made through those links help support this blog with no extra expense to you. Thank you for your continued support!**

Originally Published November 2017

The post Grain Free Thanksgiving Pasties appeared first on MI Gluten Free Gal.

I made my first Chebe Focaccia mix almost 5 years ago. At the time my husband was in France, I hosted a board meeting at my house, and I wanted a quick “treat” to share with everyone. Everyone at the meeting, all who did not eat gluten-free (except me) RAVED about it. At that time, I topped it with traditional tomatoes and a bit of cheese. Now, I let my creativity run wild and top it according to my cravings of the day. Kalamata olives, onions and balsalmic glaze? 100% Delicious.

Today I had another meeting, and wanted to try something new with my Chebe Focaccia mix. Like you do, I searched the WWW for “focaccia recipes.” My eyes immediately fixated on the words “stuffed focaccia.” While recipes suggested a variety of fillings, I immediately thought of my new favorite food. CARAMELIZED ONIONS. There may be no greater savory food on this planet. Our support group meeting highlighted a St. Patrick’s Day theme, and all things green. So I also stuffed it with sauteed spinach, feta cheese, and mozzarella. Because cheese is the delicious glue that unites this world together. True story.

Want to recreate this stuffed Chebe Focaccia for yourself? Here are my proportions. I made the mix according to directions, EXCEPT I added 3 tbsp. butter instead of 2 tbsp of oil.  (Note- I also never add cheese to the mix anymore, as suggested on the box.) Next, I divided the ball of Chebe Focaccia dough in half, and rolled one ball of dough into a thin rectangle. Then, I topped it with 3 caramelized onions, 4 oz of feta, 8 oz of spinach that I sauteed, and about 2 oz of mozzarella that I sprinkled on top. Finally, I rolled out the top crust, laid it over my fillings, and tucked the edges under the bottom crust. Bake that bad boy at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Be prepared to be amazed!

However, these Thanksgiving pasties I created with the Chebe Focaccia mix may be my favorite invention ever. Add some sage to the mix and you have a handheld, STUFFING flavored crust.  Topped with a drizzle of Full Flavor Foods turkey gravy, and you’ll “gobble gobble” your heart out. Just looking at those chunks of sweet potato wedged inside is giving my serious carb cravings!

Can’t find Chebe but want to try your hand at making this homemade? Check out this Gluten Free Focaccia recipe from Celiac Mama.

Have you tried Chebe Focaccia mix yet? What delicious meals have you created with it? Don’t hold out on a sista, share your comments below! 

**Chebe gave me  free product, however I was not otherwise financially compensated for this post. I am a MAJOR Chebe fan, have been for years, and love using any of their 6 flavors to create new gluten-free meals and desserts. This post may contain Amazon affiliate links.**

The post Chebe Focaccia – Grain Free Flatbread appeared first on MI Gluten Free Gal.