Boxing Day Pie 
Most of us end up with Christmas dinner leftovers no matter how hard we try not to and this Boxing Day Pie is a great way of using them up. If you have spent a large portion of your time cooking and clearing away on christmas day, then you’ve earned yourself a little breather on boxing day. Unfortunately, however, no matter how much everyone ate on Christmas day, they will still get hungry on Boxing day! Yes, annoying isn’t it?!
In order to make things as simple as possible, I suggest, buying some pastry (shortcrust or flaky would both would work well) or make your own a day or two ahead of time. Of course, home made is always best, so don’t be afraid to give it a go.
The pastry will keep nicely in the fridge for a few days and come boxing day, all you’ll have to do is roll it out and fill with Christmas dinner leftovers.
Brushing the pastry with an egg wash mix (beat 1 egg and a little water) will make it go a lovely golden brown colour. Mine was a little on the pale side, because I’d run out of eggs and had to use milk instead.
Then, miraculously, no sooner you’ve sung jingle bells a few times you’ll have a delicious boxing day pie ready and waiting.
In return, you’ll have earned more time to spend doing your favourite boxing day activity, be it taking a much needed walk with the family or putting your feet up by the fire and watching the usual Christmas re-runs!
Boxing Day Pie
My Boxing Day Pie recipe, is adapted from Nigella’s Boxing Day Egg-and-Bacon Pie, from one of my favourite baking books, Nigella’s How to be a Domestic Goddess .
Obviously, the pie ingredients are really dependant on what you have leftover. I made Boxing Day Pie for first time a couple of years ago and we didn’t have so much turkey meat left (because we had appreciative guests!) so I added in some Italian sausage. You could also use bacon or lardons if you like. Also, don’t forget to add in your leftover Xmas veggies too, sprouts work amazingly well in this pie. The options really are endless, there are no set rules here, so just use what you have or what you fancy.
A simple accompaniment of pickles and chutneys would work quite nicely, or add in a salad if you need something more substantial. Mind you, nothing insubstantial about the size of those gherkins now, is there?
Whether you have mouths to feed or not and don’t fancy another round of turkey sandwiches, then this could just be the piefect recipe for you.
If you like the idea of leftover pie recipes, you may also like my Leftover Chicken Pie recipe.
Whether you have mouths to feed or not and you just don’t fancy another round of turkey sandwiches, then this could just be the piefect recipe for you!
If you like the idea of leftover pie recipes, you may also like my Leftover Chicken Pie recipe.
Drop me a line or write in the comments box below if you have any comments or questions.
Also, If you make the recipe and like it you can give it a rating, take a photo and share it with me over on INSTAGRAM by tagging it #gillianskitchen.
gx
The best way of using up leftovers from Christmas dinner or any Sunday roast.
- 240 g Plain flour
- 60 g Vegetable shortening
- 60 g Butter
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons iced water or enough to bind
- 300-400g g leftover Christmas dinner turkey, stuffing, vegetables, sausage etc
- 100 g Italian Sausage optional
- 1 spring onion finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley chopped
- 2-3 large eggs beaten
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Freeze the fats and flour together for at least 10 minutes.
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Blitz the chilled pastry and fat in a food processor until you have a breadcrumb like consistency.
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Add the iced water a little a time and pulse until the mixture starts to bind.
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Remove from the processor and finish off binding together with your hands.
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If you need more moistures dip your fingers into the iced water and continue to bring the pastry together, then divide into two discs.
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Cover with cling film and pop into fridge for 20 minutes.
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Preheat the oven to 200ºC/gas mark 6/400ºF.
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Beat the spring onion, parsley and eggs together, and set aside.
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Chop your turkey, sausage, stuffing and sprouts and any other Christmas dinner leftovers you'd like to use.
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If not enough Christmas dinner leftover meat, cook the Italian sausage, bacon or pancetta, in a frying pan with a little onion, season as desired.
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Take one disc at a time from the fridge and roll out to line a 20cm / 8 inch pie dish, preferably one with removable bottom. Make sure you leave an overhang as the pastry will shrink on cooking.
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Now roll out the second disc to use as a lid and then set aside whilst you add the filling to the pastry-lined pie tin.
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Add your Christmas dinner leftover meat and vegetables, plus the extra sausage if using. Cabbage and sprouts work amazingly well.
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Pour on the beaten egg, spring onion & parsley mixture.
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With a little cold water, dampen the edges of the pastry case and cover with the rolled-out lid. Cut off excess pastry, seal and pinch all around the rim, not forgetting to cut a few slits in the centre to let out steam.
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Brush the top of the pastry with an egg wash mix or milk. Egg wash will make it more golden. I used just milk in this recipe as I'd run out of eggs.
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Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown and hot in the centre.
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Let cool on a wire rack. Gorgeous eaten hot or cold with pickles and chutneys of your choice.
Brushing the pastry with an egg wash mix (beat 1 egg and a little water) will make it go a lovely golden brown colour. Mine was a little on the pale side, because I'd run out of eggs and had to use milk instead.
Genius idea! Saw another interesting idea on tv today. Bottom later was bread sauce, then all the leftover stuffing, veg, turkey etc. Covered with gravy and topped with scrunched up sheets of filo pastry which were brushed with butter. Looked really easy and delicious too. I like the look of yours having a bottom to the pie, makes it more substantial.
I went with the predictable bubble and squeak and cold turkey on Boxing Day, your pie looks like a much more interesting and delicious alternative.