Make these flaky packages of goodness with your leftovers – they can be filled with almost anything. These are my favorite way to use up your turkey, ham or stuffing leftovers!
Scroll to the bottom of the post for the turkey twist on this recipe!
One of the things I love about travel is the opportunity to try different dishes, preferably favorites of the locals. Those recommendations give me a greater sense of place.
This doesn’t always work out as planned. Like the time we were in London’s Stanhope Arms pub and I asked a gentleman at the bar next to us what he liked to drink there, thinking I would get a recommendation of an excellent London ale.
He replied “Stella Artois.”
Ah. A Belgian lager. It seems everyone likes an import.
While visiting London in 2011, we decided to take a side trip to the City of Bath, a 2-hour train ride from London. It is a very walkable city. The Roman Baths and the gorgeous Georgian and Victorian Gothic architecture of the Abbey, Crescent City and the Circus are all in close proximity.
The Roman baths in Bath, UK
After a morning of taking in all of the sights of this beautiful hamlet, we began to look for a spot for lunch. We came across the Cornish Bakehouse.
Cornish Bakehouse, 1 Lower Borough Walls, Bath, UK www.cornishkitchen.com Tel: 01225 780
Cornish Bakehouse
An aroma of freshly baked bread drew us in. As we pressed into the bake shop, I took in a breath. Oh my God, it smelled so good in there! A Cornish Pasty (pronounced Pass-tee) is a hand-held, (usually) meat filled pie, believed to have originated with the wives of Cornish miners. Their miner husbands, unable to wash their dirty hands or return to the surface at lunchtime, could still enjoy a hearty meal. A thick, rolled crust edge served as a handle to hold the pasty while eating the contents. The crust could then be discarded. However, we skip that part. We just wash our hands and eat the whole thing!
Husband ordered a traditional pasty: steak, rutabaga, cheese. I had the onion and cheese.
Husband and I slipped behind the Abbey and found a bench that overlooked the River Avon and the Parade Gardens. Perfect spot for lunch. We could see the Pulteney Bridge with its trio of curved cascading waterfalls.
The scene was so relaxing and a perfect place to review our day in Bath.
We tucked into our warm, buttery, flaky pockets of dough. Mine tasted like French Onion soup in a bread bowl. So warm and comforting on a such cold, crisp day. Every time I make these, I’m transported back to the UK in the city of Bath, so you could say these warm my heart as well as my tummy!
To read more, check out our post about the coolest thing to do in London – and it’s FREE!!
Cornish Pasty
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
For the crust, my Mom’s piecrust recipe:
Ingredients:
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
¼ tsp salt
½ cup vegetable shortening
¼ cup cold butter, cut into cubes
1/3 cup ice water
Instructions:
In a large bowl, mix the flour and salt. Cut in the shortening and butter until mixture resembles peas.
Add in the ice water a little at a time, working with your hands to form a dough. Be careful not to overmix the dough.
Divide the dough in half and roll each piece into rounds approximately 9 to 10 inches in diameter. Cut each round in half to use for the pasty.
Or, you could do like I do and buy ready-made pie crust. Roll it out and cut each circle in half.
For the filling:
Ingredients:
4 – 6oz skirt steak, cut into ¼” cubes
1 small onion, diced
1 small potato, diced
¼ cup shredded cheese (we used a cheddar/Monterey jack mix)
Salt and pepper to taste
Divide the filling between the four pie crusts, spooning the mixture a little off-center in the dough.
Beat 1 large egg and brush the edges of the pie crust, then fold the dough in half with the filling inside, crimping the edges well. Brush the top and the sides of each pasty with the remainder of the beaten egg.
Bake on a greased baking sheet for 40 minutes or until the top and edges are golden brown and flaky.
Enjoy these warm or at room temperature. I like to serve them with a mayo mustard mixture.
We made a vegetarian filling as well:
Ingredients:
one large onion, halved and sliced
1 tbsp butter
a small potato, diced
1 ½ cups shredded Monterey jack cheese, (Swiss cheese would be good here too – use your favorite!)
1 tbsp wholegrain mustard.
Method:
Melt the butter in a large skillet and cook the onions until they are brown and caramelized (about 25-30 minutes) stirring frequently.
Remove the caramelized onions from the pan and let cool for 15-20 minutes.
Combine the mustard and the cheese, then add the onions and the potato.
Mix well, then follow the same instructions above for filling, crimping and baking.
What to do with your leftovers?
This recipe is also perfect for holiday leftovers. A nice change from turkey sandwiches!
Filling:
4 – 6oz turkey, cut into ¼” cubes
½ cup stuffing leftovers
½ cup leftover gravy
¼ cup of Asiago cheese – Swiss or Monterey Jack would be yummy too (Optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
Follow the instructions above and serve with leftover cranberry sauce loosened up with a little bit of water (or Chambord – so good!) as a dipping sauce.
#holiday #thanksgivingleftovers #thanksgivingleftoversrecipe #thanksgiving
Cornish Pasty
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups All-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 cup Vegetable shortening
- 1/4 cup Cold Butter, cut into cubes
- 1/3 cup Ice Water
- 4 - 6 ounces Skirt Steak, cut into ¼” cubes
- 1 small Onion, diced
- 1 small Potato, diced
- 1/4 cup Shredded cheese
- 1 egg
- salt & pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large bowl, mix the flour and salt.
- Cut in the shortening and butter until mixture resembles peas.
- Add in the ice water a little at a time, working with your hands to form a dough. Be careful not to overmix the dough.
- Divide the dough in half and roll each piece into rounds approximately 9 to 10 inches in diameter.
- Cut each round in half to use for the pasty.
- Or, you could do like I do and buy ready-made pie crust. Roll it out and cut each circle in half.
- Combine the steak, onion, potato and cheese in a bowl. Mix well.
- Divide the filling between the four pie crusts, spooning the mixture a lttle off-center in the dough.
- Beat the egg and brush the edges of the pie crust.
- Fold the dough in half with the filling inside, crimping the edges well.
- Brush the top and the sides of each pasty with the remainder of the beaten egg.
- Bake on a greased baking sheet for 40 minutes or until the top and edges are golden brown and flaky.
Thank you for sharing and Happy Thanksgiving to you and the Hubby 🙂 I will definitely need to test out your Pasty recipe! Sounds super yummy!! 🙂
Thank you and Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family! I hope you enjoy the pasties!
These look delicious
Thank you! Let me know if you try it.
This is a fantastic idea, thank you so much! I think I’m going to attempt a complete turkey dinner inside, turkey, mashed, stuffing, gravy and some cranberries so it’s road ready! I cant wait to try it, it sounds really tasty, and a fun project as well.
That sounds great – let me know how it turns out!