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Tourtière cooling

Turkey Tourtière (French Canadian Meat Pie)

Tourtière, a hearty, savory and delicious meat pie, is a festive meal, especially when served with mashed potatoes, a green vegetable and gravy.
5 from 18 votes
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Ingredients
  

  • 1 box Pillsbury pie dough (2 crusts)
  • 1⅓ pounds turkey ground (I use Shady Brook 93% lean)
  • 1 tablespoon EVOO
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 medium onion minced
  • 4 celery heart stalks, finely chopped
  • 2 large potatoes cut into large chunks
  • ½ cup water reserved from cooking potatoes
  • 1 cup turkey or chicken broth
  • 2 teaspoons pumpkin spice (see my recipe)
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon allspice
  • ⅛ teaspoon thyme
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 1 egg beaten (optional)

Instructions
 

Cook Meat Mixture

  • Potatoes: Cut the potatoes into large wedges. Place them in a small pan with water, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and cook until fork-tender. Remember to reserve 1/2 cup cooking water before you drain. Set aside.
    potatoes boiling
  • Warm the EVOO over medium heat in a Dutch oven or large skillet.
  • Add the garlic and onion, and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes over medium-low heat.
  • Stir in the celery and sweat the vegetables for about 5 minutes.
    Veggies in pan
  • If the veggies start to stick to the pan, add a splash of turkey or chicken stock.
  • Once the vegetables are softened, add the ground turkey.
    Tourtière cooking begins
  • Cook the mixture, breaking up the meat into small pieces with a spatula, for about 5 to 7 minutes until the meat is no longer pink.
  • Stir in the potatoes and use a potato masher to mash them into the meat mixture.
  • Add in spices.
  • Add 1/2 cup of the water from the potatoes and 1/2 cup of turkey or chicken broth.
  • Cook on low, uncovered, for about 25 minutes. Add in additional broth as needed (about 1/2 to 3/4 cup).
    Tourtière meat mixture in progress
  • Continue cooking until the mixture thickens and the water cooks out.
  • Allow mixture to cool down 30 minutes.

Assemble Tourtière

  • Take the pie crust out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes before preparing the pie dish.
  • Remove the dough from its packaging and sprinkle flour on your surface.
  • Roll out the dough to a slightly thinner consistency, enough to fit a 9- to 10-inch pie dish. Gently transfer the rolled dough into the dish, making sure it’s centered, with about 1 to 2 inches of dough hanging over the edges.
  • Spoon the cooled meat mixture onto the bottom crust.
    Tourtière filling goes into pie
  • Roll out the second dough and carefully place it over the top of the meat mixture.
  • Trim any excess dough, leaving about 1 to 2 inches hanging over the edges of the dish.
    Tourtière mixture into pie crust
  • Press the dough together by folding it underneath itself, then use your fingers to create a decorative in-and-out pattern along the edges.
    Tourtière crimping crust

Baking the Pie

  • Place the pie into a preheated 350°F oven (or 325°F for convection).
    Tourtière or French Canadian Meat Pie ready for oven
  • You may want to cover the edges of the pie dish with foil or silicone pie crust baking covers partway through baking, so the crusts don't get too brown.
  • Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until the crust is lightly browned on top.
  • About halfway through the baking process, you can the brush the dough with an egg wash to give the pie a more polished, golden and shiny finish. I usually add in about a tablespoon of milk or water with the beaten egg.

Notes

You can refrigerate or freeze the pie to have it prepared ahead of time. If freezing, be sure to defrost the pie in the refrigerator overnight. Allow the uncooked pie to come to room temperature for about an hour before baking.
If you worry about your crusts overbaking, look for silicone pie crust baking covers on Amazon. They're worth the investment!