Menu

Turkey & cranberry pie recipe

“Great way to deal with leftover turkey”

Wheat & gluten free Turkey & Cranberry Pie recipe

Allergy Information

Wheat-Free no
Gluten-Free no
Nut-Free no
Dairy-Free no
Sugar-Free no
Vegetarian no
Vegan no
  • Preparation time: 45 mins
  • Cook time: 45 mins
  • Total time: 1 hr 30 mins
  • Yield: serves 3-4

This wheat free recipe for turkey & cranberry pie is a perfect use of all that leftover turkey from festive lunch. Serve this up and there won't be any groans of "not more turkey", they'll be asking for more.

The tartness of the cranberries perfectly compliments the creamy sauce and turkey filling, so I think this is one of those recipes you'll look forward to making with those turkey leftovers.

This pie doesn't have a pastry bottom, the reason is because gluten free pastry can tend to disintegrate when a very wet filling is used, so to avoid a pastry sludge on the bottom of the dish it's best to leave it out.

Ingredients (Measures: Metric | US)

pastry:

100g [2⁄3 cup] brown rice flour
100g [2⁄3 cup] gluten free flour
100g [1⁄3 cup + 2 tbsp] butter, margarine or low-fat spread (substitute: non-dairy alternative)
1 tsp [1 tsp] xanthan gum
water to mix
milk or egg to glaze the pastry

filling:

250g [2 cups] cold cooked turkey leftovers, chunks or shredded (if you want to use more then increase the fluid a little)
1 [1] onion, chopped
1 tbsp [1 tbsp] oil
8-10 medium [8-10 medium] mushrooms, quartered
1 [1] carrot, chopped
1 tbsp [1 tbsp] cornstarch (aka cornflour)
1 tbsp [1 tbsp] milk, whole, semi or skim to mix the cornstarch (substitute: any non-dairy unflavoured alternative)
250ml [1 cup] milk, whole, semi or skim (substitute: any non-dairy unflavoured alternative)
1 tsp [1 tsp] thyme, dried
100g [1 cup] cranberries, fresh or defrosted
freshly ground black pepper
Please note, if you are using cold, cooked turkey to make this recipe you must ensure that the turkey filling in the pie is heated thoroughly as poorly reheated turkey can cause food poisoning/stomach upsets.

Directions

Preheat oven: 220°C, 425°F, Gas 7

  1. Put the oil in a saucepan with the chopped onion and gently fry the onion until softened and slightly coloured. Do not allow to burn.
  2. Mix the cornstarch with the milk then add it to the onion, continue to heat stirring continuously until the sauce begins to thicken.
  3. Add the chopped mushrooms, carrot, thyme and freshly ground black pepper and continue stirring until the sauce does not thicken any further. If it gets too thick then it can be thinned slightly with a small amount of milk, but it's better to have it a bit thicker than too thin and watery.
  4. Add the chopped turkey (use whatever quantity you think is required to feed the number of people it's being cooked for), and mix everything together well so that the turkey is thoroughly coated in the sauce. Add the cranberries, stirring them gently into the mix, making sure that they stay whole if possible. Pour into an oven proof dish. We used a dish 20cm (8") diameter and approximately 5cm (2") deep.
  5. To make the pastry, mix the flours, fat and xanthan gum until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add water until it binds into pastry. If you use a bigger dish you will need to make additional pastry.
  6. Cover the pastry with clingfilm and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
  7. Roll out the pastry on a surface that has been sprinkled generously with rice flour. Roll the pastry until it is approximately the size of the pie dish top. To transfer the pastry to the pie dish the best way is to carefully roll it around the rolling pin, then lift it over the dish and gently unroll it so that it drops over the filling. The pastry may break as it will be quite fragile, however it is easy to patch up. We find that making a few pastry leaves and sticking them over the broken bits adds a decorative look, and disguises the breaks. If possible you need to avoid leaving large open breaks in the pastry as the pastry will collapse and the filling sauce will bubble out of the top and soften the pastry.
  8. Brush the pastry with either milk or beaten egg, then poke 3 or 4 small holes through the pastry in the centre of the pie, to allow the steam to escape during cooking.
  9. Place the pie in the oven for 40-45 minutes. The filling should be bubbling hot when it is removed from the oven at the end of the cooking time. If not, leave it in the oven for a bit longer.
  10. Serve the turkey & cranberry pie immediately with mashed or roast potatoes (or both), steamed vegetables, roast parsnips, roast potatoes, gravy and cranberry sauce.
  11. This recipe can of course be made with fresh, uncooked chicken or turkey. Put the turkey in with the onion and lightly fry, avoiding browning. Then continue with step 3, and of course in step 4 you'll only need to add the cranberries, as the turkey will already be in the mix. You will need to make sure that you don't leave the pie uncooked for any period of time, it should be oven cooked immediately to avoid any growth of harmful food poisoning bacteria from undercooked poultry.
Author: Helen Fletton