Our Christmas Favourite-Tourtiere

When I first met Don, he cooked Christmas dinner and this was served. Being a fuss-bucket, I didn’t care for it…WRONG. I loved it!
It wasn’t like anything I had ever had before. When, years later, we lived away from my mom, we sent her a pie for herself. She came back the next Spring for a visit and had a piece of paper inside the pie plate.  She gave it to Don with a impish smile and said “more, please”.

This can be served with a mushroom gravy as an appetizer or a side dish to Christmas dinner. All our kids use ketchup. What can I say?

To make 3 pies (we (Don)  make about 11)

• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 4 -5 potatoes
• lb. each ground pork and ground beef for each pie

Saute the onions in the butter until translucent and add the meat.  Brown thoroughly eliminating any large lumps.  Spoon off the fat when cooked.

To season, you will use:

• 3 tsp. cloves
• 1 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp. each of ground nutmeg, savory and sage
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. Jamaican allspice
• 1 tsp. poultry seasoning
• 1 cup water
• salt and pepper to taste

Cook the potatoes and mash well. Add to the meat mixture and simmer for another 30 minutes.  Cool completely. Then, go ahead and…..
Use your favourite pastry recipe (yours or a box)

You will  not only love the smells emanating throughout the house, you will have to make sure you don’t eat them all at once.