Growing up, my mom would always make a Christmas Eve meal that was a tradition in her family.

It is a meat and potato pie that I still enjoy. She was vague about the recipe. This is the version that I make. This year, we made it with ground Ferndale Market turkey and served it with cranberries for Thanksgiving. Yum!

Christmas Tourtière
6-8 servings

Pastry for a two crust pie.
- Use your favorite recipe or store-bought version. My pie crust skills are lacking so I usually buy pastry. A friend offered coach me on how to make a reliable crust but we did not get together before Covid. I look forward to having a lesson in the future.

Filling
Oil or butter
1/2 c onion, diced
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb lean ground meat
1/2 c beef or chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp fresh ginger
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2-4 cups mashed potatoes

In a large skillet, saute the onion and garlic in a little oil or butter until the onion is soft.

Add the ground meat to the skillet and brown it. When the meat is brown, drain off the fat. Add the broth and spices to the skillet. Cover the skillet and simmer, stirring often. When the broth is reduced (approximately 20 minutes), remove the mixture from the heat and take out the bay leaf.

In a large bowl, mix the mashed potatoes with the meat.

Line a pie plate with the bottom crust pastry. Fill the pie with the meat and potato mixture. Cover with the top crust, seal, and flute. I usually make several slits in the top crust.

Bake in a preheated 400° oven for 35 to 40 minutes, until the crust is fully baked.

Remove the pie from the oven and let it stand for about 10 minutes before slicing.

Serve with cheddar cheese, cornichon or sweet gherkin pickles, and a side vegetable like brussels sprouts or a salad.

Additional thoughts
This seasoning is fairly mild. You could increase the quantities of spices or use sausage for a pie with a stronger flavor.

A variation is to use poultry seasoning herbs instead of ginger and cloves. Try 1 teaspoon for one pound of meat.

In this photo, the tourtiere should have baked a little longer. It still tasted good!