Christmas Meat Pie
Taste of Home
"Because my husband hunts, I'm always trying new ways to use venison," writes Jan Stahl of Flin Flon, Manitoba. "When I incorporated it into my meat pie recipe - a traditional Fresh-Canadian dish - it was a smash hit! We make dozens of these pies as Christmas gifts."
SERVINGS: 6-8
CATEGORY: Main Dish

METHOD: Baked
TIME: Prep: 1-1/4 hours Bake: 50 min.
Ingredients:
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 pound ground venison
- 3 cups water
- 2 medium onions, chopped
- 1 medium carrot, chopped
- 2 tablespoons beef gravy mix
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 2 teaspoons ground mustard
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon rubbed sage
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups hot mashed potatoes (prepared without added butter or milk)
- Pastry for double-crust pie (9 inches)
- Milk
Directions:
In a large skillet, cook pork and venison over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in water, onions, carrot, gravy mix, thyme, mustard, garlic, sage, pepper and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Drain. Stir in potatoes.
Line a 9-in. deep-dish pie plate with bottom pastry; trim even with edge. Add meat mixture. Roll out remaining pastry to fit top of pie. Make decorative cutouts or cut slits in pastry; place over filling. Trim, seal and flute edges.
Brush pastry and cutouts with milk; place cutouts on the pie. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350° bake 35-40 minutes longer or until golden brown. Yield: 6-8 servings.