Family Favorite French Meat Stuffing Recipe

Lija ParveenMay 5, 2023

French meat stuffing recipe is a popular French-Canadian pie loved in Canada and New England. It contains ground beef, onions, and flavorful seasonings; it is cooked in a classic pie crust.

This traditional French Canadian dish can be prepared as a “French dressing” the way we usually do it or, with a few modifications, in a meat pie.

The fact that it was primarily cooked for Thanksgiving and Christmas supper added to its specialness. Let’s examine the items needed and the preparation method for the French meat stuffing recipe.

Ingredients For French Meat Stuffing Recipe:

Water or broth (1 inch on the bottom of the pan)
2 Ibs lean ground beef
1 Ibs ground pork or 1 Ib sausage
1 Chopped onion
6 cups mashed potatoes
4 Shopped stalks of celery
1 Tablespoon salt
1 Tablespoon poultry seasoning
½ teaspoon thyme
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup rice
1 inner pack of saltines or 1 Ritz cracker, crushed
5 slices of toasted bread, cut into cubes

Directions:

Here are the instructions for the French meat stuffing recipe with illustrations. The complete recipe is printed at the bottom of this post.

Create the pie crust. Combine the flour and salt in a big bowl. Until the mixture has a rough, crumbly texture, cut in the butter or lard. Just until the dough comes together, gradually add the ice water. Refrigerate after rough disc-shaping, wrapping, and cooling. Prepare the filling while the pastry is cooling.
When the potatoes are ready, cook them in a pot of boiling water. Drain the remaining starchy potato water after scooping out and reserving 12 cups of it. potatoes, mashed and placed aside.
In a sizable skillet over medium heat, add the onions and garlic and cook until they softened.
When the meat is no longer pink, add the ground beef and pork and continue cooking. Drain away any extra fat.
Add the salt, pepper, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, poultry seasoning, and the potato water that was set aside. When the liquid has evaporated, stir well and simmer.
Add the mashed potatoes after turning the heat off. Roll out your pie crust while the filling cools.
The pie pastry should then be taken out of the refrigerator to slightly warm up so that it will be easier to roll out while the oven is preheating.

Place one-half of the pie crust on the lightly dusted surface after cutting it in half. To fit your pie pan, roll it into a circular. Add the meat mixture to the pie plate after placing the bottom pastry there. Apply the beaten egg to the edge and brush it. Place the rolled-out top pastry on top of the filling. Cut vent holes, egg wash the edges, and crimp them.

The pastry should be baked in a preheated oven until golden brown. Before slicing, give the pie about 10 minutes to cool. Keep leftovers in the fridge.

Here are the final, easy steps you can take if you want to serve it in a pie, which is also delicious.

Steps For Making French Meat Pie:

Using a pie crust, encircle two 9-inch pie plates. Place the meat mixture among the crusts.
Add the rest of the pie crust on top. If desired, make slits on the top and brush with milk.
Then bake for 30 to 35 minutes at 375 degrees, or until golden brown. produces 2 puppies.

What To Serve With Meat Pie?

To counteract the savory meat pie’s richness, serve this French meat stuffing with something tart.

The homemade chutneys and catsups of our forebears were probably replaced by the meat pie and ketchup that our family relished. Some suggested sides are as follows:

Pickled foods: Everything that has been pickled, including dill pickles, pickled string beans, pickled beets, relish, chow chow, and piccalilli.
Cranberry Sauce: The slightly tangy and sweet flavor of cranberries pairs well with the savory pork pie. For cranberry sauce, try this recipe.
Salads: Think about putting some lush green salad on the side and topping it with a sharp vinaigrette.
Vegetables Roasted: To counteract the richness of the meat pie, serve a delicious variety of roasted root vegetables with a little apple vinegar poured over the top.

Make Ahead Tips:

You may prepare and freeze meat pies in advance. In fact, families frequently get together to prepare many meat pies at once and store any extras for use. On Thanksgiving, it’s not unusual for me to bring home leftovers and frozen tourtière from a visit to my family.

The beef filling can also be prepared ahead of time and frozen for subsequent use.

How To Freeze Unbaked Meat Pies?

Pie crust should be made and chilled. Prepare the filling, then allow it to cool.
Build the meat pies onto disposable aluminum pie plates or metal pie plates that can withstand being baked from frozen.
On a baking sheet, put the pies and freeze them until solid. Once frozen, place the pies in freezer bags, give them a date and label, and store them there for up to 4 months.
After thawing the frozen pork pie: Set the oven to 400°F/205°C for preheating. Unwrap the pie and take it out of the freezer. Place the frozen meat pie in a preheated oven after brushing the beaten egg wash over the top of the pie dough. About 50 to 60 minutes of baking time will be needed to thoroughly warm the pie and brown the pastry.

How To Freeze Baked Pies?

Make the meat pies and put them together in aluminum pie plates that can be thrown away or metal pie plates that can go from the freezer to the oven. Cook exactly as instructed.
Allow the pie to cool completely after baking. Pies should be placed on a baking sheet and frozen until solid. Place the frozen pies in freezer bags, mark them with the date, and store them there for up to four months.
Warm-up: The pies should be taken out of the freezer, defrosted in the refrigerator for approximately three hours, and then baked for 20 to 30 minutes in a preheated oven (400°F/205°C) until thoroughly heated.

How To Freeze Meat Pie Filling?

After making the meat pie filling, let it cool. Add the meat pie filling in freezer bags, label, and date-stamped, then freeze for up to four months.
To use: Take the pie filling out of the freezer and let it thaw in the fridge overnight. Put the pie together and bake it for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown and the filling is hot, in a preheated oven (400°F/205°C).

Conclusion:

So, this is the complete information about the French meat stuffing recipe. Hope you completely understand the recipe after reading the complete post. If you like this recipe then you can try it at home. Share this beautiful recipe with your family and friends, hope they like it too. Thank you for reading the blog. We will come back with a new recipe next time.