Spiced Meat Phyllo Pie (Tourtière) Recipe | Cookin' Canuck (2024)

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Have you heard of tourtière, a traditional spiced meat pie from Quebec? This version is lightened up with phyllo dough, and just as delicious! Thank you to Athens Foods for helping me share this recipe with you.
Spiced Meat Phyllo Pie (Tourtière) Recipe | Cookin' Canuck (1)

When people ask me what I would consider to be traditional Canadian recipes, I tell them about poutine and butter tarts, but often forget to mention tourtière, a spiced meat pie that heralds from the province of Quebec, but is enjoyed all over Canada, particularly at Christmastime. As with traditional recipes of many countries, there are as many versions of this recipe as there are cooks in Canada.

I'll admit right off the bat that I broke a cardinal rule of tourtière-making by substituting the traditional pastry with phyllo dough. This is a risky move that will likely result in several angry emails from Canadian readers, but I have my reasons. Number 1 - pie dough is my nemesis. Someday I will get past this, but today is not the day. Number 2 - I wanted to lighten up the tourtière, which was easily accomplished by using phyllo dough. I beg forgiveness of my fellow Canadians.

Spiced Meat Phyllo Pie (Tourtière) Recipe | Cookin' Canuck (2)

Truth be told, phyllo dough is something that I always have in my freezer. My favorite Athens Fillo Dough can be found in the freezer section of the grocery store, and it's great to have on hand for pies, tarts and appetizer turnovers. For this recipe, I took one package of the dough out of the freezer the night before so that it was ready to use when it came time to assemble the pie.

Spiced Meat Phyllo Pie (Tourtière) Recipe | Cookin' Canuck (3)

The majority of tourtière recipes call for ground pork, but many cooks like to use a mixture of pork, beef and venison. I stuck with ground pork, and was really happy with the flavor. The key to the flavor and texture of the meat, in my opinion, is two-fold. First, simmering the pork in a liquid (I used a mixture of beef broth and red wine) helps to retain the moisture of the meat while adding flavor. Second, the spices are key. I used ground cloves, ground allspice and cinnamon, though some cooks like to add savory as well. The spices are as diverse as the thickeners - mashed potatoes, oats or breadcrumbs.

You see what I mean by the variations of tourtière recipes? But really, when push comes to shove, you can't beat the flavors of spiced meat, all wrapped up in a crust of some sort.

Spiced Meat Phyllo Pie (Tourtière) Recipe | Cookin' Canuck (4)

When working with phyllo dough, be sure to keep the extra phyllo sheets covered with a damp towel so that they don't dry out. It's standard practice to brush butter or oil on each sheet before layering on the next one. Instead, I used olive oil cooking spray to keep things light.

Other recipes with phyllo dough or mini phyllo shells:

Spiced Meat Phyllo Pie (Tourtière) Recipe | Cookin' Canuck (5)

Printable Recipe

Spiced Meat Phyllo Pie (Tourtière) Recipe | Cookin' Canuck (6)

Spiced Meat Phyllo Pie (Tourtière) Recipe

Have you heard of tourtière, a traditional spiced meat pie from Quebec? This version is lightened up with phyllo dough, and just as delicious!

4.75 from 4 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Entrees

Cuisine: Canadian

Keyword: Holiday Recipes

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 35 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 Servings

Calories: 310.3kcal

Author: Dara Michalski | Cookin' Canuck

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Heat the olive oil in a large skillet set over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are tender, about 5 minutes.

  • Add the ground pork, beef broth, red wine, allspice, cinnamon and cloves. Break up the pork with a wooden spoon. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer until the liquid is gone, but the pork is still moist, about 45 minutes.

  • Pierce the potato in several places with a fork. Microwave until the potato is tender, about 5 minutes. Cut in half, squeeze out the potato into a bowl and discard the potato skin. Mash the potato with the back of a fork until fairly smooth.

  • Add ¾ cup of the mashed potato to the pork mixture. Stir until completely incorporated and the mixture is sticking together.

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat a 9-inch pie dish with cooking spray.

  • Unroll the defrosted fillo dough and place it under a damp kitchen towel to stop the dough from drying out. Cover whenever the dough is not in use.

  • Place 1 sheet of the fillo in the pie dish and push down so that the dough fits into the dish. Lightly coat with cooking spray. Turn the pie dish slightly and repeat with another sheet of fillo dough. Continue with 4 more sheets of dough (a total of 6), turning slightly each time so that all sides of the pie dish are covered and lightly coating each layer with cooking spray.

  • Transfer the meat mixture to the pie dish and spread the meat evenly.

  • Top the meat mixture with 4 sheets of fillo dough, scrunching each one slightly to fit within the pie dish and lightly coating each layer with cooking spray.

  • Bake until the fillo dough is golden brown, about 30 minutes.

  • Let rest for 10 minutes, then carefully cut the pie into 8 pieces. Serve.

Notes

Weight Watchers Points: 8 (Points+), 7 (Old Points)

Nutrition

Serving: 0.125Pie | Calories: 310.3kcal | Carbohydrates: 17.1g | Protein: 20.5g | Fat: 16.7g | Saturated Fat: 5.9g | Cholesterol: 66.6mg | Sodium: 267.5mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 0.8g

Tried this recipe?If you make this recipe, I'd love to see it on Instagram! Just use the hashtag #COOKINCANUCK and I'll be sure to find it.

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Athens Foods. All opinions are my own. This post contains links to my Amazon affiliate page. Any revenue made from sales through these links helps to support this blog. Thank you!

Spiced Meat Phyllo Pie (Tourtière) Recipe | Cookin' Canuck (7)

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Reader Interactions

Comments

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  1. Marie Costellano

    Spiced Meat Phyllo Pie (Tourtière) Recipe | Cookin' Canuck (12)
    I’ve been meaning write this review for nearly a year, but kept forgetting. My mom and I made this last Christmas and were blown away with the flavors of the meat and the crispy crust. We decided on the spot that we would make this every year. Thank you!

    Reply

  2. Jean | DelightfulRepast.com

    Dara, I just posted my tourtiere today and so "had" to look up other versions! Yours looks wonderful! And I like the phyllo variation.

    Reply

  3. Susan

    Since I didn't know any better, you could have fooled me with the pastry swap. I love the phyllo addition, it looks so pretty too and I love the crackle and crisp when you first bite into it!

    Reply

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Spiced Meat Phyllo Pie (Tourtière) Recipe | Cookin' Canuck (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between a meat pie and a tourtière? ›

Meat pie is primarily made of ground meat (pork, beef or veal) and aromatics (onion, garlic, spices, etc.). In Saguenay–Lac‑Saint‑Jean and Charlevoix, however, “real” tourtière is a lot heartier than meat pie and contains other meats (such as game) and potatoes that have been simmered in stock.

What was the original meat in tourtière? ›

It gets its name from the tourte, which is what it was originally made from. Though the name "tourtière" is derived from its filling, the tourte—the French name for the passenger pigeon that is now extinct in North America—was historically used as its filling before the 20th century.

What does tourtière mean in English? ›

Tourtière is a meat pie that can be a combination of beef, pork, or veal, as well as potatoes and other vegetables, and seasoned with spices.

Why does my tourtière fall apart? ›

As the breadcrumbs and the broth help add moisture to this recipe, added fat is an unwanted quantity that tends to make the tourtiere fall apart when cutting and also is just not very pleasant. Many of the same qualities that make a great meatloaf are also applied to this meat pie.

What is traditionally served with tourtière? ›

Traditionally, Tourtière is served with roasted vegetables or a light frisseé salad. An assortment of pickled foods is always delicious; pickled beets, spicy carrots, gherkins or pickled onions. Many enjoy a tomato-based chutney but most… just break out the ketchup.

Why is it called tourtière? ›

tourtière, a double-crusted meat pie that is likely named for a shallow pie dish still used for cooking and serving tourtes (pies) in France. The ground or chopped filling usually includes pork and is sometimes mixed with other meats, including local game, such as rabbit, pheasant, or moose.

What is a meat pie called in America? ›

A pot pie, in US and Canadian dialects, is a type of meat pie with a top pie crust that is commonly used throughout the continent, consisting of flaky pastry.

What is a fun fact about tourtière? ›

A 'tourte' was the name of a bird like a pigeon, and they were making pie with these types of birds,” says Ricardo. “So they called it 'tourtière. ' Another other explanation is that it got the name from the dish — a tourtière is also the [pie pan] in which this meat pie was cooked and baked.”

Why is tourtière Canadian? ›

She says Canada's first French colonizers, the Acadians and Québécois, had a large influence on the province's food. "Tourtière is very much a Québécois dish. And it came from rural French coming to Canada," she said. "A lot of the urban French actually went to Acadia instead.

What is tourtière pie made of? ›

MEATS. Tourtière can be made with a number of meats, from pork, beef and veal to chicken, game birds and venison. Originating in the Canadian province of Quebec, the pies can also have subtle differences depending on the region from which the recipe originates.

What is tourtière made of? ›

What's in tourtiere? The French-influenced pie is often made with pork, veal, beef, or game and sometimes a combination of the two. Mashed potatoes are folded in to help bind the meat, while celery and onion are other common aromatics. The spices give the pie character, such as allspice, cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg.

What do the British call a meat pie? ›

In modern British English, the dish is usually called. "cottage pie" if it is made with beef. If it is made with. lamb it is usually called "shepherd's pie" (because a. shepherd looks after sheep).The name "cottage pie"

What to serve with tourtière dinner? ›

It could be cranberry sauce, pickled beets, something sweet and sour, or "something with a kick to it to pair with the spiced meat and flaky crust." (I like to serve a chili sauce with my tourtiere; you can find Naylor's recipe and my chili sauce recipe below.) All in all, it's a memorable dish.

How long does tourtière last in the fridge? ›

You want the pastry golden, but if it starts to get too brown, cover with foil. To freeze, cool the pies completely. Wrap them in plastic wrap tightly, then in foil. The pies will keep for two days in the fridge or up to three months in the freezer.

Do you cook tourtière before freezing? ›

For best results, freeze your Tourtière after assembling and before baking. When ready to enjoy, cook from frozen, brushing the top with the egg wash before putting it in the oven. Baking time will be a longer from frozen. Cooked tourtière may be frozen for 4 months or so.

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