Turkey Mexican Pie

This entree is one of the easiest and tastiest, so of course it's not the healthiest or most allergen-free-friendly. This is yet another modfied recipe from Carol's "Gluten-Free, Quick & Easy" book (I can't dote on that book enough).

I love this recipe enough to throw caution to the wind and indulge in the dairy and corn that could go with it, but keep in mind- that is a COULD. I will give you options to eliminate those elements.

Which brings me to my final point- if you're only cooking for 2 and don't want left-overs, you could easily cut this recipe in half, BUT one of the great benefits to this recipe is that it makes enough for 2 Mexican pies, so you can modify one for the poor, food-senstitive souls in your family, and optimize the tastiness in the other one (I made one with corn tortillas for myself and Addie, and one with flour tortillas for Keith and Avery).

Okay... that wasn't my final point... This is a rare treat for me to make, and it's been awhile. I made one HUGE mistake when cooking this- assuming that one or both of my children would enjoy eating the final result. I held off on the amount of spiciness I used to use for the sake of the kids, and should NOT have done that. I would have been better off spicing it to our adult tongues' liking, and making the girls their own simple quesadillas in the toaster oven (I'll include that part of the should-have-done in the directions). Keith is eating it as I blog, and I wonder how long he'll go before figuring out a way to subtly bring up the fact that it wasn't as deliciously spicy as it used to be...

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INGREDIENTS:

MEXICAN PIES:

• 1 TBSP olive oil
• 1 lb. ground turkey
• 20 oz. Rotel (or if you're not a fan of the spicy green chiles in Rotel, you could use canned petite diced tomatoes and add none or your preferred amount of chiles from a separate 4 oz. can of diced green chiles)
• 1 shallot, peeled and diced **or a time-saving 1 TBSP dried minced onions**
• 3 tsps. Carol's Southwest Seasoning Blend (see below) OR your own choice of southwest or taco seasoning
• 2 + a little more cups of shredded Mexican or Colby cheese (optional)
• 8 tortillas (4 per pie- could be flour but corn if going gluten-free) OR shredded lettuce instead of tortillas if going corn AND gluten-free
• 1 more tortilla per kid if you think they're too young to enjoy the spicy tastiness of this dish
  

PIE TOPPINGS: (Optional, but it only takes about 5 more minutes- suck it up and healthify it!)

• 1 small red pepper, seeded and diced
• 1-2 oz. (?) or simply a large handful of baby spinach, chopped or shredded

CAROL'S SOUTHWEST SEASONING BLEND (This is also from Carol's book, and a gluten-free way to make a tasty taco seasoning since many store-bought ones are NOT gluten-free. Combine ingredients in a small bowl and stir. If you follow these proportions, you will have enough to save and can store it refridgerated for up to 3 months. Get wild and double it if you think you'll use it, OR if you just want enough for this recipe, cut the measurements in half):

• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. ground coriander
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 1/2 tsp. oregano
• 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp. chipotle chili pepper (add more or less depending on desired spiciness)

OPTIONAL SIDES:

• 1 avocado, sliced OR use about 1/2 a cup of handmade or pre-made guacamole
• 1 small can of pre-sliced black olives
• 1 can of re-fried black beans OR go healthier and whip up a side of my seasoned black beans

DIRECTIONS:
SUMMARY:  Cook the turkey - Make the pie filling - Make and cook the pies - Cook and prep the sides - Make the kiddie quesadillas, if using

STEP ONE- COOK THE TURKEY:

Heat a large pan on medium-high. Add the olive oil, wait a minute, add the ground turkey. Stir fairly frequently, and stab the turkey repeatedly with a wooden spoon- or strong spatula- enough to break it up into small pieces. (This is a good tension-relieving recipe if the hubby or kiddos have recently been giving you an extra handful of stress).

STEP TWO- THE STEP FOR THE KIDS I SHOULD HAVE, BUT DID NOT TAKE:

Set aside a few spoonfuls of the turkey for the kiddie quesadillas.

STEP THREE- THE PIE FILLING:

In a large bowl, combine the Rotel, shallot, and seasoning. Stir, add the cooked turkey and stir a bit more.

STEP FOUR- THE PIES:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Spray two round baking dishes (I use the 1 1/2 quart and 2 1/2 quart Corningware ones seen in the top picture) with non-stick cooking spray. Add 1 tortilla (unless you're not using tortillas). Scoop out about 1 cup of the pie filling and spread evenly across tortilla. **IMPORTANT NOTE: during this process, leave no tortilla uncovered with the filling or it may harden or even burn when baking**

Next, add 1/4 cup of cheese (unless you're not using cheese). Spread it out evenly.

Add another tortilla, add about 1/2 cup of filling and spread evenly, add another 1/4 cup of cheese and spread evenly.

Add third tortilla, 1/2 cup of filling, 1/4 cup of cheese.

Add fourth tortilla. Sprinkle with another 1/4 cup of cheese. Add a bit more cheese if the tortilla top is not covered completely. And IF you're not using any cheese, cover the top tortilla with a little more of the filling.

Sprinkle diced red peppers and spinach on top (you may not need it all and can always save the left-overs in a tupperware container in the fridge).

Repeat this whole process for the other pie.

Throw them in the oven and cook for 12-14 minutes, long enough for the top cheese layer to bubble up.

STEP FIVE- THE SIDES:

Open a can of re-fried beans and heat in a small pan on the stove OR follow my seasoning instructions if using a can of black beans. Slice the avocado or make or open the pre-made guacamole. Open the can of black olives.

STEP SIX- THE KIDDIE QUESADILLAS I SHOULD HAVE MADE:
Spread a spoonful of the black beans on each tortilla (I make one per kid). Add a spoonful of ground turkey. Sprinkle a small handful of the shredded cheese on top. Toast open-faced in toaster oven just long enough for the cheese to melt. OR if you don't have a toaster oven (A) how do you live? and (B) cook them in a pan drizzled with olive oil on the stove for about 2 minutes. Add some avocado slices or black olives if your kids will let you get away with that, fold them over. Let them cool and then cut them into fun, exciting, kiddie triangles.

STEP SEVEN-

Cut out a tasty wedge of the pie and plate it. (If not using tortillas, spoon out your mixture over a bowl of shredded lettuce). Add a few healthy spoonfuls of beans and top with avocado and/or guacamole and black olives.  MMM!!!  Indulge!