French Meat Pie

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Tourtière is a traditional French Canadian Meat pie. Tourtière, which is also known as meat pie is traditionally made with ground meat, onions, spices, and herbs baked in a pie crust.

My French-Canadian grandmother was born in Quebec, Canada. Then later moved to Berlin, New Hampshire. She always made this delicious meat pie for the holidays. She said you could serve it with the turkey for Thanksgiving in place of stuffing. But, many times she put the meat stuffing into a homemade pie crust for French Meat Pie. Get your ketchup ready for this delicious easy meat pie recipe!

For more homemade pie recipes be sure and check out Easy Cherry Pie, Best Apple Pie, Fried Apple Hand Pies, Pecan Pie, and Easy Pumpkin Pie.

How to make Tourtière French Meat Pie:

Step 1: In a large pot or Dutch oven, over medium heat. Cook the onion and celery for about 5 minutes to slightly soften. Stir with a wooden spoon to not burn.

Step 2: Add the chicken stock mixture, ground pork, ground beef, and poultry seasoning. Cook over medium heat until the meat is cooked, about 20 minutes. 

Step 3: Add salt to taste. Should only need a pinch of salt. (remember bouillon and breadcrumbs already have salt in them)

Step 4: Let cool completely. Add to unbaked pie shells. Either homemade pie crust or store-bought. Top with pie crust. Roll edges under and pinch around the entire pie. Use a sharp knife to slice a slit in the top of each pie.

Step 5: Brush with egg wash. Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven until the crust is nicely browned. About 30 to 45 minutes.This past Thanksgiving we headed back to the homestead. I’m in my glory at home in Connecticut on the farm. I made homemade pie crust and my grandmother’s French Meat Pie. You can either use this meat stuffing as a side to your holiday dinner, or make pies. This recipe makes two 9-inch pies or about 15 or so 5-inch pies. I made these 5-inch pies in disposable aluminum pie plates and baked them. After they cooled I packaged them up in freezer Ziploc bags for quick lunches for my dad.

For some creative homemade DIY Christmas gifts, be sure and check out Salt Dough Ornaments, Caramel Apples, Homemade Barbecue Sauce, Mixed Berry Jam, and Raspberry Rhubarb Jam. Or make a Christmas cookie tray filled with Chewy Fudge Brownies, Grandma’s Molasses Cookies, Raspberry Oatmeal Bars, and rolled sugar cookies. Or make these beautiful homemade Christmas cookies made from a rolled sugar cookie and decorated with royal icing. One of my absolute favorite holiday desserts is my grandma’s Cream Puffs with Pastry Cream.

My grandmother had her local butcher double or triple grind the meat. With some of the higher-end grocery stores, they will have no issue doing this for you. I’m fortunate to have heirloom recipes from both sides of my family and some from other family farms. Aren’t heirloom recipes handed down from generation from generation the best?! Be sure and try my grandmother’s Christmas Holiday Punch.

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French Meat Pie

French Canadian Meat pie. Tourtière, which is also known as meat pie is traditionally made with ground meat, onions, spices, and herbs baked in a pie crust.

Course Main Course

Cuisine French

Keyword French Meat Pie

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Servings 15 people

Calories 332 kcal

Author Jessica Robinson

Ingredients

• 2 pounds ground pork
• 2 pounds ground beef (round)
• 3/4 cup finely diced celery
• 1 yellow onion, finely diced
• 5 cups hot water
• 2 teaspoon Better Than Bouillon chicken base
• 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• 2 cups seasoned breadcrumbs
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• salt and black pepper to taste
• 2 pie shells for 9-inch pies

Instructions

1. Dissolve the Better Than Bouillon chicken into the hot water. Set aside.

2. In a large pot or Dutch oven, over medium heat. Cook the onion and celery for about 5 minutes to slightly soften. Stir with a wooden spoon to not burn.

3. Add the chicken stock mixture, ground pork, ground beef, and poultry seasoning. Cook over medium heat until the meat is cooked, about 20 minutes.

4. Add the breadcrumbs, allspice, ground cloves, and black pepper. Stir to combine. Let cook another 10 minutes.

5. Add salt to taste. Should only need a pinch of salt. (remember bouillon and breadcrumbs already have salt in them)

6. Let cool completely. Add to unbaked pie shells. Either homemade pie crust or store-bought. Top with pie crust. Roll edges under and pinch around the entire pie. Use a sharp knife to slice a slit in the top of each pie.

7. Brush with egg wash. Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven until the crust is nicely browned. About 30 to 45 minutes.

8. Makes two 9-inch pies.

Recipe Notes

Meat Pie:

Ask your butcher to double or triple grind the pork and beef.

You can add 1 or 2 cups of mashed potatoes or small diced cooked potatoes to this meat stuffing.

Note, you will not be browning the meat! It simply cooks in the liquid.

Cool completely before adding to an unbaked pie shell!

Nutrition Facts

French Meat Pie

Amount Per Serving

Calories 332 Calories from Fat 180

% Daily Value*

Fat 20g31%

Saturated Fat 7g44%

Cholesterol 83mg28%

Sodium 360mg16%

Potassium 429mg12%

Carbohydrates 12g4%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 25g50%

Vitamin A 61IU1%

Vitamin C 2mg2%

Calcium 52mg5%

Iron 3mg17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.