Mostly hygge is a very homely way to live; we don’t do flashy, expensive or over the top. It’s a celebration of the small things that keep life happy, a look at the little parts of life that make you smile. Cooking is a prime example of that; the most hyggely recipes I know are the comforting ones that use next to no ingredients, or that have homemade written all over them. This recipe is pure hygge, then. It uses a lot of store cupboard ingredients, and in the incarnation that we ate Christmas week it used up some leftovers so it even counted as totally economical and (technically) free!

I have to come clean here and say that this is a proper cook’s recipe, rather than a chef’s recipe. There is nothing fancy, nothing checked, not even anything written down usually. It’s just a recipe that I’ve used often enough to make without a recipe, with slight tweaks each time depending on what I have and what I need to use. If you like your recipes in grams and cups or even in ounces and careful measures, then please pass on. This is not the recipe for you. It’s about dashes and near-enoughs. It’s a living thing, and I fully expect to hear from you next year that you’ve made it and it’s totally different from my original one. That’s my wish; that you take this and throw stuff in to suit you.

Turkey and Ham pie

Leftover turkey, white or dark meat, (you can use chicken instead if that’s what you’ve got)

Leftover ham (or ham chunks if you’re buying)

Leeks, 1 or 2, sliced into rounds

Peas, a handful or two.

Flour, about a tbsp

Milk, about ½ pint. Or more. It depends on your meat.

Mustard

Pepper and salt

8oz plain flour

4oz margarine or butter plus extra

Cheese, grated. You can use a fair amount, both in and on top of the pie.

 

Preheat the oven to GM4, about 180C

Gently heat the turkey and ham until warm. Add the leeks and peas, heat through until softening.

Sprinkle about 1 tbsp of plain flour over the mixture and stir in. Add about 1 tbsp of margarine and stir through as well. The flour and margarine should make a thickening agent together.

Pour over the milk and stir well. Heat until it reaches boiling point. Then turn down and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring all the time. The milk should thicken to form a sauce. Add seasoning and 1 or 2 tsp of mustard to flavour. Put in an oven-proof dish, such as a lasagne dish.

Rub the flour and fat together to form a breadcrumb-like structure. Add a good handful of grated cheese to the topping, then spread on top of the filling. Sprinkle a good layer of grated cheese on top.

Put in the oven at GM4 for about 35 minutes. Check at 30, and give extra time if you think it needs it. The topping should be crispy and golden in colour, with the cheese melted through. We served this with a potato, carrot and swede mash, because that was what we had left over this year, but I have done it with chips as well.

And there you have it; proper hyggely comfort food. It was popular enough in our house that I got asked for it again… and again… and again. It is now no longer a leftover queen, but a regular King on our table. And all the better for that! Have fun, and see you tomorrow x

Like what you read? Follow me on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. See you there!