"Ideal for using up your leftover holiday turkey, this made-from-scratch, pecan-flecked pie dough encases a gravy-laden filling adorned with bacon."
For the Pie Dough:
½ cup pecan pieces
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 sticks (1/2 pound) unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
ice water, to combine
For the Filling:
4 tablespoons butter, divided
1 medium red onion, diced
3 pieces thick cut bacon
2 tablespoons reserved bacon grease
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 ¼ pounds turkey tenderloin, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 cup chicken broth
½ cup reduced-fat milk, plus 2 tablespoons for brushing pastry
2 tablespoons stone ground mustard
4 cups torn escarole leaves, or other sturdy bitter green
To make the pecan-flecked pie dough: Stir the flour, ground pecans, salt, and sugar together in a bowl. Add the butter pieces and stir to coat with the flour mixture using a bench scraper or spatula. With a pastry blender and firm strokes, cut the butter into the flour mixture, working quickly until mostly pea-sized pieces of butter remain.
Sprinkle 4 tablespoons of the ice water over the flour mixture. Mix and cut water into the flour with a bench scraper or spatula until it is fully incorporated. Add more of the ice water mixture, 1–2 tablespoons at a time, and mix until the dough comes together in a ball, with some dry bits remaining, 10–12 tablespoons total. Squeeze and pinch with your fingertips to bring all the dough together, sprinkling dry bits with more small drops of the ice water mixture, if necessary, to combine.
Shape the dough into 2 flat discs, one slightly larger than the other, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before rolling.
To make the pecan crust: Butter a 9.5-inch pie pan. On a floured surface, roll the smaller dough disc into a circle approximately 12 inches in diameter. Fit it into the pie pan and refrigerate. Roll the larger dough disc into a circle approximately 15 inches in diameter. Using a small turkey-shaped cookie cutter, cut 8 turkeys, side-by-side from the very perimeter of the dough circle. Trim off rough edges to leave a dough circle large enough to top the 9-inch pie. Place the dough and cutouts on a baking sheet and refrigerate.
To make the pie filling: In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium-low heat. Add red onions, and sauté 15 minutes or until caramel colored. Place in a bowl and set aside.
In the same skillet, fry the bacon until crispy. Drain on a paper towel and chop when cooled. Reserve 2 tablespoons of bacon grease. Preheat oven to 375°F and position the oven rack to the middle position.
Combine the flour, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Dredge turkey tenderloin pieces in the flour mixture. In another bowl, whisk together the chicken broth, milk and mustard.
In the skillet used for the bacon, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter with the reserved bacon grease over medium-high heat. Add the turkey tenderloins, and brown on all sides until golden. Sprinkle the remaining flour mixture on top of the turkey pieces, then gradually stir in the chicken broth mixture. Bring to a simmer, and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Add red onion and torn escarole, stir to incorporate and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat and allow filling to cool for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, before spooning into prepared pie shell.
Top with the crust circle and crimp as desired. Cut steam vents and brush the top of the pastry with milk, then arrange the turkey cutouts on top. Bake for 1 hour. Cool before slicing.