Cheese, Leek and Potato Pasties - SRC

Today is special.  It is a reunion and I am so excited!  For a number of years, I participated in a group called the Secret Recipe Club.  Each month we were assigned a blog and asked to select a recipe to prepare and share.  It was so much fun.  It made me get out there and really look at another blogger's work.  I prepared dishes that I probably would never have tackled if left to my own devices...you know how it is...your own little recipes, routine and rotation.  It is easy to fall back into that MOD.   I must admit as I examined my "little rotation", I noticed that a number of recipes were those that I found on a Secret Recipe Club blog!  It made me smile.

For the reunion I was assigned Maxine's lovely blog, WHYIAMNOTSKINNY. I have visited Maxine's blog a number of times as she was my assigned blogger in 2016.  At that time I was searching for food that could travel so I made Maxine's wonderful blueberry muffins.  This time, I was just looking with no idea of where I was headed. It was kind of like a kid in a candy store. So many choices and I could only have one.

You see, WHYIAMNOTSKINNY is impressive!  Not only does Maxine love food, cook and share recipes, she has written many restaurant reviews.  Maxine and her work are well known in Brussels and the blogging community.  She loves to share "food gathering" experiences...and you know what?  She is right.  All of us gather together around food. We bring family together for birthdays, holidays and other special occasions.  We meet friends for brunch, lunch and dinner....  Food is a focal point and I am thrilled to be able to share WHYIAMNOTSKINNY with you today.

As I searched through the recipe index, my eyes landed on the word "pastie".  This just could be it, Cheese Leek and Potato Pasties! I read a lot of historical fiction and every character is always grabbing a pastie for a meal.  It was definitely time for me to expand my horizons, so to speak, and prepare and grab pasties for our meal!!  I loved the idea of using puff pastry.  The only thing that I did differently was add bacon so it would appeal to Mr. T.

Leek, Cheese, and Potato Pasties

adapted from WHYIAMNOTSKINNY

Yield: 4 pasties
Preheat oven:  350°
Prepare baking sheet by lining with parchment.

2 small potatoes, cut into small cubes
2 Tbsp butter
2 small leeks, white and light green part only, cleaned, split in half lengthwise and finely sliced
2 Tbsp heavy cream
1/2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
salt and pepper to taste
1 pkg (14 oz.) puff pastry
flour for dusting
3/4 cup grated Gruyere cheese
1 egg beaten
3 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled

In a medium fry pan, cook the bacon until crisp.  Drain and crumble.

In a saucepan boil the potatoes in salted water until tender but still holding shape.  Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large saucepan.  Add the leeks and cook on medium until softened, about 10-12  minutes.

Drain the potatoes.  Add them to the leeks along with the seasonings.  Stir in the cream.  Add the bacon and stir. Set the mixture aside to cool.

On a floured surface, roll out the pastry to the thickness of about 1/8 inch.  Using a small bowl with a diameter of 6 inches, cut out four to six circles.

Mix the cheese with the leek and potato mixture.  Scoop about 1/4-1/3 cup of the mixture into the center of each pastry.

Brush beaten egg around the edges.  Bring the opposite sides to the center and crimp the edges with fingers.  During this step you will be able to determine if you have too little or too much filling.  Brush a little egg over the outside of the pasties.

Place the formed pasties on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Bake pasties at 350° for 40-45 minutes.

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Reunions are fun and this one was especially so. Thank you, Sarah for bringing us all together again!

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