Broccoli Ham Turnovers

Last night's dinner was so, so good. Of course, when you stuff pretty much anything in a pie crust it's bound to be tasty, but the combination of broccoli, ham and cheese in this dish was particularly delicious. What's awesome about this is that you can stuff the pastry with pretty much anything -- berries and cream cheese, apple pie filling, pizza ingredients, tons of vegetables, or spinach, roasted red peppers and feta...I now have a thousand different recipe ideas, all thanks to this recipe! This was a delicious, comforting dinner, and I definitely recommend that you start "stuffing" things in your kitchen!


Broccoli Ham Turnovers
Source: Taste of Home's Best of Country Breakfast and Brunch, also found on the Taste of Home website

2 cups broccoli florets
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (I used about 1 cup of shredded cheese and 1/2 cup of Velveeta)
1/2 cup cubed fully cooked ham
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley (omitted)
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (omitted)
Salt and pepper to taste
Pastry for double-crust pie
1 egg
1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream

1. Place broccoli in a steamer basket over 1 inch of boiling water in a saucepan. Cover and steam for 5-8 minutes or until crisp-tender. Rinse in cold water; drain well.

2. In a bowl, combine broccoli, cheese, ham, onions, parsley, nutmeg, salt and pepper.

3. On a floured surface, roll out pastry; cut each in half. Place 1 and 1/2 cups filling on one side of each half; flatten filling with a spoon. Combine egg and cream; brush some over pastry edges. Fold pastry over filling. Seal edges and prick tops with a fork.

4. Place on a baking sheet; brush with remaining egg mixture. Bake at 400° for 18-22 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.