Turkey Pie Cost Breakdown

Sorry about the delays this week and about the lack of pictures!

Cost Breakdown:

• 1 lb ground turkey -- $1 Found it marked down for quick sale!
• 2 carrots -- 10 cents
• 3/4 C breadcrumbs, Italian seasoned -- 25 cents
• 1 egg -- 6 cents
• 1/2 small onion -- 16 cents
• 1 t. garlic powder -- 3 cents
  
• 3 russet potatoes -- 30 cents
• 1 C shredded cheddar cheese -- 63 cents
• 1 C broccoli -- 50 cents
  

Total Cost: $3.03

The pie component makes 6 servings and cost $2.53 or 42 cents a serving. The broccoli is a side item that I don't eat. (And you won't convince me to eat it. Ever.) It added an additional 25 cents per serving to both my husband's and daughter's dinners, bringing the total per serving to 67 cents for each of them. Still, a very inexpensive meal altogether.

How I made it:

1. Preheat oven to 350* and grease a pie pan.
2. Mix together in a bowl the ground turkey, 2 carrots (shredded), breadcrumbs, egg, and chopped onion. (The onion is best when you chop it quite fine.)
3. Press mixture into the pie pan bring it up on the sides, much like a pie shell.
4. In the hollow add the russet potatoes that you have shredded. Use frozen if you have them! Fresh works, but frozen works *so* much better in this recipe. You can use shredded or cubed if you buy frozen. Use about 1 lb's worth.
   
5. Bake about 45 mintues or until meat mixture is cooked through.
6. Top with cheese and bake another 5 minutes or so.
7. Steam broccoli -- in the bag, in a microwave cooker, on the stove top, or whichever other method works for you.
8. Cut pie like a... well, like a pie! Serve with broccoli on the side and enjoy!

Notes:

• The garlic powder is not necessary. I just happen to love garlic. If you don't, then omit it.
• Another way to cook this if you don't have a pie pan is to press it into a cake pan. Or use a different shape altogether. I've pressed the mixture evenly into the bottom of an 8x8 square pan, layered on the potatoes and then cut into square-ish portions. Really, just go with what you've got on hand.
• The carrots will add a nice sweetness to this dish. If sweet is not your thing, you may want to skip this recipe. The carrot-y-ness is pretty obvious in the flavor. We love it and I love that it's another way to bring a veggie to the table, but it might not be your thing.
• If you don't have Italian seasoned breadcrumbs, just use plain and add about a tablespoon or so of Italian seasoning to the mix.
• I'll say it again -- frozen potatoes work better! I used fresh b/c I was out of frozen and forgot to buy them and it did work in a pinch, but I prefer it with frozen. Frozen potatoes have a different texture that in this case works better.
• Ground chicken is a good substitute for ground turkey; usually ground chicken is what see marked down. I got lucky with the turkey. I don't recommend ground beef; it's just me, but I don't think the carrots go as well with the ground beef as they do the ground turkey or chicken.