Hearty Winter Turnover Recipe

Last Updated 9/18/2024 • Posted in Southern Holiday, Food and Drink, Recipes, Fall

By Chef Julie Culpepper

Recipes that can be used throughout all the holidays are a treasure. This is a recipe adapted from Food and Wine website that makes a wonderful side dish and can be made a day ahead if needed. It is fitting for the entire fall and winter season. It is tasty, filling and great for party appetizers or just a normal weeknight dinner. You could use a smaller size pastry for party appetizers. Just try to avoid overstuffing the pastries before cooking them. It will leak out in the oven if you put too much inside the pastry. Trust me, I do it every time until I figure out the right amount for the size pastry I'm using. You could also use leftover sweet potatoes for this recipe. Actually, any mashed root vegetable is great and even the kids like to pop these into their hungry little mouths.

Winter Vegetable Turnover

Ingredients:

1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and diced (2-3 pounds)
1 medium sweet onion, small diced
2 cups shredded Havarti cheese
1 teaspoon fresh chopped thyme
Salt and pepper to taste, about /2 tsp. each
All-Purpose flour for rolling out the pastry
1 box store bought pastry dough, chilled (| make my dough from scratch)
Egg wash (2 large eggs and 2 Tbl. Milk well combined and smooth)

Instructions:

Steam the butter nut squash until fork tender and sauté the onion in a little butter until tender.
Place the vegetables into a food processor with the cheese and seasonings; blend until smooth. Allow to cool.
Place the chilled pastry dough onto a lightly floured surface and cut out large circles with a biscuit cutter, glass rim, etc. (I use a plastic turnover mold that fills and seals the turnover together.)
Place enough vegetable filling onto the dough to fill half of the turnover but do not overstuff or the sides will not seal properly and the filling will leak out while cooking.
Brush the inside edge of the dough circle with egg wash.
Turn half the dough over the filling to form a half circle. Seal the turnover by gently pressing the tines of a fork around the edges to seal the dough together.
Place onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush the outside of the turnovers with egg wash.
Bake at 400 degrees for about 25 minutes until golden brown. Cool slightly before serving. Makes about a dozen turnovers, depending on the size you want.