Hot Tourtière Nibbles

Ingredients

Toast cups

• 9 slices ordinary white bread
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted

Tourtiere filling

• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 lb ground lean pork
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion, about 1 small yellow onion
• 1 large garlic clove
• 1 stalk celery, finely diced
• 1 small carrot, finely diced
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme or 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon dried summer savory
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup turkey stock or chicken stock or beef stock
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
• 2-3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 3 fresh thyme sprigs

Directions

1. 1

   Preheat oven to 400ºF

2. 2

   Very thinly slice crusts from bread; reserve for filling.

3. 3

   Move a rolling pin over each slice to flatten. Lightly brush both sides with butter; cut each into 4 triangles.

4. 4

   Working in batches, press each triangle down into a mini muffin pan cup and shape as needed.

5. 5

   Bake in centre of preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until tips and bottoms are golden. Cool on a rack.

6. 6

   Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or freeze.

7. 7

   To make filling, whirl reserved bread crusts in a food processor until crumbs form; set aside ½ cup.

8. 8

   Freeze remaining bread crumbs in a rigid-sided container to use for another purpose. Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. When hot, crumble in pork; sauté 5 to 8 minutes or until lightly browned. Stir in onion, garlic, celery and carrot; cook 2 to 3 minutes.

9. 9

   Stir in thyme, salt, cloves, savoury, black pepper and stock. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer 20 minutes. Then stir in bread crumbs and parsley; remove from heat. Cool until able to handle. (Covered and refrigerated; filling keeps for up to 3 days.).

10. 10

    When ready to serve, press cooled tourtière mixture into toast cups, heaping slightly. This can be done even a day ahead if covered and kept chilled.

11. 11

    Preheat oven to 350ºF.

12. 12

    Arrange filled cup on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake 10 minutes or until hot. Top with a dab of mustard and garnish with a tiny piece of thyme. Serve immediately.