Boxing Day is the day after Christmas day – the day lords of the manor typically distributed “Christmas boxes” often filled with small gifts, money and leftovers from Christmas dinner to their household servants and employees, who were required to work on December 25, in recognition of good service throughout the year. These boxes were, in essence, holiday bonuses.

These little muffing size meat pies are great as finger food for that Heavy-Hors d’oeuvres-and-Dessert-Party.

Ingredients:

• 1 Tab olive oil
• 2 lb chicken thigh fillets, trimmed, cut into 1⁄2” pieces
• 6 oz rindless short cut bacon rashers, chopped (a rasher is a thin cut slice of bacon.)
• 6 green onions, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 8 oz button mushrooms, sliced
• 2 Tab flour
• 1/2 cup chicken stock (not broth)
• Salt and pepper
• 1/3 cup light cooking cream (1/2 & 1⁄2)
• 2 pkg Goya “Tapas Para Empanadas” (12/pk) thawed
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 3 sheets frozen puff pastry, partially thawed
• Sesame seeds, to decorate

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat.
2. Add chicken in batches.
3. Cook, stirring for 5 minutes or until browned.
4. Transfer to a bowl.
5. Add bacon to pan.
6. Cook, stirring until golden.
7. Add onion, garlic and mushroom.
8. Cook until mushroom is tender.
9. Return chicken to pan.
10. Add flour.
11. Cook, stirring for 1 minute.
12. Add stock, salt and pepper.
13. Reduce heat to low.
14. Simmer, covered for 15 minutes or until sauce thickens.
15. Stir in cream.
16. Remove from heat.
17. Cool. (this can be done in advance)
18. Preheat oven to 400°
19. Grease muffin tins.
20. Place one Goya round in each muffin cup.
21. Trim edge.
22. Brush with egg.
23. Spoon chicken mixture into cases.
24. Cut puff pastry into rounds to fit the top of the muffins (A biscuit cutter-works perfectly).
25. Dampen the edge of the pastry round
26. Place the round over filling, damped side down.
27. Trim edge.
28. Seal edge with fork.
29. Repeat with remaining puff pastry.
30. Brush tops with egg.
31. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
32. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden and puffed.
33. Serve.

Yield 24 muffin tin sized

Source:  Taste of Australia VPWL December 2014