Venison Hot Pocket? Give It A Try!

In a large saucepan on medium heat add olive oil, onion, celery and carrot.

Sauté until onions are translucent, about five minutes. Add venison and sauté until meat starts to brown.

Add sweet potato, peas, mushrooms, salt and pepper, dried basil, soy sauce, chili flakes and gently stir. Add sugar, fresh basil and stock.

Cook, stirring as needed to blend all ingredients. When sweet potatoes are soft, add cornstarch and stir. The mixture should thicken a little and hold together.

Remove from heat and cool in refrigerator. Thaw pasty, but keep cold. Cut four rounds of pasty, I use an eight-inch bowl as a cutting guide.

Preheat oven to 400 F. Place pasty on a baking sheet and place cooled filling on half of each round.

Fold the other half over making the top and crimp edges together with a fork. Using a sharp paring knife cut three small vents in the top to allow steam to escape. Paint evenly with a light coating of egg wash and place in oven for 30 to 40 minutes until golden and crisp.

This recipe makes four servings, but if you want to make a smaller version, more like finger foods, just use a smaller template to cut the pasty. Left over pasty can be refrigerated and rolled out of other uses.