Turkey and Spinach Filo Parcel
Hello! I hope you’ve all had a wonderful Christmas! Ours was quiet on the big day with my parents and one son but Boxing Day was mayhem with the whole family and all five grandchildren; luckily we spent it at my eldest son’s so my house has remained relatively tidy for a change.
We didn’t have a large turkey this year, but what to do with the leftovers? I was fed up with turning it into a curry or soup so actually researched and adapted this recipe. It’s very easy and so what if the turkey filling comes oozing out when it’s cooking? I made the filling earlier in the day because it really needs to be super cool before wrapping in the Filo and only used one sheet of the pastry per parcel to keep it light. I was worried the turkey would be dry, but the spinach kept it all beautifully moist, so do give this a try! Tip – it’s worth taking the spinach out of the freezer the day before so it’s thoroughly defrosted before you squeeze it dry!
Ingredients
Serves 4
Sauce:
20g butter
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tbsp plain flour
250ml milk
Parcels:
400g frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
Zest of ½ lemon
350g cooked turkey, shredded, by pulling it apart with your fingers
½ tsp dried thyme
20g butter, melted for brushing
4 x sheets of filo pastry
1tsp sesame seeds
Method
In a saucepan melt the butter. Add the onion and garlic and cook for a few minutes without browning. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and slowly add the milk, stirring well after each addition. Replace on the hob and bring to a simmer, stirring all the time.
Make sure your spinach is really dry by squeezing it well, and then roughly chop. Place in a large bowl with the lemon zest, thyme, onion sauce, and turkey. Season with salt and pepper and stir to combine. Leave to cool.
When ready to assemble, heat your oven to 180C, (170C fan), gas 4. Place one sheet of filo on the work top and brush with melted butter, just around the edges. 
Place a quarter of the mixture at one end and roll a couple of times. Fold in the edges and continue to roll, finishing with join underneath. Pop on a baking tray and then make three more parcels. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with the sesame seeds.
Bake for 20 minutes until golden and crisp. They may leak, but I’m not Mary Berry so I don’t overly worry about a soggy bottom!
Serve with a salad or roasted vegetables. (Just roughly chop some red onions, peppers, courgettes, mix with some olive oil and black pepper and throw in a roasting tin to start cooking while you make the parcels.) 
Have fun with these!
Melody