Ham and Cheese Puff Pastry
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Ham and cheese puff pastry are easy homemade hot pockets. Thin slices of ham, cheese, and arugula are wrapped in pieces of golden crisp puff pastry. Prep in 10 minutes, then bake for 15. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.
📌 Pin Ham and Cheese Puff Pastry
🧑🏼🍳 Why You’ll Love This Easy Recipe
- Amazingly delicious. Ham and gooey melted cheese enclosed in a rich and buttery puff pastry wrapper that’s super flaky. These savory ham and cheese puff pastry are tasty, comforting, and satisfying.
- Perfect for busy weekdays. A simple recipe that comes together in a snap. Enjoy these bundles of goodness for breakfast, lunch, or snacks.
- Fancy enough for entertaining. Arugula gives homemade hot pockets an elegant look. Like pinwheel sandwiches, ham and cheese puff pastry are ideal party appetizers.
- Simple recipe to scale up. Fantastic for feeding a game-day crowd.
- Kid-friendly, parent-approved. Ham and cheese puff pastry are easy to hold in little hands. Wrap them up for an on-the-go meal.
- Great way to use up leftover ham. When you make a brown sugar glazed ham for dinner, this is an excellent way repurpose the leftovers.
- Customizable hot pockets recipe. We use ham and Swiss cheese, but you can mix things up to fit your family’s tastebuds. Feel free to use salami or pepperoni combined with your favorite meltable cheese.
🛒 Ingredients
- Puff Pastry Sheets: The brand I prefer is Pepperidge Farm. You can find a box of this product in the frozen food section of the grocery store. [Note: This is not the same as a croissant dough sheet or phyllo dough.]
- Ham: I use classic, smoked deli ham. But feel free to use any type of fully-cooked ham, thinly sliced. Even prosciutto or serrano would be amazing. If you have leftover bacon (cooked and crispy) this is a great way to use it up and prevent food waste.
- Swiss Cheese: I love it for its sweet, mild, nutty taste. When melted it’s smooth and gooey with a good cheese “pull.” It’s perfect for ham and cheese puffed pastry. But feel free to use any type of melting cheese.
- Arugula: Contributes a bit of color and a fresh peppery taste. It also holds up well in the oven. Feel free to substitute it with a comparable green like baby spinach or watercress. Or if desired, just leave it out.
- Lemon Juice: Adds a bit of bright freshness and acidity. It tastes delicious with the arugula.
- Olive Oil: Adds a touch of richness. It lightly coats the arugula.
- Large Egg: We beat it with a splash of water to make an egg wash. It helps the garnishes stick to the puff pastry and helps it brown.
- Choice of Garnishes: Try sesame seeds, poppy seeds, flaky salt, or everything bagel seasoning. They add beautiful crunch and texture.
📖 Recipe Steps
RECIPE PREP: Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or reusable silicone baking mats.
- Unfold one of the puff pastry sheets onto a lightly-floured surface. Roll it into a 10×12″ rectangle that’s approximately 1/8″ thick. Cut the pastry into 6 rectangles about 4×5″ each.
- Arrange one slice of ham and one slice of cheese on each piece of puff pastry.
- In a small bowl, toss arugula with a squeeze of lemon juice and a drizzle of olive oil. With your hand, gently massage the lemon and oil into the leaves until they’re evenly coated.
- Add 1/4 cup arugula on top of each slice of cheese.
- Fold 2 opposite corners of the puff pastry together so it encloses the filling. Gently press the dough to seal. Leave the remaining 2 ends open for hot air to escape. Arrange hot pockets on a prepared baking sheet. Leave a bit of room between each bundle.
- Brush the puff pastry with egg wash. Sprinkle the top with the desired garnish: sesame seeds, flaky salt or everything bagel seasoning. Repeat the steps with the second sheet of puff pastry and ingredients.
- Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, or until the puff pastry is golden blonde and the cheese is just melted.
- For the best taste, serve and enjoy immediately.
🍽 What to Pair With Ham and Cheese Puff Pastry
For a complete meal, pair the hot pockets with a bowl of alphabet soup, sliced fruit or a crisp garden salad. For snacking, serve them alone or pair them with a sweet or savory dipping sauce for a delicious punch of flavor.
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👩🏻🍳 Recipe FAQ
These are the most commonly-asked questions for achieving the BEST ham and cheese puff pastry, and the most helpful answers for recipe success.
Mozzarella, Swiss, Monterey Jack, Colby Jack, Cheddar, smoked gouda, American, provolone, gruyere, fontina, Havarti, and Oaxaca cheese.
Use this super easy recipe for puff pastry dough.
Spread a small amount of marinara sauce, dijon mustard or pesto sauce over the cold puff pastry before adding the meat and cheese. Or try adding some caramelized onions to the bundle.
For perfect crispy bottoms, preheat the baking sheet. Then carefully transfer the parchment paper with hot pockets onto the preheated tray.
Yes, you can make ham and cheese puff pastry a few hours in advance. Tightly cover the tray with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to bake. Remove and discard the plastic wrap before baking.
Yes, you can store it overnight in the fridge and rewarm it in the oven later. Some of the initial crunch will be lost, but it will still taste great.
Rate This Recipe ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Flavor testers rated these the BEST ham and cheese puff pastry. They loved the easy recipe instructions, the crisp buttery texture of the pastry, the savory flavors of the ham and cheese, and overall elegant look.
If you agree this is a must-make recipe, give these homemade hot pockets a 5-star rating in the comments. Then be a recipe hero. Share it with friends. 📌 Pin it to Pinterest.
Ham and Cheese Puff Pastry
- Total Time: 25 Minutes
- Yield: 12 Hot Pockets 1x
Description
These savory ham-and-cheese puff pastry are easy to make and delicious to eat. Enjoy them for brunch, lunch, or snacks. They’re also elegant appetizers. Serve with honey-mustard dipping sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 package (2 sheets) frozen puff pastry sheets, defrosted but still cold (recommended: Pepperidge Farm)
- 12 slices ham (like deli ham or black forest ham), thinly sliced
- 12 slices Swiss cheese (or any meltable cheese), thinly sliced
- 3 cups fresh arugula
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 large egg, beaten with a splash of water
- Garnish (pick your favorite): sesame seeds, flaky salt, or everything bagel seasoning
Instructions
RECIPE PREP: Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or reusable silicone baking mats.
- Unfold one of the puff pastry sheets onto a lightly-floured surface. Roll it into a 10×12″ rectangle that’s approximately 1/8″ thick. Cut the pastry into 6 rectangles about 4×5″ each.
- Arrange one slice of ham and one slice of cheese on each piece of puff pastry.
- In a small bowl, toss arugula with a squeeze of lemon juice and a drizzle of olive oil. With your hand, gently massage the oil and lemon juice into the leaves until they’re evenly coated. Add 1/4 cup arugula on top of each slice of cheese.
- Fold 2 opposite corners of the puff pastry together so it encloses the filling. Gently press the dough to seal. Leave the remaining 2 ends open. Arrange hot pockets on a prepared baking sheet. Leave a bit of room between each bundle. Brush the puff pastry with egg wash. Sprinkle with the desired crunchy garnish.
- Repeat the steps with the second sheet of puff pastry and ingredients.
- Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, or until the puff pastry is golden blonde and the cheese is just melted. For the best taste and texture, serve and enjoy immediately. Delicious on their own, they’re even better with a honey-mustard dipping sauce.
Notes
Honey mustard dipping sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup country dijon mustard and 1/4 cup honey.
How to make these homemade hot pockets better: Spread a small amount of marinara sauce, dijon mustard or pesto sauce over the cold puff pastry before adding the meat and cheese. Or try adding some caramelized onions to the bundle.
How to make the puff pastry crispier: Preheat the baking sheet. Then carefully transfer the sheet of parchment paper with hot pockets onto the preheated tray.
- Prep Time: 10 Minutes
- Cook Time: 15 Minutes
- Category: Snacks
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Ham and Cheese Puff Pastry 👉🏻 Join the Convo
Have you ever assembled or tried homemade hot pockets? What do you think of this easy recipe? Will you serve them as appetizers, lunch or snacks? Join the conversation in the comments below. I’d love to hear from you.
