I Won't Be Serving Quiche at My Easter Brunch — I'm Making THESE Instead

If you want to feel like a superhero in the kitchen, all you need is a box of frozen puff pastry. From French palmiers to breakfast pastries, this freezer find is the secret to all of your buttery, flaky dreams. Puff pastry (unlike its fellow freezer pastry friend, phyllo) is a laminated dough that quite literally puffs in the oven to produce airy, flaky, golden layers.

With egg prices on the rise, I’m taking the flavors of my favorite quiche and putting them into buttery tarts this spring. In this recipe, squares of puff pastry are topped with a cheesy sauce studded with fresh spinach and smoky diced ham. Fold the corners up to hold it all in, and bake until the filling bubbles and the buttery pastry is puffed, flaky, and golden.

Why You’ll Love It

• They’re so impressive. It’s hard to not fall for these puffed, golden, and flaky ham and cheese pockets. The best part is that frozen puff pastry makes it possible for anyone to bake these.

• Perfect for spring. Ham, cheese, and a green vegetable like spinach is a winning flavor combination for the spring.

Key Ingredients in Ham and Cheese Pastry Pockets

• Puff pastry: Find puff pastry in the freezer section or make it at home if you’re up for a project. Keeping the pastry cold is essential for the flaky layers, so thaw the pastry in the refrigerator and not on the counter.

• Cheese: Stir shredded Swiss or sharp cheddar cheese into the creamy white sauce so that every bite is filled with cheese flavor. Feel free to substitute other cheeses, like mozzarella or Gouda.

• Ham: You’ll need 1 1/2 cups diced cooked ham.

• Egg: Whisk 1 egg with 1 tablespoon water to make an egg wash that gives the flaky pastry a gorgeous golden-brown color.

Ham and Cheese Pastry Pockets Recipe

Squares of golden, flaky puff pastry filled with cheesy ham and spinach.

Prep time 5 minutes

Cook time 30 minutes

Makes 18

Serves 8 to 10

Ingredients

• 1 (14- to 17.5-ounce) package frozen puff pastry (preferably Pepperidge Farm), thawed but still cold

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling

• 1 1/4 cups whole or 2% milk

• 1 1/2 cups shredded Swiss, sharp white cheddar cheese, or a combination, divided (about 6 ounces)

• 1 1/2 cups small-dice cooked ham (about 6 ounces)

• 1 ounce fresh baby spinach leaves, coarsely chopped (about 1 cup)

• 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard powder

• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1 pinch freshly ground black pepper

• 1 large egg

• 1 tablespoon water

Instructions

1. Arrange two racks in the oven to divide the oven into thirds, then heat the oven to 400°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Melt 2 tablespoons unsalted butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add 1/4 cup all-purpose flour and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture resembles wet sand and no longer has the aroma of raw flour, 2 to 3 minutes (do not let it brown). Whisk in 1 1/4 cups whole milk until smooth. Bring to a simmer. Cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture is thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes.

3. Whisk in 1 cup of the shredded Swiss cheese until melted. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Stir in 1 1/2 cups small-diced cooked ham, 1 cup chopped fresh baby spinach leaves, 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard powder, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1 pinch black pepper.

4. If using puff pastry that comes in only 1 sheet, cut in half crosswise into 2 sheets first. Place 1 of the sheets on a cutting board. Roll out if needed into a 12-inch square. Cut into 9 (4-inch) squares. Transfer the squares to a baking sheet, spacing them evenly apart. Repeat cutting the second puff pastry and transferring to the second baking sheet. Dock the center of each square a few times with a fork.

5. Spoon 2 tablespoons of the ham mixture onto the center of each square. Fold the corners of the pastry up over the filling until they meet in the center. Beat 1 large egg with 1 tablespoon water together in a small bowl. Brush onto the pastry. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese.

6. Bake for 12 minutes. Rotate the baking sheets between racks and from front to back. Bake until the pastries are puffed and golden-brown, 12 to 14 minutes more. Let cool for 3 minutes before serving.

Recipe Notes

Puff pastry: Look for puff pastry sheets in the freezer section. For best results, thaw in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours and up to 1 day before using.

Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Rewarm in a 325°F oven until warmed through.

Further Reading

Why People Are Ditching Their Seltzer After a Disturbing Study

The One Cookware Brand That Gordon Ramsay Can’t Stop Talking About

Ball Just Dropped the Most Beautiful Mason Jars for Its 140th Anniversary ("So Iconic!")