Ham and Cheese Puff Pastry Pockets with Caramelized Onions

I truly believe my best recipes are created from pantry items I have sitting around the house.  Therefore, with a leftover spiral ham, some shredded cheese in my deli drawer and some extra shallots from recipe testing – I created these Ham and Cheese Puff Pastry Pockets.  Earlier this year one of my favorite food bloggers Recipe Girl created a gorgeous puff pastry pocket with leftover holiday turkey and some creamy mushrooms - delicious!

Since I had a whole package of puff pastry in the freezer, I thought it only appropriate to envelope these ingredients in a buttery, crispy crust.  Working with puff pastry is so easy when purchased from your freezer section, and the results after baking are really beautiful.  The best part – when you fill it with savory items you get to eat pastry for dinner.  That went over very well with my family.

Another benefit of these ham and cheese puffed pastry pockets is their aroma while baking.  I mean is there anything better than the smell of butter baking?  I don’t think so (they should definitely make it a candle scent at Bath and Body).  Sweet and salty ham, gooey cheddar, caramelized onions and a touch of Dijon round out this amazing pastry sandwich.

These are slightly decadent, filled with meat and cheese, and really great finger food so I’m thinking you could add these to your Super Bowl menu.  I promise they will be a hit and if you don’t have ham on hand, just sub in chicken.

Ham and Cheese Puff Pastry Pockets with Caramelized Shallots

Recipe by Liz Hughes - Virtually Homemade

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Yield: 8 puff pastry pockets
Ingredients

• 1 box (17.3 ounces) Pepperidge Farms Puff pastry, thawed
• 2 large shallots, sliced thinly
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• 2 cups chopped ham
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1 egg, whisked well

Cooking Directions

1. In a medium saute pan, heat olive oil on medium high and add shallots. Cook for 5-10 minutes or until medium brown and add sugar, balsamic vinegar and kosher salt to taste. Cook for an additional 20 minutes on low heat.
2. While shallots are cooking, place the two 9"x9" squares of puff pastry on a lightly floured surface. Roll each square out until it measures 11"x11". Cut each sheet of puff pastry into 4 equal squares.
3. On the bottom left hand side of the square distribute the ham, cheese and caramelized shallots evenly. On the upper right hand corner of the square, spread the dijon mustard.
4. Take the upper right hand corner of the pastry and fold over the ham mixture to form a triangle. Use fork tongs to seal the edges. Brush each pocket with egg and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Cut an x in the center to release steam while baking.
5. Bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees F or until golden brown.