Ham and Cheese Puff Pastry Pies

Puff pastry is delicious and it is worth the time and effort to prepare, especially with the packaged frozen sheets readily available in most grocery stores. This recipe takes some time to prepare because the ham has to be chopped and combined with the other ingredients and then chilled until cold but, oh my goodness, is it ever good stuff for dinner. When working with puff pastry, all the ingredients must be cold, so plan ahead. This recipe comes from Family Circle Magazine, 5/13/80.

I served this dish to guests back in March with Pineapple-Orange Cranberry Relish posted on 3/7/13 and our guests brought a Caesar Salad. The salad pictured here is called Apple Citrus Salad and was posted on 3/6/13.

If your kids like ham and cheese, these pies are definitely kid-friendly. Blessings...

Recipe: 

3 tbsps. mayonnaise
2 tsps. Dijon-style mustard
1 egg yolk
   dash red hot pepper sauce
1/2 pound lean baked or boiled ham, chopped small
3/4 pound mild Cheddar cheese, shredded into large shreds
1 pkg. (17-1/4 ounces) pre-rolled frozen puff pastry
1 egg white, lightly beaten

1. Combine mayonnaise, mustard, egg yolk and pepper sauce in a large mixing bowl; blend well. Stir in ham and cheese. Refrigerate until cold.
2. Thaw frozen Pastry sheets 20 minutes at room temperature or until pliable, but still very cold. There are pkg. instructions for this, as well, if you have concerns about what "very cold" feels like. Roll out a sheet on a lightly floured surface to a 13-inch square; divide into 4 equal quarters.
3. Place some of the filling on half of each triangle, leaving a 1-inch border along the edge. Brush the borders generously with some of the beaten egg white. Fold squares diagonally in half to form triangles. Press edges firmly together, then press with tines of fork to seal securely.
4. Brush tops with egg white. Pierce each top in center with small paring knife to allow steam to escape. Arrange pies 1-inch apart on cookie sheet. Put in freezer  and repeat with remaining sheet of pastry to make 4 more pies. Place these on cookie sheets and put in the freezer while oven heats.
5. Heat oven to very hot (450 degrees). Immediately lower temperature to hot (400 degrees). Transfer solidly frozen pies to new cookie sheets (cold metal will retard crisping of the pastry); place pies in oven.
6. Bake for 20 minutes or until pies are well puffed and deep golden brown.

Yield: 8 pies
Note: Pies can be frozen firmly on cookie sheets, then removed and wrapped individually in plastic freezer wrap. (Three weeks maximum storage.)
To bake: Preheat oven to 450 degrees; lower heat to 400 degrees. Bake pies on cookie sheet for 30 minutes or until puffed and deep golden brown.