Main Dish Puff Pastry Bakes
Look what I did! One has ham filling, the other has chicken filling. I made them up as I went. Oh so good!
When it comes out of the oven, it only has to cool for five minutes, then dig in! Serve with a nice salad, and you've got a wonderful meal.
~ Dana
Ham and Potato Bake
Ingredients
2 cups cubed potatoes
olive oil as needed for sautéeing
1 cup chopped tricolor or regular carrots
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 leek sliced thinly
2 cups cubed ham
3 tablespoons butter
3-4 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup chicken broth
4 slices white American cheese
or any good white melting cheese
spices to taste:
garlic powder
onion powder
salt & pepper
1 sheet puff pastry
1 egg for egg wash
 |
| Cooking the ham & potato filling |
Instructions
1. Start by preparing the vegetables. In a hot skillet with olive oil, sauté the cubed potatoes and carrots until they have a nice brown color on all sides. Turn the heat down to medium or medium-low. During the browning process, toss them often so they don't burn.
2. About halfway through cooking the potatoes, add the mushrooms and leek. During the last 5 minutes or so, add the cubed ham. Add more olive oil if needed, or a pat of butter for a richer flavor. Once the vegetables and ham are cooked through, set them aside.
3. In a separate pan, melt 3 tablespoons butter on medium heat. Add the flour to the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, using a whisk to incorporate. Let the flour cook for 1 minute, while continuing to whisk. Now slowly add the liquids still using your whisk to stir. Continue with the whisking motion until the sauce starts to thicken up. Add the cheese slices into the sauce to melt and then add the spices.
4. Once you have achieved the taste you like for your sauce, pour it into the pan with the ham and vegetables. Stir until it is incorporated well. Let cool completely.
 |
| The pastry cuts |
5. Once the filling is cool, lay the puff pastry out on the kitchen counter, leaving it on the parchment paper it comes with. You're going to cut strips down the sides, leaving a 5-inch uncut area down the middle, which is where the filling will go.
a. With a sharp knife, cut a diamond shape out of each of the top corners, leaving a 5-inch central flap still attached to the dough.
b. Then make a series of cuts down each side, angling downward and leaving the central 5 inches intact. Keep the strips attached to the 5-inch center all the way down. These will be your braiding pieces when the filling is ready.
c. At the bottom of the puff pastry square, cut out two right triangles that are 5 inches apart, with the right angles at the bottom of the dough, leaving the center five inches between them. They should be about 3 inches high, with the dough corners left uncut to serve as the ends of the lowest braiding strips.
6. Spoon your cooled filling all the way down the middle of the puff pastry. Do not fill it too full. You may end up with some filling left over. I like to stick the leftover filling in the freezer and then when I want to bake some individual puff pockets, I can use it up that way.
 |
| "Braiding" the pastry |
7. Once the filling is on top of the pastry, gently lay the cut strips over the filling, alternating one from each side and letting them overlap as you go down. Now take the top and bottom flaps of the pastry and fold them up and around the ends of the filling.
 |
| Wrapped and ready for the oven |
8. Move the braided pastry over to a cookie sheet by grasping the edges of the parchment paper. Trim off any paper that's extending beyond the cookie sheet. If you don't, it will burn in the oven and turn to ash, making a mess.
9. Once you have the pastry assembled, brush an egg wash (1 egg mixed with 2 tablespoons milk) over the entire top of the braid and bake in a preheated 375-degree F oven for approximately 20 minutes. You are looking for a nice golden brown color when it's finished. Let your ham and potato bake cool for 5 minutes out of the oven before serving.
To make it with chicken, you'll be doing basically the same thing with different ingredients.
Chicken Bake
Ingredients
4 boneless chicken thighs
olive oil as needed for sautéeing
1 cup tricolored or regular chopped carrots
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 leek, thinly sliced
1/2 cup thinly sliced celery
2 cups fresh spinach
3 tablespoons butter
3-4 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup chicken broth
4 slices white American cheese
or any good white melting cheese
spices to taste:
garlic powder
onion powder
chicken bouillon
salt & pepper
1 sheet puff pastry
1 egg for egg wash
1. Bake the chicken ahead and set aside. Cut into cubes when cool.
 |
| Cooking the chicken filling |
2. In a hot skillet with olive oil, sauté all the vegetables except the spinach until tender. At the very end add the spinach and sauté until it is fully wilted. It goes fast. Take off the heat and add the cubed, cooked chicken. Set aside.
3. In a separate pan, melt 3 tablespoons butter on medium heat. Add the flour to the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, using a whisk to incorporate. Let the flour cook for 1 minute, continuing to whisk. Now slowly add the liquids still using your whisk to stir. Continue with the whisking motion until the sauce starts to thicken up. Add the cheese slices into the sauce to melt and then add the spices.
4. Once you have achieved the taste you like for your sauce, pour it into the pan with the chicken and vegetables. Stir until it is incorporated well. Let cool completely.
|
| The pastry cuts |
5. Once the filling is cool, lay the puff pastry out on the kitchen
counter, leaving it on the parchment paper it comes with. You're going
to cut strips down the sides, leaving a 5-inch uncut area down the
middle, which is where the filling will go.
a. With a sharp
knife, cut a diamond shape out of each of the top corners, leaving a
5-inch central flap still attached to the dough.
b. Then make a
series of cuts down each side, angling downward and leaving the central 5
inches intact. Keep the strips attached to the 5-inch center all the
way down. These will be your braiding pieces when the filling is ready.
c.
At the bottom of the puff pastry square, cut out two right triangles
that are 5 inches apart, with the right angles at the bottom of the
dough, leaving the center five inches between them. They should be about
3 inches high, with the dough corners left uncut to serve as the ends
of the lowest braiding strips.
6. Spoon your cooled filling all
the way down the middle of the puff pastry. Do not fill it too full. You
may end up with some filling left over. I like to stick the leftover
filling in the freezer and then when I want to bake some individual puff
pockets, I can use it up that way.
|
| "Braiding" the pastry |
7. Once the filling is on top of the pastry, gently "braid" the top with the cut sides. Just lay one from each side over the filling and let them overlap as you go down. Now take the top and bottom flaps of the pastry and fold them up and around the ends of the filling.
|
| Wrapped and ready for the oven |
8. Move the braided pastry over to a cookie sheet by grasping the edges
of the parchment paper. Trim off any paper that's extending beyond the
cookie sheet. If you don't, it will burn in the oven and turn to ash,
making a mess.
9. Once you have the pastry assembled, brush an
egg wash (1 egg mixed with 2 tablespoons milk) over the entire top of the
braid and bake in a preheated 375-degree F oven for approximately 20
minutes. You are looking for a nice golden brown color when it's
finished. Let your ham and potato bake cool for 5 minutes out of the
oven before serving.
Printable Ham and Potato Bake Recipe Pages
Printable Chicken Bake Recipe Pages
copyright 2025, Dana Meier, My Olde Country Home
My Olde Country Home cookbook series:
Vol. 1 - Olde Fashioned Christmas Desserts
Vol. 2 - Vintage Cookie Recipes
available on Amazon®
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