Puff pastry is one of my kitchen secrets at home. I could easily make my own, but the dough is temperamental and living in the South with unruly humidity, I skip making it from scratch and use store-bought instead. I keep at least one package of frozen puff pastry in my freezer for last-minute desserts, but use it more often for savory tarts, pies, and home-made Hot Pockets –– easy, but still hearty, meals. This recipe for Hot Pockets can work with any mix of cheese, meat, and/or vegetables as a filling. You can even make dessert Hot Pockets, filling the centers with sweetened cream cheese, jam, and berries. My favorite filling is ham and apple with peppery arugula and a quick mayo-mustard sauce. The recipe below has quantities per ingredient, but when filling the centers of the pockets, eyeball them to make sure they are not overstuffed. This is a meal to get the whole family involved — set out a bunch of ingredients and let everyone make their own Hot Pockets. 

Jumbo Ham and Apple Hot Pockets
Serves 4 (or cut into smaller squares for 8) 

Ingredients
1 package frozen puff pastry, thawed
1½ tablespoons whole grain mustard
1½ cups mayonnaise
1½ cups shaved ham
1 cup gruyere cheese, shredded
1 cup arugula
1 Granny Smith apple, diced
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
2 eggs, for egg wash 

Directions 

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. 
2. Unroll the puff pastry sheets and lay them on top of each other. Cut to make eight equal squares, total. 
3. In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise and mustard; set aside. 
4. Starting with 4 puff pastry squares, spoon 2 tablespoons mayonnaise mixture in the center of each square. Add ham, arugula, apple, and cheese, leaving a space around the edges to seal. Season with salt and pepper and a pinch of red pepper flakes. 
5. Using a pastry brush, brush the edges of each square with egg wash. Place the remaining 4 squares on top of the filled puff pastry squares. Using a fork, crimp the edges to seal the top and bottom puff pastry squares together. 
6. Egg wash the tops of the sealed squares and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown and puffed up. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack. Serve warm. 

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