These Pork Puff Pastry Pockets feature ground pork and onion plus gravy and cheese, all wrapped in flaky pastry. They’re a delicious way to reimagine leftovers.
It’s Boxing Day here in the UK, and I still haven’t exactly figured out what that means other than most people get the day off, and all the shops have early morning sales in the style of American Black Friday. For me, it’s yet another excuse to stay in my pajamas all day, but with the added bonus that I don’t have to cook because the fridge is groaning with leftovers.
Of course, this year we’re away for Christmas, so it’s not my kitchen. It’s strange not to have any responsibilities. For some reason, I can’t seem to just relax and enjoy it. Maybe it’s because I’m a crazy control freak. Maybe it’s just because I’m mildly obsessed with cooking and hosting. I actually really like it. It’s not in my nature to just be a guest. I’m old and set in my ways.
Because of my obsession with cooking and testing new recipes, trying to figure out how to use random leftovers has become a bit of a game. Quite often we just throw stuff in the microwave and eat it again exactly as is. But occasionally I make things like Pork & Onion Hand Pies, and then I have just ground pork with onions hanging around in my fridge. This time, I wanted to take my leftovers in a slightly different direction. That’s how these Pork Puff Pastry Pockets were born.
I’m going to share the recipe for what we’ve actually eaten, but I also hope this inspires you to just grab things from your fridge, stick them inside a sheet of store-bought puff pastry, and have an automatically awesome dinner. There are few things in life that can’t be improved with puff pastry. Serve it with some steamed veg and a bit of extra gravy for a quick and tasty dinner.
If you want to save yourself even more time, you can easily cook up the pork and onion ahead of time. Even mix in the gravy and cheese, and stash it in the fridge until you’re ready to wrap and bake. Bake all four at once, or two now and two later. Or use half the pork mixture for something else, like homemade pork pies. There are so many possibilities.
So if you’re staring down a fridge full of leftovers right now, give them new life. Pork Puff Pastry Pockets are just the beginning. Happy eating, friends. It’s gonna be awesome.
Pork Puff Pastry Pockets
Course: DinnerCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Easy4
servings10
minutes30
minutesIngredients
1 tablespoon oil (whatever you have on hand)
1/2 small onion, diced
500 grams (1 pound) ground pork
Salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup prepared instant gravy such as Bisto
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar
2 sheets puff pastry
1 egg
Directions
- Heat your oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add your diced onions and allow them to cook for about 5 minutes to soften up. Add the ground pork, season to taste, and break it up with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Cook for about five minutes or until the pork is cooked through.
- Once your pork and onions are cooked, transfer the mixture to a bowl. Stir in your gravy and cheese. You can store this in the fridge for a few days and make the pockets later if you like. Or make two pockets one night, and two a day or two later.
- When you’re ready to make your puff pastry pockets, preheat your oven to 200 C (400 F) and unroll your puff pastry sheets. To make a square, start by cutting each sheet in half. Next fold over the top right corner diagonally to the opposite side of the half pastry sheet to form a triangle. There will be a strip of pastry left over at the bottom. Cut that off. When you unfold the pastry, you should now have a square. Repeat this with your other three rectangles.
- You can now fill each square with a quarter of your pork mixture. Leave at least a half-inch border, so you can seal it. You’re really just filling half of the pastry and then folding the other side over.
- Crack and lightly beat your egg in a separate bowl. Use a pastry brush, or just your finger to spread a bit of beaten egg around the inside edge of each square. Then fold your pocket over, and seal the edges with a fork. Use a sharp knife to cut a few vents in the top of your pockets.
- Bake your pockets on parchment covered baking sheets for about 15 minutes or until puffed and golden. Serve hot with extra gravy.
Notes
- If you’re wondering what to do with those extra pastry sheets, spread them thinly with some jam, roll them up, and bake them in the oven for about 15 minutes after you take your pockets out. They’ll be golden and gooey once you’ve finished dinner. A perfect simple dessert.
Don’t forget to share your creations on Instagram. Tag me or use the hashtag #awesomeon20. I love seeing what you’ve made.
