As a kid I loved Hot Pockets and one of my favorites was the Ham and Cheese one. So I set out to make a grown up version with all those same delicious flavors and added in some broccoli to get a vegetable in as well. These delicious pockets are made of phyllo dough which gets extra crispy and flaky in the oven. The phyllo dough to me makes it feel a bit more grown up and like something you could find at a restaurant instead of the frozen food aisle. The star of these little pockets though is the creamy cheese sauce that binds everything together. So next time you are dreaming of a Hot Pocket give these guys a try.
Grown Up Hot Pockets
Ingredients
- 12 sheets phyllo dough
- 6 slices ham, cut in pieces
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 1/2 cups broccoli cut in pieces
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1 Tbsp flour
- 1 cup half n half
- 1/2 cup shredded colby jack cheese
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
Instructions
- Cut 1 and 1/2 cups of broccoli into bite sized pieces. Place in a microwave safe bowl and add 2 Tbsp water. Cover and microwave for 1 minute 30 seconds.
- Make the cheese sauce by melting 1 Tbsp butter in a small sauce pan over medium high heat. Add flour and whisk for 30 seconds to mix with the butter. Slowly add the half n half adding a little at a time and whisking with the butter/flour so that the mixture stays nice and smooth. Once all the half n half is added cook over medium high heat until thickened about 10 minutes. You need the sauce to be on the thicker side so cook until it sticks to the back of a spoon. Slowly add in the shredded colby jack cheese and stir until all melted. Add mustard and nutmeg.
- Pre-heat over to 425 F. Dice the sliced ham into bit size pieces and separate. Shred the cheddar cheese and now you are ready to assemble.
- Roll out the phyllo dough. Grab two sheets of phyllo dough stacked on top of each other. Fold in half hamburger style (if you remember that from school!). Place about 1/4 cup broccoli in the middle of the phyllo dough. Top with shredded cheddar cheese, 2 spoonfulls of the cheese sauce, and then 3 layers of the diced ham. Brush the edges with water. Fold the longer two sides up over the filling first. Then fold the two end up so that the filling is completely covered. Brush ends with water so that they are completely sealed. Place seam side down on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Repeat so that you have 6 total.
- Melt 1 Tbsp of butter. Brush the top of each hot pocket with butter. If you have any holes in the dough cover with some extra phyllo dough and brush with move butter to adhere to the other layers.
- Bake for 20 minutes at 425 F. Allow to cool for a few minutes before dishing up and enjoying.
- Reheat leftovers in a toaster oven so that they stay crispy.
Working with Phyllo Dough:
-The phyllo dough can be found in the frozen foods aisle with the other pastries.
-Keep in the refrigerator if using in a day or two otherwise put in the freezer.
-You will only need 12 sheets so keep the second sleeve in the freezer and you can roll up what you don’t use and put back in the plastic sleeve and freeze to use at another time.
-You will need to be careful with handling the phyllo dough as it is delicate and can tear easily. You will also want to keep it from drying out by covering with plastic wrap or a dish towel while assembling the hot pockets.
