Turkey, Sun-Dried Tomato, and Pepper Jack Puff Pastries
I am truly excited to share this new recipe with you! This is a bit of a marriage between spring and summer, as I used ingredients that can be locally grown at this time of year in a hoop house or cold frame paired with preserved foods from the summer. I suppose, it is also a blend of winter and spring as we head into the gardening season. That is the wonderful part about preserving your own food - you get to enjoy the flavors of every season all winter long!
I created this recipe on accident. I had a portion of homemade puff pastry in the refrigerator that needed to be used up before it was past its prime, and I had also recently roasted an entire turkey for a secret project (that I can’t wait to share soon). The turkey was a wild caught turkey our friend had gifted us, so it was exceptionally flavorful! I thought it would be really tasty paired with some sun dried tomatoes from last summer, fresh greens, and a little spice from melted pepper jack cheese. The result was out-of-this-world fantastic. I wish there were more right now!!
ingredients & recipe:
MAKES ABOUT 8 PASTRIES
1 portion homemade puff pasty or 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
2 tbsp salted butter
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 leeks, sliced thinly
3 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz sun dried tomatoes
1 cup turkey or chicken breast, cooked and chopped
2 cups fresh spinach
2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
8 slices pepper jack cheese
8 slices fresh mozzarella cheese
1 egg
flaky sea salt for topping
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 425° F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
Roll out your puff pastry to a 12x20” rectangle. Cut into 8 equal sized squares. Leave in refrigerator until ready to use.
In a large skillet, heat the butter and oil over medium-high heat. Cook the leeks and garlic until softened, about 3-4 minutes. Add the sun dried tomatoes and turkey and cook until warm. Stir in the spinach and continue to cook until wilted, about 1-2 minutes. Season with Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
Evenly space the puff pastry squares on the baking sheets. In a small dish, whisk the egg and a splash of water to make an egg wash. Brush in the side of the square with egg.
Take a piece of pepper jack cheese and place it in the middle of the square. Top with about 2 tbsp of turkey filling and finish with a slice of mozzarella cheese.
Fold the square in half to create a long rectangle, pressing the edges closed around the filling. Press around all of the edges with the tines of fork and cut slits into the top with a sharp knife to release steam. Repeat with remaining pastries.
Brush the outside of each pastry with egg wash. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt.
Bake for 25 minutes or until the pastry is deep golden brown and the cheese is bubbly and melted. Cool for about 5 minutes before serving.
I love creating little savory hand pies with puff pastry. They are such an easy go-to midday snack or lighthearted meal. You can literally put any filling inside of a puff pastry shell and be satisfied, in my opinion. It is even better when you can make it yourself!
I hope that you enjoy this quick little meal idea. I would love if you shared your creations with me and let me know what you think! (:
xoxo Kayla
