Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Hot Pockets

As my wife was putting these Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Hot Pockets together, she said, “If these turn out delicious, they will open up a whole new world of hot pockets to us.” Then she listed three or four kinds of filling besides Cheesy Chicken Broccoli that she planned to try, “if these turn out delicious.” “Pepperoni!” I added to the list.

News flash. These turned out delicious. The filling was cheesy and thick. My wife used our fresh broccoli florets, which had a beautiful flavor. The pastry puffed right up in the oven and came out a perfect golden brown. And they came together so fast! The ratio of deliciousness to preparation time was very high.

adapted from A Good Appetite

Ingredients

• 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
• 3/4 c broccoli florets, cut into small pieces
• 1/2 T butter
• 1 T all-purpose flour
• 3/4 c half and half
• 2 oz cheddar cheese, grated
• big pinch of ground mustard
• dash ground thyme
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 c cooked chicken, chopped
• 1 well beaten egg

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 ℉.

Blanch the broccoli in boiling water for 1 minute. Drain and set aside.

In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the flour. Cook the flour while stirring for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the half and half. Cook while stirring until thick and bubbly. Turn the heat to low and whisk in the cheese. Once the cheese is melted in, stir in the mustard and thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Stir the broccoli and chicken into the sauce.

Using a rolling pin, roll the puff pastry dough out to make it into a little bigger rectangle. Cut into 4 rectangles. Brush a little beaten egg along two edges of each rectangle. Put 1/4 of the sauce into the middle of each rectangle. Fold over to make a triangle and press the edges together to seal (you may need to stretch the dough a little). Place on a baking sheet, using a silicone pad if you have one. Brush each turnover with beaten egg. Use a sharp knife to poke 2 slits in the top of each.

Bake for 15 minutes. Turn the heat down to 350 ℉ and bake another 10 – 15 minutes until golden brown. Let cool a few minutes before serving as the filling will be really hot.

Makes 4 hot pockets.