Ham and Cheese Puff Pastry

Ham and cheese puff pastry sandwiches are a quick and delicious option for any weeknight meal. These baked puff pastry recipes create flaky, golden ham and cheese pockets that are great for breakfast or dinner. Learn how to make a 30-minute meal that’s cheap, satisfying, and a family favorite. Pin this ham and cheese recipe now to keep simple and tasty main dish ideas at your fingertips!

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Why these are the best ham and cheese puff pastry sandwiches

It's a simple and easy sandwich recipe. These puff pastries are as easy as making a sandwich; it doesn't get any easier than that! The recipe is simple with only a few ingredients, so prep is very quick and easy, too.

The ingredients for this easy recipe are very common. You probably have most of the simple ingredients already in your pantry, and the remaining couple are available in every grocery store I've ever visited. You will need to make the aioli, but it too is made from a few common ingredients that you likely already have.

These pastries taste great. The simple ingredients pack a big punch in terms of flavor. Tender ham, tangy melted swiss cheese, tart garlic aioli, flaky puff pastry - all of it combines to make the best sandwiches you've ever eaten!

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This recipe is easy to adjust. If you're serving it for dinner, I'd cut the sandwiches bigger, or if you want to serve it as an appetizer, you could just cut them smaller, like a slider size.

This recipe is versatile. Don't like ham? Use roast beef or deli chicken. Don't have swiss? Use cheddar or pepper jack. No puff pastry? Use crescent dough or phyllo. You can literally replace any of the ingredients with something else and still have delicious hot and cheese pockets.

This recipe is easy to serve. It doesn't get easier than sandwiches, and because these pockets can be big or mini-sized, you choose whether they're a full meal or a party munchie.

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What you'll need to make ham and cheese puff pastry

Equipment

• 9x9 casserole dish - I suggest using a casserole dish that's about the same size as the puff pastry, so that the filling stays contained and doesn't run all over the place. If you're in a pinch, you can use a baking sheet, but the sandwiches on the edges will ooze out a bit on the sides.
• Parchment paper - This is to make the pastries easier to lift out of the baking dish.
• Basting brush - You need this to brush the egg wash over the puff pastry before baking.

Ingredients

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See the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page for all measurements and nutritional information.

• Frozen puff pastry - Puff pastry is a very delicate dough that's made from flaky layers of pastry and butter, all stacked up together. It's delicious and melts in your mouth. It's typically sold frozen, but you'll need your puff pastry dough to be thawed but still very cold. You really can use any flaky pastry, including croissant dough or phyllo, and your pastry sandwiches will still be delicious.
• Garlic aioli - I make this at home, and it's very very easy but makes a huge difference in the flavor of the sandwiches.
• Diced ham - I am always torn about what kind of ham to use in these pastries. Diced ham makes them much easier to cut and serve, but it's a little messier to bite into. Sliced deli ham makes them easier to eat but much harder to cut and serve. You can really use either one and have great-tasting sandwiches so use what you have. This is a great way to use up leftover ham from the holidays, if you go the diced ham route.
• Shredded Swiss cheese - I like the combination of ham and swiss, but ham and cheddar is also great, as is ham and pepper jack, gruyere, or colby jack. Use whatever cheese you want. Also, it doesn't have to be shredded. You can can use slices instead.
• egg - You'll use this to make an egg wash to brush the top of the pastry. You technically don't have to do it, but if you don't, the tops of your sandwiches will stay a pasty whitish color rather than toasting to a golden brown.
• Water - This is just to dilute the egg and make an egg wash.

How to make ham and cheese puff pastry

1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Line a 9x9 baking dish (or one that fits the pastry dough without a lot of extra space) with parchment paper.
2. Unfold sheets of puff pastry. Place one sheet on the bottom of the baking dish.
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3. Spread aioli on top of pastry with an offset spatula or knife.
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4. Sprinkle cheese over the aioli, then layer ham over cheese. 
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5. Place the second sheet of puff pastry on top of ham. Whisk egg and water together in a small bowl. Generously brush the top of the pastry with the egg wash.
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6. Place the baking dish in the preheated oven and bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.
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7. Allow pastry to rest in the baking dish for 10-15 minutes before removing to a work surface to cut into sandwich squares.
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Variations & substitutions

If you don't have puff pastry, you can use crescent roll dough or phyllo dough. Follow the baking instructions on the package.

You can use any cheese you want. I think ham and swiss is a nice combination, but you could use cheddar cheese, brie, pepper jack, colby jack, gruyere cheese, or whatever you like.

You can also use whatever ham you want. Honey ham is as good as black forest ham, Virginia ham, or smoked ham. They all taste great in this recipe, so use whatever you prefer.

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You could add some bacon to the sandwiches, on top of the ham and cheese, and French fried or caramelized onions.

If you don't like garlic aioli, you could use horseradish aioli, sriracha mayo, zesty horseradish sauce, remoulade sauce, or plain mayo. If you use plain mayo, I'd suggest you also use spicy brown, horseradish, or dijon mustard for extra flavor.

Most puff pastry contains gluten, dairy, eggs, and soy. If you have an allergy to one or more of these ingredients, you may be able to find a suitable homemade recipe online that will work in place of the store-bought dough.

Don't want meal-sized sandwiches? Make these into ham and cheese puff pastry appetizers by cutting 16 pieces instead of 9. These would be great in place of game day sliders, for example.

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Storing leftovers

Store leftover puff pastry in an airtight container or plastic zippered bag in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

I don't recommend reheating leftover pastries in the microwave as that will make them soggy. Place the chilled pastries on a sheet pan in a 350ºF oven for 10-15 minutes or until heated through.

You can freeze baked pastries in a freezer-safe container or plastic freezer bag for up to 1 month. To serve, thaw overnight in the fridge and then reheat in the oven at 350ºF for 10-15 minutes or until heated through.

Alternatively, you could reheat your pastries in the air fryer at 350ºF until heated through. Watch them carefully to make sure they don't burn.

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Try these other delicious sandwich recipes:

• Pittsburgh Style BBQ Ham Sandwiches
• Leftover Turkey Salad Sandwiches
• Italian Sausage Sandwiches
• Egg and Olive Salad Sandwich
• Easy French Dip Sliders
• BBQ Hamburgers
• Mexican Burgers
• Homemade Black and Blue Cheese Burgers
• Air Fryer Turkey Burgers
• Mini Chicken Pot Pies
• Beef BBQ Biscuit Cups

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