It's Easy to Make Pocket Sandwiches
Kitchen tools, gourmet foods, baking mixes, and hard-to-find baking ingredients mentioned in this article are available at The Prepared Pantry.
by Dennis Weaver
I've seen Debbie make 80 pocket sandwiches in hour. She's the queen of pocket sandwiches. She uses premade fillings, usually ham and cheese, which doesn't have to be cooked before assembly. Obviously, she assembles them quickly before placing them on a baking sheet and sticking them in the oven.
Me, I'm more inclined to make calzones. The process is the same—I just load mine with sausage, mushrooms, tomato sauce, and mozzarella.
It's easy to make great pocket sandwiches. Roll out the dough then use the dough press to cut the circles, fill the pockets, and seal them. The back of the dough press is the cutter, the press is bowl shaped for easy filling, and the two halves press together to seal. It just takes a few moments.
Pocket sandwiches can be filled with a variety of foods and are great for snacks, lunches, and appetizers. They are easy to make with this little dough press. And of course, you can use your dough press for turnovers, calzones, dumplings.
1. Make the Dough: They can be made with either a baking powder or yeast dough. Our just-add-water pie crust mix works well. Our pizza dough mixes are soft and easy to work with and make excellent pocket sandwiches.
2. Cook the Filling (if necessary): The filling can be made with meat and cheese, vegetables, or even scrambled eggs. Let your imagination be your guide.
3. Assemble and Bake: Roll the dough, cut it into circles using the back of the dough press as the cutter, add filling, fold the dough over and seal the edges, and bake.
Turkey and Cheese Pocket Sandwiches
This is a classic pocket sandwich recipe. You make these in three steps: make the dough, cook the filling, and then assemble the pocket sandwiches. It's easiest to do with a dough press but you can build it manually. If so, be sure to seal the edges well with the tines of a fork.
Ingredients
For the dough
- 3 1/2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup cold butter
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup sour cream
For the filling
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 3 tablespoons fresh parsley or 1 tablespoon dried
- 1 cup grated cheese
Instructions
- For the dough: Sift the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar into a bowl.
Cut the butter into 1/2-inch cubes and add it to the flour. Cut the butter into
the flour with a pastry knife until it is the consistency of oatmeal.
- In another bowl, whisk the eggs and sour cream together until it is smooth.
- Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir into a mass. Remove the
dough ball to a floured counter and knead for a few minutes to make a smooth
dough. Cover the dough ball and chill it in the refrigerator for an hour.
- For the filling: Melt butter in skillet. Brown ground turkey in butter,
then add diced onion and cook until onion is tender.
- Sprinkle on flour, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
- Stir in water and parsley, cook for a minute until thickened. Set aside.
- To assemble and bake the pocket sandwiches: Heat the oven to 375 degrees
F.
- Divide the dough in half and return one half to the refrigerator to keep
it cold. Roll the dough out on a floured counter to a thickness of 1/4-inch.
Cut the dough into twelve 6-inch rounds. Place a round in the floured dough
press. Place three tablespoons of the filling on the round and sprinkle with
cheese. Close the dough press firmly to seal the edges of the pastry. Continue
with the rest of the rounds and filling.
- Place the completed pocket sandwiches on a greased baking sheet. Poke a
few holes in the pocket sandwiches with the tines of a fork to vent the pocket
sandwiches. Brush with beaten egg.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until they are golden brown.
Baker's note: You can make pocket sandwiches without a dough press—a dough press just makes it easier. Place your filling on one-half of the round, fold the other half over until the edges meet, and press the edges together with the tines of a fork. Press firmly to make sure that you have a good seal.
Ham and Cheese Pocket Sandwiches
This is a classic pocket sandwiches recipe. You make these in three steps: make the dough, cook the filling, and then assemble the pocket sandwiches. It's easiest to do with a dough press but you can build it manually. If so, be sure to seal the edges well with the tines of a fork.
Ingredients
For the dough
- 3 1/2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup cold butter
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup sour cream
For the filling
- 1 1/2 cups cubed ham, 1 inch pieces
- 1 1/2 cups cubed cheddar cheese
- 6 teaspoons mustard
Instructions
- For the dough: Sift the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar into a bowl.
Cut the butter into 1/2-inch cubes and add it to the flour. Cut the butter into
the flour with a pastry knife until it is the consistency of oatmeal.
- In another bowl, whisk the eggs and sour cream together until it is smooth.
- Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir into a mass. Remove the
dough ball to a floured counter and knead for a few minutes to make a smooth
dough. Cover the dough ball and chill it in the refrigerator for an hour.
- To assemble and bake the pocket sandwiches: Heat the oven to 375 degrees
F.
- Divide the dough in half and return one half to the refrigerator to keep
it cold. Roll the dough out on a floured counter to a thickness of 1/4-inch.
Cut the dough into twelve 6-inch rounds. Place a round in the floured dough
press.
- Spread 1/2 teaspoon mustard onto each round.
- Place 2 tablespoons of ham and 2 tablespoons of cheese onto a round.
- With a pastry brush, spread water on the edges of the round to help seal
it. Close the dough press firmly to seal the edges of the pastry. Continue with
the rest of the rounds and filling. Place the pocket sandwiches on a lightly
greased baking sheet.
- Poke a few holes in the pocket sandwiches with the tines of a fork to vent
the pocket sandwiches. Brush with beaten egg.
- Bake at 375 degrees F for 12 to 15 minutes.
Baker's note: You can make pocket sandwiches without a dough press—a dough press just makes it easier. Place your filling on one-half of the round, fold the other half over until the edges meet, and press the edges together with the tines of a fork. Press firmly to make sure that you have a good seal.
Potato Leek Pocket Sandwiches
You make these pocket sandwiches in three steps: make the dough, cook the filling, and then assemble the pocket sandwich. It's easiest to do with a dough press but you can build it manually. If so, be sure to seal the edges well with the tines of a fork.
Ingredients
For the dough
- 3 1/2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup cold butter
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup sour cream
For the filling
- 4 new red potatoes the size of a baseball, peeled and diced in 1 inch pieces
- 2 leeks cleaned and cut in small pieces
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons chicken broth or water
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and grated
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup milk
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Sift the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar into a bowl. Cut the butter
into 1/2-inch cubes and add it to the flour. Cut the butter into the flour with
a pastry knife until it is the consistency of oatmeal.
- In another bowl, whisk the eggs and sour cream together until it is smooth.
- Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir into a mass. Remove the
dough ball to a floured counter and knead for a few minutes to make a smooth
dough. Cover the dough ball and chill it in the refrigerator for an hour.
- For the filling: Cook the potatoes in water until they are not quite tender.
Drain them and set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Add the leeks and cook for
two minutes. Add the broth or water and grated carrots and continue to simmer
for a few more minutes. Cook just until vegetables are tender-crisp. Add the
cooked potatoes to the saucepan. Add thedried basil.
- Place the flour in a small bowl. Add a little of the milk and mix to make
a paste. Gradually stir in the rest of the milk and stir until smooth. Add the
milk mixture to the saucepan and cook until the sauce has thickened and is bubbly.
Remove the pan from the stove. Salt and pepper to taste.
- To assemble and bake the pocket sandwiches: Heat the oven to 375 degrees
F.
- Divide the dough in half and return one half to the refrigerator to keep
it cold. Roll the dough out on a floured counter to a thickness of 1/4-inch.
Cut the dough into twelve 6-inch rounds. Place a round in the floured dough
press. Place three tablespoons of the filling on the round. Close the dough
press firmly to seal the edges of the pastry. Continue with the rest of the
rounds and filling.
- Place the completed pocket sandwiches on a greased baking sheet. Poke a
few holes in the pocket sandwiches with the tines of a fork to vent the pocket
sandwiches. Brush with a beaten egg.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until they are golden brown.
Baker's note: You can make pocket sandwiches without a dough press —a dough press just makes it easier. Place your filling on one-half of the round, fold the other half over until the edges meet, and press the edges together with the tines of a fork. Press firmly to make sure that you have a good seal.
Dennis Weaver is the founder of The Prepared Pantry, a full line kitchen store in Rigby, Idaho. The Prepared Pantry sells kitchen tools, gourmet foods, and baking ingredients including hundreds of hard-to-find ingredients.