Versatile Puff Pastry To The Rescue

I keep frozen puff pastry in my freezer, always. It's my no panic emergency, showy chic meal that I haven't even thought of yet. The breakfast, lunch or dinner everyone will rave about and think you spent hours preparing. Go savory...go sweet...puff pastry will save the day in a huge way. Here are a few examples of puff pastry genius. You can take it from here and let your imagination be you guide. Create the oohs and awes of your next brunch, lunch or dinner. You'll want to keep a few in the freezer as well. Enjoy!

Basically you'll need:
1 package of thawed puff pastry. Keep refrigerated until use!
1 egg + a little water for the egg wash (beaten)
And any of the ingredients below, depending on what you want to make.
eggs
bacon
sausage
pats of butter
cheddar, pepper Jack, or Monterrey Jack cheese
cooked potatoes
cooked broccoli
cooked cabbage
Italian sausage
pepperoni
mozzarella cheese
steak
BBQ pulled pork or chicken
assorted fruit jams or preserves , strawberry, blueberry, lemon, etc.
jarred Alfredo sauce
jarred Marinara sauce
mushrooms
brown gravy in a jar
sun dried tomatoes

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Unfold frozen puff pastry and roll just enough to get the creases out. Cut into desired shapes.Brush dough with egg wash. Sprinkle each piece with cheese of choice, cooked sausage or bacon, and crack an egg on top. Arrange on a baking sheet, reduce heat to 375 degrees F. Bake savories for about 15 to 20 minutes or until crust is golden and egg whites are set. Serve with a salad for brunch, sausage for breakfast if not added to the pastry or cottage fries for a perfectly gorgeous meal.

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OMG Danish! Hot out of the oven. Roll out puff pastry, again, just enough to get out folds. But don't worry too much because you're going to be cutting the pastry. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut pastry into 2 inch wide strips (the shortest distance across). Twist 3 strips together and shape into a round nest. Place all of the rounds on a baking sheet and brush with egg wash. Fill each nest with your favorite pie filling. Lemon, raspberry, cherry, pineapple, apple or complete pumpkin pie filling. Bake at 400 degrees for about twenty minutes or until golden. They'll think you spent hours creating these insanely delicious treats. : )

How can you go wrong with a more chic answer to the pizza pocket? You can't! Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Roll out puff pastry to remove the fold creases and cut into desired squares or shapes. Dip you finger into a small bowl of water and brush the edges with your finger tip about 1/2 inch all the way around your pastry. Fill with your favorite ingredients such as BBQ pulled pork, chicken Alfredo, Potato and cheese or how about Eggs, bacon or sausage or ham and cheese.  Italian sausage, pepperoni, sun dried tomatoes, mozzarella, cheese in marinara sauce, steak and mushroom...well, the ideas are endless.  Dip finger in water and dampen all edges with water to form a seal. Fill your flaky puff pockets with 2 to 3 tablespoons of filling. Add a top and press the edges together. Use a fork to lightly fuse the bottom and top together. It's just pretty! : ) Remember if you are cutting shapes such as leaves for the fall or hearts for V-day, you may need to use a smaller amount of filling. If it's too much, just remove a bit and seal. Cut a couple of slits in the top for air vents. .Brush with egg wash and refrigerate about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from refrigerator and bake at 400 degrees or until golden.  Wow, yummy posh looking dish in minutes. Serve with salad or chips and enjoy!

Unwrap puff pastry and cut into 2 inch wide strips.Roll strips like you would if you were making a snake : ) Wrap pastry strips around your favorite hot dogs  to create the effect shown in the picture above. You can cut them into 1/3's 1/2's or leave them whole. Brush with egg wash and bake at 400 degrees for 18 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Great with home fries, potato salad or sweet potato chips. Yum it up and create your own repertoire of puff pastry dishes.

♥ Kit