Homemade pillowy pockets filled with ham and melted cheese! The whole family will fall in love with these Parmesan Crusted Ham and Cheese Pockets!
We often call our kitchen the 24 Hour Cafe. It’s exactly that. Bedtime snacks (which usually turns into a meal), 2 a.m. snack attacks (that’s the hubster!)… I could go on forever. But how else would it be with a house full of hungry guys?!
For lunch, my 3rd grader really looks forward to having a little mid-break from school– every single day. This works for both of us. This way, I know East’s filling his hungry belly. It just doesn’t happen when he’s in the chaotic lunch room. You wouldn’t believe how many children I’ve witnessed get a tray full of food, sit down for 2 minutes, and get up to throw it all away. Might as well just ask your child to dump the lunch money in the trash, too. Besides, it just makes me feel good in this little mommy world of mine, that I can provide him a hot healthy lunch from the peace and quiet of our home.
Throwing down the healthy, in and around the sneaky route, though.
Ham and cheese. All in one little pocket of goodness.
And in goodness, I mean– healthy kind of goodness!
These Parmesan Crusted Ham and Cheese Pockets have a tender dough surrounding melted cheese and chopped pieces of ham. The homemade dough has just the right amount of ground flaxseed mixed in with the whole wheat flour… no one will notice the sneakiness. The texture of the dough mingles with the cornmeal baked on the bottom and the Parmesan on top.
Super easy to throw together.
It takes less than 15 minutes to prepare the dough. (Full directions are in the recipe further below.)
While you let the dough rest for a few minutes, get your grated cheese and chopped ham ready to go. The dough starts rising as you’re working with it. So, no need to let these babies sit to rise… they do that in the hot oven!
Divide the ball of dough into 4 pieces.
Gently pull each ball of dough into an oblong shape with both your hands. Lay onto a clean surface and fill one half with the ham and cheese. Be sure to leave space around the edges.
Have a baking sheet ready with cornmeal sprinkled on it. This prevents the pockets from sticking to the pan AND just tastes really amazing!
When transferring the filled and sealed pockets from the clean surface to the baking sheet, use a dough scraper or a flat spatula. Gently lay the filled pockets on the cornmeal covered baking sheet. Brush the amazing garlic butter on the tops and along the sides.
Sprinkle on that Parmesan cheese! And, don’t be shy about it either.
Bake and eat!
By the way, these freeze very well after baking!
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup very warm water, 110 degrees
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1/4 cup milk (which ever you prefer)
- 2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
- 3/4 to 1 cup white bread flour
- 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
- 1/2 pound ham, sliced and chopped
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese
- 2 tablespoons cornmeal
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 cup grated Parmesan
- Put yeast and sugar in a small bowl, add the warm water and stir. Set aside for 10 minutes to bubble up and proof.
- Heat the milk (warm to the touch) with 2 tablespoons of butter, until melted. Set aside.
- Put bread flour, whole wheat flour, flaxseed, and salt into a large mixing bowl.
- Stir and dissolve the honey into the proofed yeast. (It will deflate a little and that is okay.)
- Add the proofed yeast with honey, milk and butter mixture, and beaten egg into the flour mixture. Mix by hand or with a dough hook on low speed. Keep mixing until the dough has pulled away from the sides of the bowl. (About 5 minutes.) Add additional flour one tablespoon at a time, if needed.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Take dough out of the bowl and set onto a clean surface. Do not flour the surface. Allow to rest on surface with the empty bowl setting on to cover the dough for 5 minutes. (This allows elasticity in the dough for stretching.)
- Cut the dough into quarters, making 4 pieces of dough.
- When flattening each ball of dough, simply hold it between your hands and work it out with your fingers in an oblong motion. Your dough may end up in an oblong or a rectangle.
- Fill one half of each flattened piece of dough with the ham and cheese. Be sure to leave enough room near the edges to fold and pinch them together.
- *Pinch and fold together the edges closed. Use a dough scraper or a flat spatula to lift up the filled dough.
- Sprinkle cornmeal on a covered baking sheet.
- Put each pocket onto the baking sheet, 1/2 inch to an inch apart.
- Add the garlic powder to 2 tablespoons of melted butter.
- Brush melted garlic butter on the tops of dough and sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese on the top.
- Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Or until golden brown on the tops.
- *How to pinch and seal the ends of the dough together: Press the top piece of dough with your left finger and pull up the bottom piece of dough with your right hand to fold up and over.
- For freezing, wrap individually after baked and completely cooled.
- Recipe may easily be doubled for more cheesy pockets to go around!
Enjoy baking and eating these ham and cheese filled pockets of goodness!
For more stuffed inspirations, you may just want to run to the kitchen to make these below too…
Buffalo Chicken Alfredo Pizza Pockets
Homemade Stuffed Pizza Pockets
I’m sharing my Parmesan Crusted Ham and Cheese Pockets with these link parties!
Look {and click} below who featured my recipe!!
It’s the same way in my house even without kids. My husband is an eating machine. These cheese pockets would be a perfect weekend snack. Even I’m drooling over that melty cheese. Pinning!
Jen @ Baked by an Introvert recently posted…Baked Peach Almond Oatmeal Cups
I invite you to share this yumminess at Katherines Corner ( you can still link up until midnight tonight) Hugs!
Katherines Corner recently posted…Room Design Giveaway and Interview with Deborah DiMare Rosenberg
Yumm.. I would love them for lunch 🙂
Medeja recently posted…Rabarbarų Pudingas su Morengine KepurÄ—le/ Rhubarb Pudding with Meringue Topping
Gloria, these look amazing, and I absolutely need to make these some time soon! My kids would be in heaven…and so would I. 🙂 Pinned.
Those look so amazing, and they’re healthy too!! I might just have to show up at your 24 hour cafe and give them a try sometime. 😉
Lisa @ Cooking with Curls recently posted…Chicken Enchilada Pasta
Oh wow these look divine! Will you make some for me and send them to work in my lunch box? 🙂
Julie @ Julie’s Eats & Treats recently posted…Thursday JEMs {Julie’s Easy Meal Plans} 1/22/15
I’m loving these pockets, Gloria! I bake with whole-wheat flour all the time, and I love how you snuck in some flax, too! I teach 3rd grade, and I totally know what you mean about the food waste. The kids don’t have nearly long enough to eat in the lunchroom. Pinning!
Kristine @ Kristine’s Kitchen recently posted…3-Ingredient Slow Cooker Taco Chicken
These look awesome and a fun challenge to try. I’m a new food blogger and found you on a link party. I’ve followed your social sites and hope we can connect on those. Can’t wait to read more of your blog! Becky
Becky at Cooking with Vinyl recently posted…On Tour: Schnucks Cooking School
Oh my goodness these look so yummy! My mom has been asking me to buy Hot Pockets but I’m reluctant. I think a homemade version is in order. Pinning 🙂
Meaghan | Cook. Craft. Love. recently posted…Red Velvet Trifle
Omg, these look SO good! And way easier than I originally thought they would be. Pinned and stumbled!
Found you on Showcase Your Talent. Thanks for sharing!
Chelsey recently posted…Easy DIY Robe Hanger
These ham and cheese pockets sound amazingly delicious! If you had a spare moment, I would be delighted if you’d drop this (and anything else you’d like to share) by at the #PureBlogLove anything goes link party! You can find me here: http://picnicnz.blogspot.co.nz/
Nicole Neverman recently posted…PureBlogLove Link Party – Week 19
Wow, these look amazing! That’s great that they freeze well too. I’ll be pinning this to make in the future. Stopping by from the Pin Junkie link up! -Jess
Jessica recently posted…Indoor Activities for Toddlers
These look delicious. I will definitely make them for my ham and cheese loving family of 8! I found you on Your Homebased Mom.
Love these! My kids would love them and they are perfect when you are on the go! Thanks for sharing them at #FoodieFriDIY…sending some foodie love your way!
Michelle @ A Dish of Daily Life recently posted…6 Reasons the Everyday Cook Needs Yummly
These sound awesome, Gloria! My kiddos would love these!