What to do with puff pastry shells as a side dish? Too plain by themselves?!
What to do with puff pastry shells as a side dish? Too plain by themselves?
Ok this may sound weird to some people, but my grandma used to serve them as a side sometimes. If I am baking chicken (no sauce), and serving a green salad on the side, would also serving a pepperidege farm puff pasty shell as the "bread" be too plain??? Are there any very easy things I could do with the shell to make it taste good enough to eat alone?? I dont want to have to make a gravy. Thank you! :)
Answers:
You could fill them with rice, flavor them with some garlic butter, or melt cheese into them.
Easy - bake the puff pastry shells and then fill with a light pasta salad (rotini). Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Or, to make a nice side dish, fill the unbaked puff pastry shells with a mixture of spinach, swiss and cheddar cheeses and make mini quiches. These will go with any dish.
I would amp them up a little bit...how about filling them with cheese and spinach....this will make them more of a true side...
12 frozen puff pastry shells, unthawed
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup whole milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (16-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 1/4 cups grated Fontina cheese
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
3 to 5 green onions, finely chopped
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Line a heavy large baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange the frozen pastry shells on the baking sheet and bake until they puff and become golden brown, about 20 minutes. Using a small knife, cut out the center of the pastry shells.
Meanwhile, stir the cream, milk, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Stir in the spinach, Fontina cheese, Parmesan, and green onions. Spoon the spinach mixture into the baked pastry shells. Bake until the pastries are golden brown and the filling is hot, about 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer the pastries to a platter and serve.
Enjoy!!
Spoon a LITTLE fudge sauce into the bottom of the shell.
Make Instant vanilla Pudding and spoon it into the shells. Leave some room on top for.... FRESH Strawberries!!! Sprinkle a little confectioner's sugar on top
Invite me over.
Sounds like a job for the Jolly Green Giant, Broccoli with Cheese sauce. Either bake them as normal slice in half add a spoonful of the broccoli and cover, or lay the pastries out on your sheet, Tbs of the veggie pull the corners over and pinch, bake as directed.
Crust Topped Broccoli Cheese Bake
1/2 cup (1/2 of an 8oz tub) Philadelphia Chive & Onion cream cheese spread
1 can (10-3/4oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup water
2 pkg (16 oz each) frozen broccoli florets, thawed, drained
1 cup Kraft shredded cheddar cheese
1 thawed frozen puff pastry sheet (1/2 of 17.3 oz pkg)
1 egg, lightly beaten
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix cream cheese spread, soup and water until well blended
Stir in broccoli & cheddar cheese
Spoon into a 2 1/2 to 3qt rectangular or shallow oval baking dish. On a lightly floured surface, roll sheet of pastry to fit baking dish. Cover completely with puff pastry sheet. Press pastry edges against rim of dish to seal. Brush entire surface lightly with egg. Pierce with knife 5 to 6 times to vent.
Bake 30 minutes or until heated through and pastry is puffed and golden brown
Tips:
Make ahead:
Assemble a day ahead; cover. Refrigerate overnight. When ready to serve, bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.
Substitute:
Prepare as directed, using Philadelphia Chive & Onion light cream cheese spread and Kraft 2% Milk shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese.
PARMESAN PUFF PASTRY TWISTS
1 package puff pastry sheets
1 egg, beaten
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Cayenne pepper to taste
Unwrap sheet of puff pastry. Store remaining sheet in refrigerator or freezer. Brush pastry sheet with beaten egg and sprinkle with Parmesan and cayenne. Cut into 1/2-inch strips across the long side of the pastry. Twist the pastry and bake at 400 degrees F on a greased cookie sheet for about 10 minutes or until golden brown.
Fill them with any store bought dip
Spinach, or herbed cheese
This is probably the equivalent of Yorkshire pudding in gramma's eyes.
You could make them an appetizer by filling the centre with a dollop of cream cheese and a sprig of dill, or split them for buttering.
They're not too weird to serve alone tho
sprinkled them with some parmesan cheese & herbs
before baking them
or filled them with sautee or roasted veggies or even whipped or soufleed potatoes
Boil boneless and skinless chicken and cut into cubes.Add to a pot of cambells cream of chicken soup (only dilute slightly. you want to keep it thick.) add peas and pimentos simmer till hot and fil puff pastries. excellent taste and simple and easy.
use them for twice baked potatoes, bake your potatoes, scoop the potato out and mix it with some cream, butter , diced green onions, grated cheddar cheese and salt and pepper bake till the cheese gets bubbly. Yummy!
How about cutting them in strips, brushing with butter, garlic and any other herb you like and baking them as a fast bread?
Before cooking, spread garlic butter on them. Maybe even sprinkle a little bit of cheese on them.
Or you can fill them with roasted veggies.
You can make a mini tart with the puff pastry... Just sprinkle some swiss cheese on the pastry and layer asparagus on top of that. Put in the oven and bake! Yummy!