Spinach, Artichoke and Chicken Hand Pies
Everyone loves hot spinach and artichoke dip, but it's even better as the filling in a crisp, buttery puff pastry hand pie. These are so easy to make and are perfect for a lunch or casual dinner party.
Servings: 6 to 8 pies
Equipment
- 1 large mixing bowl
- 1 Rolling Pin
- 2 baking trays
Ingredients
For the pastry:
- 2 packages frozen puff pastry (2 10" X 15" sheets) 1-1/2 boxes are needed for 8 pies - if you have 1 box, 2 sheets is enough for 6 pies)
- 1 large egg
- All-purpose flour for dusting
- Sesame or poppy seeds for garnish (optional)
For the filling:
- 8 oz cream cheese room temperature
- 1/2 cup sour cream (4 oz)
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise (4 oz)
- 3 medium garlic cloves grated or minced
- 1/4 cup finely shredded parmesan cheese (25 g)
- 6 oz Gruyére or Cheddar, grated (about 1 1/4 cups)
- 4 oz low moisture mozzarella, grated (about 1 cup)
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce (eg Franks, Crystal)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 14 oz artichoke hearts (not marinated) (1 can, drained, squeezed to expel the excess liquid, and chopped)
- 10 oz frozen spinach (cut leaf, if possible) (thawed, squeezed to expel excess liquid; see note.)
- 1 1/2 cups cooked, shredded chicken (omit for vegetarian) (8 oz or about half a rotisserie bird)
Instructions
- Thaw the pastry overnight in the refrigerator, or according to package directions. (Take your cream cheese out of the fridge too, you'll need it soft.) Keep the pastry chilled until you're ready to roll it out. Line two baking sheets with parchment and set aside.
- In a large bowl, stir together the cream cheese, sour cream and mayonnaise, garlic, parmesan, gruyere, mozzarella, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper until fully combined.
- Squeeze out any excess liquid from the artichokes and spinach and stir them in, along with the shredded chicken. (The filling can be made a day or two ahead.)
- In a small bowl, beat the egg with 2 teaspoons of water and set aside.
- Place a 10" X 15" puff pastry sheet on a floured work surface and lightly roll it out to about 12” x 17”. Trim the edges if you want. Cut the long side into thirds and the short side in half to make six equal rectangles.
- Mound about 3/4 cup (200g) of the mixture (if making 8 pies; use about a cup if making 6 pies) in the center of half the pastry sheets, spreading it out evenly but leaving about a 1-inch clean border along all four sides. Brush borders of pastry with egg wash. Place the top rectangles over the filling, lining up the edges as best you can. Press edges with a fork to seal them shut. Repeat the last two steps with the rest of the pastry sheets to make all your pies.
- Carefully move the pies to the baking sheets and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes and up to a day (cover in plastic wrap if chilling overnight).
- Heat oven to 400ºF and set a rack in the middle (if both sheets don’t fit on one rack, use upper and lower racks, and swap trays halfway through baking). Lightly brush tops of the pies with egg wash, and sprinkle with sesame seeds or poppy seeds, if desired. Use a sharp knife to cut 3 small slits in the top of each pie to let the steam escape.
- Bake until the pastry is puffed, golden brown and cooked through, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes on baking sheet. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Video
Notes
Cut leaf spinach is less chopped and has the best texture for this dip. If you can’t find it, chopped spinach is a fine substitute.
These are a great make-ahead option. The Spinach Artichoke Dip can be made up to 2 days ahead. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate.
Once filled, the pies can be refrigerated overnight, or even frozen for a couple of months. Freeze on the baking tray, then once frozen, transfer to an airtight container or bag. Allow to thaw for an our or two, then bake until golden brown.
The baked pies are also fantastic reheated. Place in a low (275ºF oven) until crisp and hot inside, about 10 to 15 minutes.
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