Cheeseburger hot pockets make fabulous comfort food! These cheeseburger hand pies with French fry topping aren’t hard to make and they boast so much flavour plus a charming homemade look.
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Take everything you love about cheeseburgers and fries and team those ingredients with puff pastry to make this unusual snack. The puff pastry pocket burger is hearty, tasty and easy to prepare.
Cheeseburger Hot Pockets Ingredients
If you have all the makings of burgers and fries but crave something a little more unique, this burger empanada recipe is ideal. The main ingredients are puff pastry sheets (rather than the buns you’d expect with burgers), thawed French fries and ground beef.
In addition you’ll need steak seasoning, pickles, cheese, mayo, mustard, ketchup, and an egg wash. Plus some lettuce, onions and tomatoes to serve.
However you like your cheeseburgers you can implement in this recipe. So if you aren’t keen on pickles or onions, for example, simply leave them out or make other adjustments. You can use hash browns or waffles instead of the French fries if you prefer. They will give a very similar flavour to the hot pockets.
How to Make Cheeseburger Hand Pies
Once you have all the cheeseburger hot pockets ingredients to hand, you can make the recipe. Lay a sheet of plastic wrap on a baking sheet them arrange the fries on top and then more plastic wrap.
Sauté the beef with the steak seasoning then drain once browned. Next cut the puff pastry sheets into rectangles, sprinkle on some shredded cheese and then add some ground beef and pickles to each one. Fold the pastry up over the burger empanada filling and seal.
Break up the fries between the sheets of plastic wrap using a meat mallet or similar then sprinkle them with salt. Brush egg wash over the pastry and press the broken-up French fry topping into the pastry.
Now you can freeze the cheeseburger hot pockets for about 10 minutes to help the fries stick to the pastry. After that you can bake the cheeseburger hand pies in the oven. The mustard, mayo and ketchup combine to make a tasty dipping sauce.
History of Hot Pockets
Whether you call them cheeseburger hot pockets, burger empanada wraps or a puff pastry pocket burger, hot pockets are a nice snack. This recipe is based on commercial hot pockets which are a type of savoury turnover. They have been around for decades and are a quick and easy snack because they are microwaveable.
There are actually 50 types of hot pockets plus other variations such as croissant crust ones and pretzel bread ones too. These snacks have been around since 1980 and the special sleeve was designed to keep the hot pockets crispy during cooking.
Puff Pastry Pocket Burger FAQs
Since this burger empanada with French fry topping is more like a snack than a main dish, it’s good served with some toppings and sauce so everyone can serve themselves. Adding tomatoes, lettuce and onion, as well as the tasty sauce, means this is a hearty and satisfying snack. If you did want a complete meal, I’d suggest adding a vegetable-based side dish such as Mexican style corn.
You can sub the ground beef for any vegetarian-friendly replacement you prefer. Ground chicken, pork or turkey would work too if you just wanted a change from beef. Else you can use something like textured vegetable protein (TVP) in its place, following the directions on the packaging which can vary depending on brand.
Good Tips for Hot Pockets
- Don’t overfill the cheeseburger hand pies since you don’t want them to explode or the filling to leak!
- Make sure the fries for the French fry topping are completely thawed before assembling the burger empanada pockets so they don’t leak water into the pies as any remaining ice melts.
- I like to poke a few holes in the top of each one before baking so steam can escape during baking.
- Get creative by adding bacon, ham or pepperoni to the cheeseburger hand pies.
Easy Cheeseburger Pockets with French Fry Topping Recipe
Easy Cheeseburger Pockets with French Fry Topping
Ingredients
- 2 Sheets puff pastry
- 26 Ounces french fries 1 bag frozen, thawed
- 1 Pound ground beef
- 1 Tablespoon steak seasoning
- 15 pickles sliced sandwich
- 8 Ounces cheddar cheese black
- ¼ Cup mayonnaise
- ¼ Cup dijon mustard
- ½ Cup ketchup
- 1 egg for egg wash
- 1 Tablespoon water for egg wash
Garnish:
- onions
- tomatoes
- lettuce
Instructions
- Lay a sheet of plastic wrap over a baking sheet twice the length of the pan. Arrange the fries in a single layer completely covering the surface, then cover with another sheet of plastic wrap. Do this with both baking sheets. Let thaw for 20 minutes.
- Add ground beef to a frying pan and season with steak seasoning. Brown and drain the ground beef. Set aside.
- Shred the cheddar cheese into a small bowl.
- Lightly flour a wooden cutting board and lay out the puff pastry sheets. Cut into 3 equal rectangular sections. Repeat with the second sheet. If using Pepperidge farms puff pastry sheets, simply cut along the fold.
- Add a layer of cheddar cheese, 3 tbsp of ground beef, and sliced pickles to the top half of each puff pastry. Fold the bottom of the pastry over the filling. Press the edges of the pastry together to seal.
- Use a brownie tin or a meat mallet to gently smash the fries. Remove the top sheet of plastic wrap and season the fries with a pinch of salt. Replace plastic wrap on one of the baking sheets.
- Whisk egg and water together for egg wash. Add egg wash to a shallow bowl. Brush each side of the pastry with the egg wash.
- Place the pastries atop the fries on the baking sheet without plastic wrap. Take the sheet with the plastic wrap on top of the fries and place it on top of the pastries. This helps to hold the fries in place. The pastries should be sandwiched between the two baking sheets. Carefully pull the plastic wrap that is between the top fries and the pastries out, while holding the sheets in place.
- Remove the top baking sheet. Gently press fries into the puff pastries. Separate using a knife and firmly press fries into the sides of the pastry.
- Place into the freezer for at least 10 minutes, or until ready to bake. This helps the fries to adhere to the sides of the pastry better before baking.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Line a baking sheet with a wire rack and set the burger hot pockets on top. Bake for 25 minutes.
- While baking, prepare a dip. Combine Mayo, mustard, and ketchup in a small bowl and whisk.
- Serve with dip.
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
Cheeseburger hot pockets, or cheeseburger hand pies, make a hearty snack. They’re much better than the frozen version from the grocery store and really deliver on flavour.
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Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a storyteller, food lover, dog mom and adventure seeker living on the Pacific coast. She shares her passion for food, dogs, fitness, adventures, travel and philanthropy, in hopes of encouraging followers to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places and stand for a cause. Bella lives with Type 1 Diabetes and Celiac Disease.
These are so clever and look delicious!