ready-made Puff pastry, what (easy) things can I make with it?

[JuicyLips]

Lazy I know, I impulse bought it doing the food shop on Monday and have literally no idea what I can make with it. any tips and ideas would be gratefully recieved.

Thanks!

Ready made puff pastry is fab stuff .... I know it's lazy but I always have some in the freezer.

In the winter I use it to top pies, chicken and veg is a favourite in our house. I also use it to make tuna puffs for DS's packed lunch at school. Basically take two tins of tuna, mix with about 4 ounces of grated cheese and make up lots of triangular pockets, seal with milk and bake in the oven for about 10 mins. A Great way to use up left over chilli and curry too.

Basically usse it for any pastry that calls for puff paastry. Just amke sure you defrost it first.

I unroll it onto a baking sheet.

score a line about 1/2 inch all around the edges

then spread a few dollops of tomato purree, add what ever I have in the cupboard.

ie (pre cooked) onion, (pre cooked) chicken/ham/bacon cherry tomatoes, chopped aubergine, mushroom, courgette, peppers etc etc and cover with lots of grated cheese

pop in the oven at about 200 for 1/2 hour ish until it looks cooked

delicious hot with new pots and salad or cold the next day in packed lunches

Make a tart/pizza thing with anything you have to hand at all.

Roll out, score a border, prick inside.
Spread base with pesto, tomato puree, jam (if doing a sweet thing).
Chuck on meat, fish, cheese, veggies/fruit in any combo you like.
Stick in the oven for 20 mins.

If you're doing it for snacks or guests cut individual portions first. Easy!

x po.st

ooh thanks shelscrape, loving those ideas, I always have left over curry too, as I tend to do the portion amounts when making it so that'd be good.

i roll out and top with the following
thinly sliced leeks cooked in grain mustard & white wine
cooked bacon
cooked mushrooms
top with grated cheese
leave a cm gap around the edge
pop in oven for 20-25 mins
such an easy dinner but tastes and looks rather impressive (if i do say so myself!)

Thanks, Furball and doughnutty all the ideas sound so good!

Where to start, I love ready made puff pastry!!

As a base for a million kinds of tarts/pizzas - roll out to the size of a baking sheet, score about 2cm from the edge on all sides, spread base with something (tomato paste, pesto, jarred pasta sauce, creme fraiche, olive tapende, etc), arrange anything you like on top (sliced veg (courgettes, aubergine, peppers, tomatoes particularly good), anchovies, olives, sun dried tomatoes, fried onions, slices of ham, pepperoni, bacon) and then bake for about 15 minutes. Take out of the oven and top with cheese (anything that will melt nicely works fine - mozzarella, gruyere, mild cheddar, blue cheese, brie, taleggio etc). Place back in oven till the cheese melts and the edges are brown. This is great for a kid's activity too because the pastry cooks so fast so it's ready really soon after kids make their own pizzas.

You can do the same but with sweet things to make desserts - slices of apple/peach/nectarine/plum/etc dusted with sugar and spice (like so: thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/05/quick-easy-and-yummy-apple-tart/). If you make pie filling and fold over the puff pastry you'll get turnovers or hand pies (recipe here for fried ones like McD's: www.evilshenanigans.com/2010/10/apple-fried-pies-made-with-puff-pastry/)

Make your own sausage rolls - take sausages out of their casings, mix with minced onion/mustard powder/garlic/herbs if you like, spread inside of puff pastry with grain mustard (optional), brush opposite edges of pastry with water to stick and roll up into long sausage. Snip into sausage roll size with scissors and place seam side down on a baking tray, brush top with egg, in oven till tops are dark golden and pastry is puffed up.

And there's always making things in pastry for dinner - salmon, cod, beef etc.

Whoops, x posted with about everyone...

Thanks all! may have to try making a tart first I think!