Portable snack perfection.
A good food mash-up is always magical, but these jalapeño popper rice pockets go above and beyond. Storebought puff pastry is stuffed with creamy jalapeño chicken and rice filling to create the perfect portable snack.
These pockets are inspired by several people: my grandmother, whose chip-crusted chicken and rice casserole was always a hit in my house when I was a kid; my husband, whose jalapeño popper mac and cheese is the stuff of legends; and my boss at Delish, who loves stuffing anything and everything inside puff pastry. Put all that together, and you end up with this:
Crisp, golden puff pastry pockets loaded with cheesy jalapeño-studded chicken and rice. Crunchy on the outside, soft and creamy in the inside, they’re the perfect party appetizer, mid-afternoon snack, or even light lunch on a day when you need to grab something quick.
This recipe makes 12, but don’t worry—you don’t have to bake them all immediately. Make the filling, shape and stuff the pockets, and then freeze any that you don’t want to bake immediately. Freeze individually on a baking sheet until they’re solid, then safely store them in an airtight container or plastic bag. You can bake them off from frozen as you please. Tada: you’ve just made your own ready-made hot pockets!
Enjoy!
Jalapeño Popper Rice Pockets
(Makes 12)
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour, plus more for the surface
1 cup whole milk
1 oz. cream cheese
¾ tsp. kosher salt, plus more
½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper, plus more
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 jalapeño, seeded (optional) and finely chopped
1 ¼ cup cooked rice
1 ¼ cup (6 oz) cooked chopped chicken breast
2 sheets puff pastry (from a 17.3-oz package), thawed
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp. cold water
Method
In a medium pot over medium heat, melt butter. Add flour and stir until a thick, bubbling paste forms, about 1 minute. Whisk in milk. Bring to a boil, whisking, and whisk until thickened, 1-2 minutes. Stir in cream cheese until melted, then remove from heat and stir in cheese, jalapeño, and salt until cheese is completely melted into the sauce. Fold in rice and chicken breast, then remove from heat and let cool completely.
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one sheet puff pastry to a 12”x12” rectangle. Slice in thirds, yielding three 4”x12” rectangles, then cut each rectangle into two smaller 4”x6” rectangles. Repeat the rolling and cutting out with the remaining puff pastry sheet.
Position a puff pastry rectangle with long side parallel to you. Spoon ¼ cup filling into right side of the rectangles. Brush edges of right side of the rectangle with egg wash and fold other side of rectangle over the filling, as if closing a book. Using fork tines, press the edges shut to seal. Transfer hand pie to one of the prepared baking sheet and repeat with remaining puff pastry rectangles and filling, spacing shaped pies evenly between the two sheets. Freeze 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk egg with 1 teaspoon cold water and a pinch of salt until blended. Remove hand pies from the freezer and brush with egg wash. With a sharp knife, cut two diagonal slits across the top of each and sprinkle with salt and black pepper.
Bake 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown and puffed. Serve warm.
Originally posted February 18, 2023.