Many of us know that a way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, so do your man a favor and make him these Spicy Date Night Hand Pies! Pack up your picnic basket with these flavorful pies, a side salad, and a nice Pinot Noir or Malbec (or both), and plan out a nice little spot to take your date. Last night I picked up my husband from work and took him to Fiesta Island for a sunset picnic, and he gave these little hand pies two thumbs up!
Ingredients
For the Puff Pastry: Do yourself a favor and pick up two to three boxes of Pepperridge Farm Puff Pastry Sheets in the Frozen Foods Section. You could make your own, but ain’t nobody got time for that! Before making the meaty filling, unwrap the puff pastry and place the frozen and folded (do not unfold until they are thawed out) on the counter to thaw.
For the Meaty Filling:
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 2 cups chunky salsa (I used one glass jar of chunky salsa from Trader Joe’s)
- 3 tbsp of chopped black olives
- Salt
- Pepper
- Cholula hot sauce
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp water
- 1 cup shredded jack cheese
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
2. In a pan, brown chicken until cooked, about 5 minutes
3. Pour in black olives, mix and then add the salsa, stir, cook about 5 minutes more
4. Season with salt, pepper, and hot sauce to taste, set aside
5. Unfold the thawed pastry dough on parchment paper
6. Using a biscuit cutter, cut out rounds (I got four rounds out of one sheet)
7. Place a pinchful of shredded cheese on the round, and a heaping tablespoon in the center of each round
8. Fold dough over filling to make a half circle
9. Crimp ends with a fork or hands
10. Place pies on a greased baking sheet, or ungreased Silpat
11. In a small bowl, whisk together egg and water
12. Brush each pie with egg wash
13. Bake for about 20-25 minutes, until golden
14. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly on a wire rack
15. Enjoy!
