30 Easy and Impressive Frozen Puff Pastry Recipes

Meg Favreau — Fri, 28 Feb 2014 01:05:11 +0000

I love to bake from scratch, but one of my favorite guilty pleasures and last-minute dinner party tricks is frozen puff pastry. It's fast, flaky, and deliciously buttery; and it can be used to make impressive-looking savory and sweet dishes. (See also: 23 Microwaveable Desserts)

Savory

From elegant hors d'oeuvres to main dishes, puff pastry can help you impress dinner party guests fast.

1. Butternut Squash Tart With Fried Sage

I love the crisp texture and taste of fried sage, which is paired with butternut squash, shaved Parmesan, and hot chili honey in this unique savory tart.

2. Baked Eggs in Puff Pastry Cups

These eggs in puff pastry cups would make a really lovely light brunch dish, possibly paired with some fruit.

3. Brie in Puff Pastry With Cherries, Pecans, and Rosemary

I love savory-sweet combinations that incorporate rosemary, so I'm especially excited about this twist on the classic brie-in-puff-pastry. Put this out at a party, and it will be eaten fast.

4. Parmesan Rosemary Puff Pastry Straws

These straws combine mustard, cheese, and rosemary with puff pastry and could be used as an appetizer or a replacement for rolls. (See also: Simple Seafood Appetizers)

5. Caramelized Onion and Apple Tarts

I love caramelized anything, and especially onions. They're combined with apple and Gruyere cheese in these tarts suitable for a first course.

6. Chicken Pot Pie

This puff-pastry-topped chicken pot pie makes enough for a big family.

7. Cranberry Turkey Puff Pastry Bites

These little cranberry-turkey puff pastry bites are a great way to reuse Thanksgiving leftovers (or give yourself the taste of Thanksgiving any other time of the year). (See also: Fancy Ways to Use Leftover Food)

8. Chicken and Black Bean Empanadas

If you're looking for a quick-and-tasty recipe to bring to a potluck or have around for a football-watching party, these chicken and black bean empanadas are a great selection.

9. Oxtail Tatin

This epic oxtail tatin combines oxtail with cognac, thyme, juniper berries, and tomatoes to create a lovely dish for fall or winter.

10. Spinach Cheese Casserole

The home chef's photo that accompanies this spinach cheese casserole is not going to win any food photography contests, but it's hard to go wrong with a combination of spinach, cheese, and puff pastry.

11. Beef Wellington

I'm not sure what the story behind the full name of these "Well Deserved, Well Dressed Individual Beef Wellingtons" recipe is, but it makes for a rich and impressive main course.

12. Mini Quiches With Fresh Herbs

This mini quiche appetizer comes directly from puff pastry producers Pepperidge Farm.

13. Kale and Olive Tarts

I love the salty combination of olives and feta in these dinner-party-worthy kale and olive tarts. (See also: Easy Kale Recipes)

14. Crab Pot Pie

A nautical twist on the traditional pot pie, these crab pot pies are quick thanks to the use of store-bought soup.

Sweet

I love buttery desserts, which means I really love puff pastry desserts. Try some of these quick and excellent recipes. (See also: Fast "Fake" Desserts)

15. Palmiers

These pastries might be the simplest impressive thing you ever make — all you need for tasty, flaky palmiers is frozen puff pastry and sugar.

16. Pumpkin Spice Palmiers

If the previous recipe is too plain for you, check out these pumpkin spice palmiers.

17. Napoleons

Pastry cream and puff pastry layers are piled high in these classic Napoleons.

18. Nutella Tart

This Nutella tart recipe is fast, easy, and especially awesome because it combines two of the world's best ready-to-go ingredients: puff pastry and Nutella.

19. Pineapple and Dulche de Leche Torta

So many sweet puff pastry recipes use what are sometimes considered "traditional" dessert flavors — fruits you'd normally see in pie fillings, like apples and cherries. That's why I'm excited by this pineapple-based puff pastry dessert. (See also: Delicious Ways to Use Pineapple)

20. Cinnamon-Sugar Puff Pastry Wheels

Food blogger The Baker's Daughter recommends serving these cinnamon-sugar puff pastry wheels for afternoon tea.

21. Malted Strawberry Puff Pastry Dessert

I love the taste of malt in desserts — and I think it would be perfect paired with flaky pastry and berries in the strawberry and puff pastry dessert.

22. Ginger Pear Puff Pastry Tart

This zingy tart features thinly sliced pears and goes well with vanilla ice cream or fresh whipped cream.

23. Apple Pie With Puff Pastry Crust

Add an extra-flaky twist to your traditional apple pie by using puff pastry for the crust.

24. Upside-Down Puff Pastry and Cranberry Tart

Tart cranberries mix with brown sugar and puff pastry in this Thanksgiving-worthy cranberry tart.

25. Puff Pastry Cornucopias

This recipe for puff pastry cornucopias also includes a recipe for a pumpkin-coconut mousse to stuff them with, but you could easily replace that with your own favorite filling.

26. Puff-Pastry Stars

These puff-pastry stars, originally made for the Fourth of July, would be awesome at any time of the year — maybe with some cooked spiced pears in the winter?

27. Baked Pears in Puff Pastry

These baked pears in puff pastry would make a gorgeous dinner party dessert — and they're super simple.

28. Cronut-Inspired Puff Pastry Donuts

The Wise Bread staff talks a LOT about cronuts, so I was excited to find these puff-pastry shortcuts to the infamous croissant donuts.

29. Chocolate Velvet Torte

This rich chocolate torte uses puff pastry as a crust.

30. Puff Pastry From Scratch

If you don't want to mess with the pre-packaged frozen stuff, check out this recipe for making puff pastry dough from scratch.

What's your favorite way to save time with frozen puff pastry? Hurry and share with us in comments!

Like this article? Pin it!

This article is from Meg Favreau of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread: