A sealed handpie that keeps the filling off a jersey
You seal the filling inside the dough and crimp the edge hard with a fork. That is the entire design, and it is why a kid can eat one over a lap in a moving car with no plate.
Let the filling cool before you fill the dough. Warm filling melts the butter in the crust and the pockets leak in the oven, which is the one way this recipe fails.
Make thirty on a Sunday and freeze them raw on a sheet pan. Bake six straight from frozen at 400°F for about twenty-eight minutes and Tuesday is done before you thought about it.
Ingredients
The batch makes 8 pockets. Plan on about 40 minutes.
- 2 cups cooked chicken, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup shredded cheese
- 1/3 cup salsa or diced tomato
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 refrigerated pie crusts or 8 empanada discs
- 1 egg, beaten, for brushing
How to Make It
- Heat the oven to 400F and line a baking sheet with parchment.
- Mix the chicken, cheese, salsa, cumin, and salt into a thick filling.
- Roll out the pie crusts and cut into eight 5-inch rounds, or use empanada discs.
- Spoon filling onto one half of each round, fold it over into a half-moon, and press the edges with a fork to seal.
- Brush the tops with beaten egg and bake 20 to 22 minutes until golden. Cool before packing for the car.
Pack It Cold and Tidy
Chicken and cheese fillings need to stay cold once the pockets cool, so pack them on ice for the ride.
- Cool the pockets fully, then pack them against two ice packs
- Keep cold food at 40F or below, and do not leave it out longer than 2 hours
- They are great at room temp, so just eat within that 2-hour window
What Stays Crisp (and What Gets Soggy)
A sealed crust keeps these neat and handheld, perfect for eating buckled in.
- Cool them on a rack so the bottoms stay flaky, not steamy
- Press the edges well so the filling does not leak out in the bag
- Pack any dipping salsa in a sealed cup so the crust stays crisp
- Serve with: salsa for dipping, a side of corn
Parent Tip
Seal the edges firmly with a fork; a tight crimp keeps the filling tucked inside on the drive.
Make it fit tonight
Small changes that make this one fit your night
Seasoned ground beef
Drain it well, because grease in the filling is what makes a pocket split.
Black beans and corn
Half a cup of each stretches a pound of chicken across four more pockets.
Ham and mozzarella
The mildest filling on the list and the one younger kids finish first.
Diced tomato instead of salsa
Gentler for a kid who says everything is spicy, and much less wet.
Egg, cheese, and sausage
Bake a tray of these for a Saturday game that starts before eight.
Plan the next step
Plan the eat-in-the-car nights
Use the planner to find the rushed evenings where dinner happens between two stops.