Homemade Ham and Cheese Hot Pockets are so much better than store-bought. Just a few simple ingredients are needed for the best ham and cheddar hot pockets baked in the oven. No preservatives or mystery ingredients! Great for lunch or dinner.
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What Makes Ham and Cheese Hot Pockets the Perfect Snack
Eating on the go is part of the American way of life. Whether rushing to work or trying to get your kids fed on the way to their next activity, having a great, homemade meal you can bring with you is a must.
Most of us grew up eating Hot Pockets. Back then, they were cheap, and we weren’t so concerned about nutrition. Today Hot Pockets are pricey, and everyone wants to avoid preservatives and other additives.
Why This Is the Recipe You Must Try for Homemade Hot Pockets
The pizza dough in this recipe is the way to go since it gives you a substantial yet delicious crust that can contain the ingredients without leaking. Other pocket sandwich recipes use puffed pastry or even suggest pressing two slices of white bread together.
Puffed pastry crusts are scrumptious, but have a ton of calories. And using bread slices is just a sealed sandwich! This recipe gives you the authentic Hot Pocket crust you expect.
Ham and Cheese Hot Pocket Ingredients
To make Hot Pockets Ham and Cheese sandwiches, you’ll need:
- Pizza dough
- Sliced deli ham – can be honey, Virginia, or hickory ham.
- Cheddar cheese – use sharp cheddar for a stronger flavor
- Egg
- Water
Ingredient Notes
You can make your pizza dough if you want, but pre-made refrigerated dough will save you a lot of time.
Feel free to substitute a different kind of cheese if you don’t like cheddar.
Ask the butcher to cut the ham into quarter-inch thick slices to make dicing the ham into perfect quarter-inch cubes straightforward.
How to Make Ham and Cheese Hot Pockets
To prepare homemade Ham and Cheese Hot Pockets:
- Take the dough out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature. Remember to cover the dough to prevent it from drying out.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Cut the ham into quarter-inch dice.
- Make an egg wash by whisking the egg and water in a bowl.
- Lightly flour the work surface.
- Roll the room temperature dough into a snake about a foot long. Use a bench scraper or knife to divide the dough in half. Then divide each half into quarters and each quarter in half again. You will end up with eight pieces of equal size.
- Place one piece of dough on the floured work surface and cover the extra dough to prevent it from drying.
- Flour a rolling pin and roll the dough piece into a rectangle about 5 inches from side-to-side and 6 inches from top-to-bottom.
- Fold the slice of cheese in half and place it in the center of the top half of the dough rectangle.
- Sprinkle an eighth of the cubed ham on top of the cheese.
- Brush the edges of the dough with egg wash and bring the bottom half of the dough up and over the filling. Seal the Hot Pocket by pressing the edges together.
- Repeat with the rest of the dough.
- Grease a baking sheet and place the homemade ham and cheese pockets on top.
- Brush with the egg wash and cut two short diagonal slits in the middle of each Hot Pocket to let the steam escape.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until nicely brown.
- Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes and serve.
Possible Recipe Variations
You can put almost anything in these homemade Hot Pockets, but there are two essential points to remember:
- Resist the urge to overfill. Ensure there is at least a quarter-inch border of dough around the filling to prevent the Hot Pockets from coming apart in the oven.
- Avoid using too many wet ingredients. If you want to use vegetables, precook and drain them thoroughly. Limit the quantity of sauce you use.
- Use reduced fat cheddar cheese. This will reduce the amount of fat and keep the hot pockets from being too greasy.
Three simple yet creative flavor variations:
- Turkey and Cranberry Relish
- Spinach and Feta Cheese
- Shredded Buffalo Chicken and Blue Cheese
- Broccoli and Mozzarella Cheese
- Ham and Swiss Cheese
What To Serve With Ham and Cheese Hot Pockets
Choose a side that you would eat with a ham and cheese sandwich. Potato chips, potato salad, a simple green salad, or coleslaw are all ideal. Serve with a large glass of sweet iced tea to complete the meal.
How To Make Homemade Hot Pockets Ahead of Time
For the best results, you need to freeze the Hot Pockets quickly after baking them:
- Place a baking tray in the freezer overnight.
- Follow the instructions as written. After baking, cool them on a wire rack for about 15 minutes.
- Spray the chilled baking tray with cooking spray and transfer the Hot Pockets onto it.
- Place the tray in the freezer until the Hot Pockets are frozen, about 4 hours.
- Wrap the Hot Pockets with wax paper and store them in a freezer bag for up to two months.
How To Store Hot Pockets
Homemade hot pockets are great leftovers and freezer-friendly too.
Put leftover Hot Pockets in a sealed bag and keep them in the fridge for up to 48 hours.
For longer than that, wrap room temperature homemade Hot Pockets in wax paper and freeze flat. Transfer to a freezer bag and keep for up to two months.
How Long Are Hot Pockets Good For
In the fridge, they keep for up to 48 hours, but frozen, Hot Pockets are good for up to two months.
How to Reheat Homemade Ham and Cheese Hot Pockets
The most convenient way to reheat a Hot Pocket is in a microwave:
- Wrap in a paper towel and place on a microwavable plate.
- Heat frozen Hot Pockets for 90 seconds and thawed Hot Pockets for 45 seconds.
Hot Pocket Frequently Asked Questions
The hot pocket concept was developed by Paul and David Merage as Tastywiches in 1980 for their company Chef America, Inc. In 2002, the brothers sold the brand to Nestlé.
The name of the original creation was Tastywiches, but it was changed to Hot Pockets in 1983.
Popular Recipes with Ham
Favorite Sandwich Recipes
- Air Fryer Grilled Ham and Cheese
- Arby’s Roast Beef Sandwich
- Chick Fil A Chicken Sandwich Recipe
- Country Fried Steak Sandwich
- Loose Meat Sandwiches
- Moons Over My Hammy
- Patty Melt Sandwich
- Pepperoni Hot Pockets
- Taco Bell Sandwich
- Tuna Sub
Check out more of my easy sandwich recipes and the best DIY recipes here on CopyKat!
Ham and Cheese Hot Pockets
Ingredients
- 1 pound refrigerated pizza dough or homemade pizza dough
- 8 to 12 slices cheddar cheese cut in half (or use shredded cheddar cheese)
- ½ – ¾ pound sliced deli ham honey, black forest, or whatever you prefer, chopped
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F, and spray non-stick spray on two baking sheets.
- Lightly flour a work surface.
- Divide the pizza dough into 8 equal portions, and roll each portion into a rectangle.
- Lay half a slice of cheese on one side of each rectangle, and top with a slice or two of chopped ham.
- Fold the dough over to cover the filling, and press the edges to seal the Hot Pocket.
- Make the egg wash by whisking the egg and water together in a small bowl.
- Brush the egg wash on top of each Hot Pocket.
- Make 2 slits into the top of each Hot Pocket.
- Place 4 hot pockets on each baking sheet.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown.
- Remove the baking sheets from the oven, and let the Hot Pockets set up for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before serving.
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