Ham and Cheese Puff Pastry Tarts are savory, delicious and so easy to make! A holiday brunch favorite with only six ingredients. Ready to eat in just 30 minutes because we're using store-bought puff pastry as a shortcut.
I'm a huge fan of "puff pastry everything" on holidays, baby and wedding showers, or any special brunch. It makes recipes look so fancy, yet it is super simple because I always buy store-bought puff pastry dough.
I usually make these alongside my Brioche French Toast Casserole, so I have something sweet and something savory. Both recipes are between 5-10 minutes to prep, then the oven does the work.
For more puff pastry brunch recipes, check out these Puff Pastry Egg Tarts, Berry Puff Pastry Tarts, and Asparagus Puff Pastry.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe:
- Minimal Ingredients. You only need 6 easy ingredients!
- Simple to Make. Just a few instructions to follow, then these are off to the oven for baking.
- Quick. 10 minutes to prep, then less than 20 minutes to bake.
- A Holiday Favorite. These Ham and Cheese Tarts look elegant and bakery quality, and no one has to know how easier they were to make. We will keep that between you and me.🤪
For more popular brunch recipes, try my Bacon Gruyere Egg Bites, Spinach Artichoke Quiche, and Cajun Deviled Eggs.
Ingredients:
Deli Ham: I always go with Boar's Head Ham and I like it sliced thin for this recipe. This was their tavern ham and it turned out great!
Havarti Cheese: Pairs nicely with ham and is really creamy when it melts.
Puff Pastry: Highly recommend the Jus Rol brand, which is in the refrigerated section in the grocery store, near the eggs. It comes fresh, not frozen.
*For the full recipe ingredients and quantities, visit the recipe card below.
Substitutions and Variations:
- Choose a ham flavor that pairs well with cheese, like Black Forest, tavern, etc. I wouldn't suggest a flavor like maple.
- Feel free to use other cheeses, like Fontina or Swiss.
- Frozen puff pastry can be used for this recipe, but make sure to let it thaw completely.
- If you don't like mayonnaise, you can use only Dijon Mustard. However, I promise when you mix the two together it doesn't taste like mayo.Even my 10 year old ate these and she didn't notice the mayo..and believe me, she always notices the mayo.
How to Make Ham and Cheese Puff Pastry:
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk (or use a fork) to mix the egg and water until combined and frothy.
Step 2: In another bowl, stir together mayonnaise, dijon mustard, and salt and pepper to create the sauce.
Step 3: (1) Prepare a large full size baking sheet with parchment paper, or 2 half sized cookie sheets (you will have to do two batches this way). Use a pizza cutter to slice the down the center of puff pastry (vertical), then make 3 cuts the opposite way (horizontal) to create 8 equal sized tarts. (2) Transfer the puff pastry rectangles to the cookie sheet, spacing them out so they aren't touching. Take a fork and prick the centers of the pastry, leaving the outer 1 inch border untouched. (3). Add 1 slice of ham to the center, then spread on a few teaspoons of the dijon mustard mayo sauce, then top with a sprinkle of cheese. (4) Fold the corner inch or two of the pastries up over the ham and cheese. Repeat for all the pastries.
Step 4: Brush the corners and borders of each pastry with the egg wash. Bake for 17-20 minutes until golden brown.
Step 5: Allow the pastries to cool for five minutes.
Step 6: Serve and enjoy! You could also top them with a garnish of chopped parsley or chives.
Expert Tips:
- Leave the puff pastry in the fridge until right before using it. It gets sticky as it comes to room temperature and is harder to work with. Also, don't freak out if it's not perfect because baking them will fix the imperfections.
- Shred the cheese from a block for the best melt. I never recommend bagged cheeses because they use so many preservatives and it doesn't melt well.
For more ham and cheese recipes, try these Ham and Cheese Crescent Rolls, Ham and Swiss Croissants, and Cheesy Ham and Hashbrown Casserole.
More Brunch Recipes to Try:
If you tried this Ham and Cheese Puff Pastry Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you!
PrintRecipe
Savory Ham and Cheese Puff Pastry Tarts
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 8 tarts 1x
Description
Ham and Cheese Puff Pastry Tarts are savory, delicious and so easy to make! A holiday brunch favorite with only six ingredients. Ready to eat in just 30 minutes because we're using store-bought puff pastry as a shortcut.
Ingredients
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon water
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon salt (optional, because the ham is salty too)
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- 13 ounce thawed puff pastry dough (Jus-rol brand recommended)
- 8 slices thinly sliced deli ham (recommend tavern or Black Forest)
- 1 heaping cup of havarti cheese, shredded from a block (about 4 ounces)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk (or use a fork) to mix the egg and water together until combined and frothy.
- In another bowl, stir mayonnaise, dijon mustard, and salt and pepper to create the sauce.
- (1) Prepare a large full size baking sheet with parchment paper, or 2 half sized cookie sheets (will have to do two batches this way). Use a pizza cutter to slice the down the center of puff pastry (vertical), then make 3 cuts the opposite way (horizontal) to create 8 equal sized tarts. (2) Transfer the puff pastry rectangles to the cookie sheet, spacing them out so they aren't touching. Take a fork and prick the centers of the pastry, leaving the outer 1 inch border untouched. (3). Add 1 slice of ham to the center, then spread on a few teaspoons of the dijon mustard sauce, then top with a sprinkle of cheese. (4) Fold the corner inch or two of the pastries up over the ham and cheese. Repeat for all the pastries.
- Brush the corners and borders of each pastry with the egg wash. Bake for 17-20 minutes until golden brown.
- Allow the pastries to cool for five minutes.
- Serve and enjoy! You could also top them with a garnish of chopped parsley or chives.
Notes
- Leave the puff pastry in the fridge until right before using it. It gets sticky as it comes to room temperature and is harder to work with. Also, don't freak out if it's not perfect because baking them will fix the imperfections.
- Shred the cheese from a block for the best melt. I never recommend bagged cheeses because they use so many preservatives and it doesn't melt well.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: brunch
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
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