I accidentally got frozen puff pastry shells instead of sheets. Now what?

Cafe Society
1

Do I blind bake them and put cold stuff in? Can I fill them with savories and bake them filled from frozen? What can I fill them with? How can I fill them? Give me ideas and recipes, please.

2

Grilled Cheese Pillow

Great meal but Ellie won't eat it. She has a texture issue.

INGREDIENTS

Two sheets puff pastry
2 cups shredded cheese (cheddar for classic flavor; mozzarella for the stretch; fontina for richness or a mix)
4 tbsp melted butter
Cooked, diced ham (if desired)

STEPS

  1. Pre-heat oven to 400°.

  2. Start with two sheets of puff pastry (store-bought, because this is about fun). Place one sheet onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and roll it out a bit to smooth and stretch it. Now, cover it with a ridiculous amount of shredded cheese. Not a sprinkle. Not a “light handful.” We’re talking mountains.

  3. Use any cheese your heart desires—sharp cheddar for classic flavor, mozzarella for the stretch, fontina for richness or a mix if you’re feeling like a cheese sommelier. There are no rules here, just cheese.

  4. Once you’ve created your dairy mountain, add pieces of ham, and then place the second sheet of puff pastry on top like you’re tucking it in for a cozy nap. Use a fork to press and seal the edges all the way around. It will look like a ravioli the size of a small throw pillow.

  5. Brush the top with melted butter (a necessary step for maximum flakiness and shine), and pop it in a 400° oven for about 20 minutes, or until it’s puffed, golden and your kitchen smells like a cheese shop.

  6. When it comes out of the oven, let it rest for a few minutes, then slice it up and enjoy the cheese pull. Serve it in squares, slices or straight from the tray with a fork if no one’s watching.

3

I’ve only ever used these as vol au vent (pastry shells). Pre-bake, then fill with a filling of your choice: Meat, vegetables, fruit with custard or sauce. Think of it as a fancy toast. They are very versatile.

Cream sauce with chicken, shrimp or lobster and mushrooms
Brie and cranberry
Avocado and tuna salad

The options are endless.

4

Tiny chicken pot pie 2 biters.

Lemon Jell-O pudding (or vanilla, add lemon extract) one slice of lemon. Dollop whipped cream.

5

Will make this after I make the palmiers I have planned for the sheets I meant to get.

6

OP says they accidentally bought SHELLS instead of sheets. Is there a version of your recipe that uses shells?

(For all I consider myself a pretty wide-ranging cook, I must admit I have never used shells and I think I might have used sheets once in my life. Clearly a significant lacuna in my culinary skills.)

7

Oh, crumbs. My bad.

8

So, consensus is bake and fill? All these fillings sound lovely!

9

I saw a recipe for Palmiers croutons.

Sounds quite nice and you can do it with shells. You just break them up frozen. Toss in the sugary, spicy melted butter. Bake

10

Yes, bake first, fill after baking.

Slightly elegant treatment, probably won’t fool anybody, but still kind of nice to serve and eat IMO, for something that takes 5 minutes:

Fill with Stouffer’s Spinach Souffle, shortly after you’ve cooked that per the directions on the box. Top with a dollop sour cream or creme fraiche. On top of that, salmon roe if you feel like it / have any; otherwise a bit of chopped herbs for color.

11

Some good ideas. Here’s another one. Stick them in the freezer and go back to the store and get the sheets.

Carry on with your original plan.