Homemade Hot Pockets

1 1/2 c. warm (105-115 degrees) water

1 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. yeast
 1/2 tsp. salt
3-4 1/2 c. flour

In a large bowl (the bowl of your mixer, if you have one), combine water, sugar, and yeast. Let stand for 10 minutes or until yeast is bubbly.

Add salt and stir. Add 1 1/2 c. flour and mix well. Gradually add more flour (usually between 3-4 cups, depending on your elevation and your humidity) until dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl and it barely sticks to your finger.


Spray a glass or metal bowl with cooking spray and place dough in the bowl.

Cover and allow to rise for 45 minutes or until doubled in bulk.

After dough has risen, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a rectangle, probably about 16×8 inches big (16 inches long, 8 inches tall).
 

Leaving a little bit of a “margin” on the right and left sides, add toppings with the cheese going on last.

Stretch the dough out a little to give yourself a bit more dough to work with. Fold the left side over the middle and then the right side over that. Starting at the bottom of the “mummy,” tightly roll the filled dough, stretching it very gently as you go to make sure you’re getting a tight seal.



Place on a sprayed cookie sheet and repeat with remaining dough. When finished, cover the pan with a clean cloth and preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.


When oven has heated, bake pockets for about 15 minutes or until golden brown on top. For shine, you could brush the tops with a bit of egg white mixed with water during the last 5 minutes of baking, or you could rub a little butter on top of the rolls while they’re still hot.


Honestly, these are just as good not-hot as they are straight from the oven, so if you or your honey are looking for something to take to work and eat for lunch but don’t have access to a microwave, these will still be pretty darn good!


Just a Note:  We have made the ham and cheese which are super yummy, but the favorite by far has been the pizza ones.  We used pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese and pepperoni.  Also  I don't always get the same number of hot pockets every time.  Sometimes I make them a bit bigger or smaller.  Depends on what I am filling it with.  I fold it differently sometimes too.  Again it depends on whats inside and the best way to fold it to keep everything inside!  These are such a big hit at out house.  We always have some in the freezer!
 
Recipe from Our Best Bites

Baked Chicken Penne {Freezer Meal!}

{slightly adapted from this recipe by Martha Stewart}

■6 tablespoons butter, plus more for baking dishes
■kosher salt and black pepper
■1 pound penne rigate
■1 teaspoon olive oil
■2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 8 ounces each), halved horizontally
■1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
■6 garlic cloves, finely minced
■6 cups whole milk
■10 ounces white or cremini mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced
■1 cup sliced oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained
■1 1/2 cups shredded provolone* (6 ounces) you could also make that 1/2 mozzarella
■1 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan (about 6 ounces)
*Note on Cheese:
Sometimes provolone cheese can be hard to find. In this batch I used Sargento’s Provolone/Mozzarella mix. You’ll find that with packaged cheese mixes, provolone is often mixed with other white cheeses and that’s totally fine. Just try to find one that is mostly provolone, like a 50/50 mix. The other easy option is to go to the deli department where you can buy sliced cheese. Just ask for a 6 oz chunk and you can grate it yourself.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400. Butter two shallow 2-quart baking dishes. If you’re going to freeze one, use a disposable foil pan. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta 3 minutes short of al dente; drain pasta and set aside.

2. While pasta is boiling, heat oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Season chicken with salt and pepper; cook until opaque throughout, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Halve each piece lengthwise, then thinly slice crosswise. While chicken pan is still hot, toss the mushrooms in and saute until golden brown (3-4 minutes). Use a little extra olive oil if needed.

3. In a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy pot (I just use the pot I cooked my pasta in), melt butter over medium. Add flour and garlic; cook, whisking, 1 minute. While whisking constantly, gradually add milk; bring to a simmer. Keep whisking frequently as sauce thickens, about 1 minute more. Add mushrooms and tomatoes; cook 1 minute. take the pan off the heat and and gradually stir in provolone and 1/2 cup Parmesan.

4. Add chicken and pasta to pot; season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide pasta mixture between baking dishes. If freezing, place remaining parmesan cheese in a zip-top baggie. If cooking, sprinkle on top.

5. Bake, uncovered, until top is golden and bubbling, about 25 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Freezer instructions:

To freeze, prepare through step 4 and then let pasta cool. Cover pan well with plastic wrap. Place extra cheese in baggie (for topping) on top and then cover entire pan well with foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. To bake, preheat oven to 400. Remove foil and plastic from pan and set cheese baggie aside. Place foil back on pan and bake for about 1 1/2 hours. Remove foil, stir pasta, and top with cheese. Return pan to oven and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until mixture is hot and bubbly throughout.

Recipe from Our Best Bites