Leftover veg pasties
Check your fridge. If you’ve got roasted anything – from veggies to meats… nay – if you’ve anything savoury whatsoever, it’s time to put everything into these pasties! Bound with a classic bechamel and wrapped in flaky puff pastry, these will make terrific hand-food for backyard cricket on Boxing Day, or for popping into the picnic basket to be eaten cold down at the park. The ingredients below are merely suggestions, so just remember – 500g of whatever’s in YOUR fridge… Maybe not the kitchen sink.
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Ingredients
- 50 g salted butter
- 50 g plain flour
- 2 cups (500 ml) milk
- 150 g parmesan cheese grated (see tips)
- Approx. 500g of leftovers such as:
- - Roasted, grilled or steamed vegetables
- - Chicken, ham or turkey, cut up or shredded
- - Potato salad – or any salad you’ve still got hanging around
- - Any herbs: parsley, thyme, rosemary, dill, chives
- 2 sheets all-butter puff pastry
- 1 egg beaten
Instructions
- First up make your bechamel sauce. In a medium-sized saucepan, melt your butter over a medium heat. Once melted, add in the flour and whisk to combine. Cook for 2 minutes until the roux (which is what you’re making) turns golden and starts to smell of cookies.
- Slowly add the milk to the roux while whisking, to prevent any lumps from forming. Once the milk is in, allow to simmer, while intermittently whisking, for 5-10 minutes to reach your desired thickness. Turn off the heat add the parmesan cheese into your bechamel.
- Allow to cool, then mix in your festive leftovers and cheese slices (if adding).
- Pre-heat your oven to 210°C (190°C fan).
- Cut your pastry into rounds or rectangles (square ones mean less waste!) and spoon 2-3 tablespoons of mixture onto one side. Fold over, seal by pressing around the edges with a fork. Cut a cross into the top of each. Place on a baking tray, brush with the beaten egg.
- Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.
Notes
Tips
Any cheese will work here – from cheddar to Comté to blue. Adding a slice of brie or camembert in there as well is delicious.
This recipe can easily be doubled to make extras for the freezer.
If your oven runs hot, drop the heat to 200°C conventional (180°C fan)