Puff Pastry Appetizers

 

A timesaving freezer staple, puff pastry is the perfect base for creating easy, last-minute hors d'oeuvres.

 

Cheese and Spinach Puff Pastry Pockets

Giada cuts out the center of baked puff pastry shells and fills them with a mixture of spinach, Italian cheeses and chopped green onions. The result is a perfect, bite-size savory tart.

Get the Recipe: Cheese and Spinach Puff Pastry Pockets

Pastelitos de Carne (Picadillo-Filled Pastries)

A staple at any Cuban-American party, these flaky pastries are stuffed with a well-seasoned ground beef filling that's cooked in a sofrito of peppers and onions. They can be as hearty as full-size empanadas or cut into smaller tapas-size rounds to feed a crowd.

Get the Recipe: Pastelitos de Carne (Picadillo-Filled Pastries)

Onion Tarts

Elevate ingredients you probably have in your fridge –– onions, herbs and feta –– by tucking them into puff pastry and baking these quick and easy tarts.

Get the Recipe: Onion Tarts

Chevre and Walnut Tartlets

Tangy goat cheese, sweet figs and crunchy walnuts are mounted on buttery puff pastry in Laura Calder's quick side dish. Serve it with greens and a swirl of Port syrup on the side.

Get the Recipe: Chevre and Walnut Tartlets

Totally Lazy Mini Sausage Rolls

These crowd-pleasing bites put a savvy spin on pigs in a blanket with herby, snack-size sausages and a sprinkling of thyme leaves. To guarantee that the sausage does not escape its roll during cooking, slip off the sausage "skin" before rolling it in the pastry.

Get the Recipe: Totally Lazy Mini Sausage Rolls

Sun-Dried Tomato and Rosemary Palmiers

These savory scrolls work as both a super-quick party canape and an easy snack for yourself. Slice them thinly and brush the tops with egg wash to ensure crisp and golden brown edges.

Get the Recipe: Sun-Dried Tomato and Rosemary Palmiers

Tomato Tart Tatin with Thyme Whipped Goat Cheese

Bite-size and savory, these little pastries put a spin on the traditionally sweet tart tatin. In this version, cherry tomatoes replace the classic apples and the little tarts are inverted to reveal a gooey, caramelized surface with a creamy goat cheese topping.

Get the Recipe: Tomato Tart Tatin with Thyme Whipped Goat Cheese

Duck and Dogs on a Blanket

These meaty stacked bites take pigs in a blanket to new heights. Shredded duck confit and sliced hot dogs meet in the middle under sweet balsamic onions as a juicy, over-the-top party app.

Get the Recipe: Duck and Dogs on a Blanket

Spinach and Potato Puffs

Go for carbs on top of carbs with Laura Vitale's puff pastry pouches stuffed with potato, spinach, Parmesan and white cheddar.

Get the Recipe: Spinach and Potato Puffs

Spinach and Feta Puff Pastry Bites

Simplify spanakopita by stuffing puff pastry with a frozen spinach, feta and nutmeg filling. After 15 minutes in the oven, you'll have golden brown, puffy pyramids that are ready to party.

Get the Recipe: Spinach and Feta Puff Pastry Bites

Roast-Pork Pastry Puffs

Serve this dim sum-style starter that utilizes sesame seed-sprinkled puff pastry. The pork tenderloin filling is marinated in a ginger and rice-wine soy sauce for authentic flavor.

Get the Recipe: Roast Pork Pastry Puffs