ULTIMATE HAM CUPS

Ultimate Ham Cups image

I created this recipe to use leftovers from Thanksgiving for a day-after brunch. It combines the best of the holiday flavors - smoked ham, cranberries, almonds, and smoked mozzarella cheese - into puff pastry shells, to make a really elegant presentation for a buffet, or it could be put into mini muffin pans for an appetizer. Sprinkle with finely chopped parsley or paprika if desired.

Provided by Patty Ruth Hand Pirko

Time 38m

Yield 9

Number Of Ingredients 13

Ingredients

¼ cup butter
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon ground white pepper
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt to taste
1 cup diced smoked ham
1 cup diced smoked mozzarella cheese
½ cup sweetened dried cranberries
½ cup slivered almonds
1 sheet frozen puff pastry dough, thawed
1 teaspoon melted butter, or as needed

Steps:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Melt 1/4 cup butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour until fully incorporated. Add milk; bring to a slow boil. Whisk until thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add nutmeg, white pepper, cayenne, and salt. Remove from heat and let filling cool slightly. Add ham, mozzarella cheese, cranberries, and almonds.
Roll out puff pastry on a lightly floured work surface. Brush lightly with melted butter. Cut into 9 equal squares. Stretch gently to enlarge and place squares, buttered side-down, into muffin cups. Divide filling evenly between the cups.
Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Cool slightly.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 356 calories, Carbohydrate 23.3 g, Cholesterol 32.4 mg, Fat 25 g, Fiber 1.4 g, Protein 9.7 g, SaturatedFat 9.3 g, Sodium 382.1 mg, Sugar 7 g