I've learned that at this stage of my life, if I'm going to eat breakfast and lunch it needs to be quick and easy. Once my day starts rolling, I rarely have time to stop. Unfortunately, my fallback is a bag of chips propped open on the counter..and then I end up eating half of it. It's not healthy or filling, but it doesn't take any time, so it has become the easy way out. When it comes to meal prep, any energy I have is devoted to dinner prep instead.
On the flip side, I'm very willing to put energy into making up big batches of items for the freezer. Pull them out, zap them in the microwave and *bam!* a hot, homemade breakfast or lunch that actually has some nutrients to them rather than being a big bag of processed junk. And since I'm doing the prep all at once for a bunch of meals, it's a big time saver as well!
One of our favorite quick lunches are Homemade Garlic Parmesan Hot Pockets. Sean used to take the name brand Hot Pockets for lunch, but then I figured out how to make my own. The taste is incomparable! They are SO much tastier and healthier. Plus, a little time in the kitchen translates to customized, pre-portioned lunches, that go from freezer to table in 60 seconds. It's hard to skip lunch now!
Dump all of your dough ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer and knead well.
Divide each batch into 10 equal lumps. I have 20 lumps because I doubled the recipe. It takes about the same amount of time to make twice as many pockets as it does to do a single batch. My recommendation? Double it! You'll be glad you did!
Roll each lump out into a rectangle.
We weigh out our meat to help with portion control. We use 1.5 ounces of meat and 1 ounce of cheese per pocket. The ham and swiss version has only 308 calories! If you aren't worried about that, feel free to just eye it.
Put the cheese down first and the meat on top of it. Once your pocket is folded and right side up, the cheese will actually be on top. When it's baked, the cheese will melt and fill in all the nooks andcranniesfor the perfect amount of cheese in every bite.
Fold up one side...
...then the other...
...and both ends to seal the pocket.
Place seam side down on a baking sheet sprayed with non-stick spray. Now for the best part! Sprinkle the top of each pocket liberally with parmesan cheese and garlic powder. Embrace the sprinkle! I have yet to put too much on top!
This is what they will look like right before they go into the oven at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.
Serve warm, or wrap and place in the freezer. I wrap mine individually in wax paper and put them in a gallon freezer bag. Just make sure they are completely cool before freezing so that moisture doesn't get caught inside the wrapping.
These go straight from the freezer to the microwave to your plate in 60 seconds. That's super quick for a hot lunch!
These pockets can be customized all sorts of different ways. Here are a few ideas to get you started, but don't let this hold you back:
-Ham and Swiss
-Turkey and Pepper Jack
-Pepperoni, Mozzarella, and a little bit of Pizza Sauce
-Baked Chicken, Broccoli, and a little bit of Alfredo Sauce
-Scrambled Eggs and Bacon
Tip: When you microwave these, the cheese is gooey enough that condiments aren't necessary. If you do decide to add a sauce, go very light on it so that it doesn't leak out of your dough.
Everyone in our family loves these...even Abby, our super picky eater, has given these her stamp of approval! Enjoy!
Don't forget to Pin this recipe for future reference!
Homemade Garlic Parmesan Hot Pockets
Adapted from Money Saving Mom's Ham and Cheese Pockets
Makes 10 Pockets
- 3 Cups Flour
- 1/4 Cup Dry Milk
- 1/4 Cup Sugar
- 1 tsp Salt
- 2 1/2 Tbsp Yeast
- 1 Cup Warm Water (not hot!)
- Diced Meat (from a Roast or Deli)
- Cheese (Shredded or Sliced)
- Parmesan Cheese
- Garlic Powder
1. Combine the Flour, Dry Milk, Sugar, Salt, Yeast, and Water in a stand mixer and knead well.
2. Divide dough into 10 equal portions.
3. Take each portion, roll it into a rectangle and top with cheese and meat.
4. Fold sides and ends up to create a pocket.
5. Place seam side down on a sprayed cookie sheet. Top liberally with Parmesan Cheese and Garlic Powder.
6. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes or until lightly brown.
7. Serve while warm, or cool completely, wrap individually in wax paper, and store in a freezer bag in the freezer.
Don't forget to Pin this recipe for future reference!
