Ham Hand Pies With Spinach

The perfect use for leftover ham, these comforting Ham Hand Pies With Spinach contain a creamy, tangy ham & spinach filling in a deliciously flaky crust.

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I thought some of you might be in need of a post-Christmas leftover ham recipe today, so if I happened to guess right… Why not give these easy Ham Hand Pies With Spinach a try?

If you’re looking for a recipe for leftover turkey today instead, ham hand pies are a simple variation on this earlier recipe for chicken broccoli cheddar hand pies (and thanks to Wendy in comments there for the easier assembly suggestion).

Why ham hand pie, you ask? Well, while pondering how to use the last of my leftover ham the other day, I started poking around my refrigerator and found this handy ALDI pie crust, along with some organic baby spinach. Well… once I had these three ingredients in mind, this recipe for hearty hand pies with ham & spinach just kind of naturally came together. I also added a little Dijon mustard to kick things up a notch (and to change up the flavor from the original turkey hand pies recipe), because mustard goes so well with ham.

Ham Hand Pies With Spinach

Ingredients

1/2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp diced yellow onion
5 oz fresh baby spinach
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
4 oz cream cheese, softened
4 oz shredded sharp cheddar cheese (1 cup)
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1.5 cups cooked diced ham
Black pepper, to taste
1/2 tsp thyme
One box refrigerated pie crust (both crusts)
One egg

Instructions

Remove cream cheese from the refrigerator and place it on the counter to soften about 20 minutes before you start cooking. When you’re ready to begin, preheat the oven to 400 degrees and remove pie crusts from the refrigerator to soften as directed on the box.

Add olive oil to a large skillet and heat it over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook for two minutes. Add spinach, crushed red pepper, and garlic, then saute until spinach is completely wilted and bright green (about 3 minutes), stirring frequently.

Meanwhile, combine cream cheese, cheddar cheese, mustard, ham, black pepper, and thyme in a large bowl. Stir in the spinach once it is cooked.

Unroll the pie crusts and cut each into three equal wedges, so that you have six pieces total between the two crusts. Then, spoon equal amounts of the ham/spinach mixture into one side of each the pie crust wedges.

Fold each wedge in half over the filling, then crimp the edges together tightly to help prevent the filling from leaking out. Arrange the hand pies in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet.

Beat one egg with 1 tsp water to make an egg wash. Brush each hand pie with the egg wash, then cut a couple of small slits in the top of each to let steam escape. Bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees, or until hand pies are golden brown.

Note: I neglected to spray my pan and one of my hand pies stuck a bit where the filling started to spill out — the cleanup wasn’t too bad, however. (Be careful to let these cool a bit before eating, too, so that you don’t burn yourself on the molten filling!)

I’ll see your Hot Pockets, and raise you… a hand pie

Even though you’re taking a short cut with the pre-made pie crust, these ham hand pies with spinach are so much tastier and more filling than frozen Hot Pockets. Ham hand pies are really the quintessential comfort food; the creamy, slightly tangy filling goes so well with the flaky buttery-tasting crust! Both kids went nuts for this easy hand pies recipe, which is definitely going on our menu again the next time we have leftover ham.

Ham Hand Pies With Spinach, printable recipe

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Ham Hand Pies With Spinach

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Even though you’re taking a short cut with the pre-made pie crust, these ham hand pies with spinach are so much tastier and more filling than a frozen Hot Pocket.

Course dinner

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Author Rachel Singer

Ingredients

• 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp diced yellow onion
• 5 oz fresh baby spinach
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
• 4 oz cream cheese, softened
• 4 oz shredded sharp cheddar cheese (1 cup)
• 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1.5 cups cooked diced ham
• Black pepper, to taste
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• One box refrigerated pie crust (both crusts)
• One egg

Instructions

• Remove cream cheese from the refrigerator and place it on the counter to soften about 20 minutes before you start cooking. 
• When you’re ready to begin, preheat the oven to 400 degrees and remove pie crusts from the refrigerator to soften as directed on the box.
• Add olive oil to a large skillet and heat it over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook for two minutes. 
• Add spinach, crushed red pepper, and garlic, then saute until spinach is completely wilted and bright green (about 3 minutes), stirring frequently.
  
• Meanwhile, combine cream cheese, cheddar cheese, mustard, ham, black pepper, and thyme in a large bowl. Stir in the spinach once it is cooked.
• Unroll the pie crusts and cut each into three equal wedges, so that you have six pieces total between the two crusts. 
• Spoon equal amounts of the ham/spinach mixture into one side of each the pie crust wedges.
• Fold each wedge in half over the filling, then crimp the edges together tightly to help prevent the filling from leaking out. 
• Arrange the hand pies in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet.
• Beat one egg with 1 tsp water to make an egg wash. Brush each hand pie with the egg wash, then cut a couple of small slits in the top of each to let steam escape. 
• Bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees, or until hand pies are golden brown.

Notes

I neglected to spray my pan and one of my hand pies stuck a bit where the filling started to spill out — the cleanup wasn’t too bad, however. (Be careful to let these cool a bit before eating, too, so that you don’t burn yourself on the molten filling!)

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