Enjoy these ham, cheese, and spinach breakfast pies on your way out the door in the morning or as an easy breakfast-for-dinner option.
A few weeks ago, late at night, we let Ginger out while we watched an episode of Dexter. I’m still not sold on that show — three seasons in and I remain indifferent.
I don’t remember how long she was outside; I likely got absorbed in the episode. When the deck lights clicked back on, signaling she’d returned, I jumped up in surprise.
This post is sponsored by Jones Dairy Farm. All content and opinions are my own.
At the door I noticed Ginger had something in her mouth. At first it looked like a bagel, but she was clearly proud of her find, wagging her tail so hard her whole back end shook.
I told her to “drop it” until she carefully set the item down on her bed. With two hesitant fingers I turned it over and realized it was a small spinach pastry — completely intact, not a nibble missing.
I suspect a neighbor who feeds wildlife is the source — the same neighbor whose generosity likely explains the slice of pizza and whole potato Ginger has returned with in the past. The whole scene was absurd: dog goes out for a quick break, comes back with spinach pastry. Totally normal.
She didn’t eat it — perhaps she prefers my homemade raw dog food — she simply brought it back proudly, like a trophy. Looking back, I felt a little guilty about tossing it.
Odd as that moment was, it sparked the idea for these mini ham, cheese, and spinach breakfast pies. Ginger’s pastry was plain spinach, but add ham and cheese and you’ve got a fast, portable breakfast that beats anything from a café or drive-through.
If you’d rather skip puff pastry in the morning, try a breakfast quesadilla using similar ingredients. Use deli ham or leftover grilled ham steak to make the pies even easier.
Check out: 23 Brunch Recipes That’ll Make You Forget About Every Other Meal!
These will be so good you won’t be tempted to toss them out back to feed the wildlife — or for your neighbor’s dog to discover and proudly deliver home.
Whether you serve them for breakfast, brunch, or dinner, similar recipes to try include an everything bagel breakfast strata or a cheesy potato breakfast casserole filled with turkey sausage and grated apples.
Love this Mini Ham Cheese and Spinach Breakfast Pies recipe?
Try one of these breakfasts too:
Herbed cheddar sausage & egg waffle sandwiches
Savory Canadian bacon pancakes
Homemade hot pockets – this breakfast version is perfect for meal prepping and freezing.
Mini Ham Cheese and Spinach Breakfast Pies
Ingredients
- 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed and rolled out
- 6 thick-cut ham slices, leftover or deli slices, chopped
- 3/4 cup ricotta
- 1/2 cup grated mozzarella, plus more for topping
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large shallot, minced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 4 cups baby spinach
- 1 egg, beaten
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- In a medium bowl, combine the chopped ham, ricotta, mozzarella, milk, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat.
- Add the shallot and garlic and sauté about 1 minute until fragrant. Add the spinach and cook until wilted. Remove from heat and transfer the spinach mixture to the bowl with the ricotta and ham.
- Stir everything together until well combined.
- Cut the puff pastry sheet into four squares. Place them on the prepared baking sheet and spoon the filling into the center of each square.
- Gently fold up the sides of each square toward the center, pinching the pastry as you go to create a round parcel.
- Brush each pie with the beaten egg and sprinkle extra mozzarella on top.
- Bake for 15–20 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown around the edges.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.