Leftover chicken? Busy week night? Weekend brunch? These versatile chicken and mozzarella puff pastry cups are the ‘go to’ for any occasion.  They can be served right out of the oven – gooey and hot -or at room temperature as part of a brunch buffet.  And they reheat beautifully in the oven for a few minutes.  This makes it a great do-ahead dish, too.  How do you make these magical little cups?  Here’s the play-by-play….and it couldn’t be easier.

Game Plan

Start with a few good ingredients that can make your life easier.  Store bought puff pastry (be sure to defrost overnight in the fridge), store bought fresh pesto, fresh mozzarella packed in water, good quality slow roasted tomatoes (Whole Foods sells these) or sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, and fresh baby spinach.  Hopefully you have a few of these on hand as staples.  And then you just need a leftover chicken breast and you are ready!

Ingredients for Chicken Mozzarella Puff Pastry Cups

Don’t forget the flour for dusting the dough and egg for an egg wash….

Flour and egg wash

Getting Started

Dice your chicken breast into little bite sized pieces and place in a big bowl.  Just a note* You want to keep the puff pastry dough in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it to keep it chilled.  We’ll get the filling ready and then move on to the dough.

Diced chicken

Chop those slow roasted or sun dried tomatoes and add them to the bowl…

Slow roasted tomatoes

Next add the chopped fresh mozzarella cheese…

Mozzarella cheese

Next comes the fresh chopped spinach…

Fresh chopped spinach

And a good dollop of pesto…

add fresh pesto

And mix it all around gently with a spoon and your filling is done!  Set aside and fire up that oven to 400.

Filling mixed and ready

The Finale

Now with your oven getting nice and hot (400 degrees or 425 if your oven doesn’t get that hot) it’s time to grab that dough out of the fridge.  Start by making a simple egg wash.  A teaspoon of water in your egg and whisk.

Egg

What the egg wash looks like after you whisk it.  (*Note – an egg wash just helps the dough brown during the baking process.  You don’t have to do this step but it makes for a prettier presentation)

Egg wash

Next grease the muffin tin with some non-stick cooking spray.

Greased Cupcake Pan

Then lightly flour your work area and roll out the dough a little bit just to get the creases out and thin it out a little bit more.  You should have approximately an even square.  Doesn’t have to be perfect.

Flour surface

Roll out dough

Then cut into 9 squares.  I used a pizza roller and mine weren’t all exactly even but that’s okay.

Cut dough into 9 squares

Then you kind of stretch them with your hands into the tins.  You will have some empty spots because you should have only about 9 squares.  Make sure to gently press the dough into the tin on the bottom and get some good overhang on the corners.

Press dough squares into muffin tin

Then spread the filling evenly amongst the dough cups…

Scoop mixture into dough cups

Fold the edges over the filling…

Fold edges of dough over filling

Brush generously with egg wash

Brush tops with egg wash

Ready for the oven. Bake for 20-24 minutes or until a deep golden brown.

Ready for the oven

Finished!

Baked chicken mozzarella puff pastry

If saving,  gently reheat on 250 on a sheet pan in the oven before serving.