5 Ways to Use Frozen Puff Pastry

It’s very likely you have a package or two of frozen puff pastry in your freezer—at least, I know I always do. While it’s doubtful you’re going to use frozen puff pastry to actually make a batch of mille feuille on a Sunday morning, it turns out you can make crap-ton of breakfast foods with the flaky dough. Thousands of layers of super-thin, ridiculously buttery pastry make a prime base for classic morning eats like cinnamon rolls and quiche. The best part about frozen puff pastry? There’s no doubt all those layers will rise perfectly, so you can bake confidently every time.

To make these petits pains au chocolat, cut 2 sheets of defrosted frozen puff pastry into 12 squares each. Place 2 teaspoons semisweet chocolate chips into the center of each square and brush the perimeter of each square with a wash made of 1 beaten egg and a splash of water. Fold each square over once to make a triangle and press the edges of the pastry with a fork to seal. Brush the top of each pain au chocolat with a coat of egg wash and sprinkle on a pinch or raw sugar. Bake the pastries at 400ºF for 10-15 minutes, until golden brown.

For the fastest quiche crust brunch has ever seen, preheat the oven to 425º and grease an 8-inch pie plate with butter. Roll 1 sheet of defrosted frozen puff pastry into a rectangle that will reach over the edges of the pie plate. Press the puff pastry into the pie plate and fold the edges over, pinching the dough into a crimped edge with your thumb and forefinger. Place the crust in the fridge and make the filling: Whisk together 5 eggs, ¼ cup milk, ¼ cup half and half, and season well with salt and pepper. Fold in 6 strips of cooked, crumbled bacon, 1 cup chopped fresh spinach, and ½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese. Pour the filling into the chilled crust and bake until the egg mixture is set and the crust is golden, about 25 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400ºF and grease a 6-cup muffin tin with butter. Cut 1 sheet of defrosted frozen puff pastry into 6 squares and press gently into the muffin tin. Place the pastry in the fridge and saute 3 links of fresh chorizo sausage, with the casings removed, until fully cooked, about 5 minutes. Let the chorizo cool slightly, then divide evenly into the pastry cups. Sprinkle a tablespoon of crumbled feta over the sausage, then crack 1 egg into each cup. Bake the egg cups for 15 minutes, or until the egg whites are set. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve immediately.

Making cinnamon rolls completely from scratch can be a bit of a procedure, so use frozen puff pastry to cut the time in half. Preheat the oven to 400ºF and grease an 8x8-inch baking dish with butter. Unfold 1 sheet of defrosted frozen puff pastry onto a floured work surface and brush the pastry with melted butter, leaving a 1-inch perimeter. Mix together ¾ cup brown sugar with 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, and ½ teaspoon ground allspice. Sprinkle the sugar mixture over the melted butter, then tightly roll the puff pastry into a log. Slice the log into 6 cinnamon rolls and tuck them into the prepared baking dish. Bake the cinnamon rolls for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown and bubbling. Devour as-is or drizzled with a glaze made from ½ cup powdered sugar and a splash of milk.

Heat up a waffle iron and cut 2 sheets of defrosted frozen puff pastry into 4 pieces each. Lay slices of puff pastry into the waffle iron and cook until the waffle is golden brown and smells so good you may cry. Repeat until all puff pastry has been waffled, then serve either sweet (dripping with syrup, jam, and Greek yogurt) or savory (topped with a fried egg and a side of bacon).