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These broccoli & cheese hand pies are similar to savory turnovers, featuring a golden crunchy crust and bursting with cheesy flavor. This is an easy appetizer recipe that’s perfect for feeding a crowd. They take very little time to prep and are made with simple ingredients.
It’s entertaining season, but it doesn’t have to be mean being stuck in the kitchen for hours when you’re expecting guests! I love making quick and easy finger foods that my guests can munch on while I’m getting dinner ready to served. These broccoli and cheese hand pies (also known as turnovers) are the perfect appetizers for situations like that!
Why These Savory Hand Pies are So Good!
- Simple to make
- Require very few ingredients
- Vegetarian
- Crunchy and cheesy!
Yup, that checks off a lot of boxes for me! And these hand pies will not disappoint.
How do you bake hand pies?
First of all, in order to simplify the process for hand pies, I recommend buying ready-made pie crust. I’ve found that there are some great options that are vegan with minimal ingredients. So it saves me time making pie dough and gives me the piece of mind that the ingredients are pure and simple.
For the turnover filling, you can buy some grated broccoli or grate it using a food processor.
Then transfer the grated broccoli to a pan and saute with onions and garlic. You can also mix everything in a bowl, but I prefer cooking the onions and garlic with the broccoli for a couple minutes just to soften the vegetables and bring out the flavor.
Next you’ll add the sour cream and cheese to the mixture. This makes it easier to scoop and stay put inside the hand pies.
Speaking of hand pies, how cute are these mini cut-out pie dough? I used the mouth of a cup and cut these out and repeated until I ran out of pie dough. Also a large cookie cutter works for these. Then I stuffed them with the broccoli and cheese mixture.
Then it’s baking time! You can certainly fry these as well, but I say why bother making a mess. The hand pies only need about 20 minutes in the oven, and it’s all hand-free. You’ll still get that golden crunch outside that’s similar to frying.
When they come out of the oven, the insides of these turnovers are soft, creamy and cheesy. And the outside is a golden beautiful crust that gives a satisfying crunch when you bite on it.
Also, don’t forget to serve them with lemon wedges! Just a little squeeze of lemon juice on these hand pies really brightens up the flavor and adds a fresh zing to the cooked broccoli and cheese filling
Tips to make hand pies
- Cut the broccoli small: If you don’t have something to grate the broccoli with, you can just use a knife to chop the broccoli. But if you’re doing so, I recommend cutting the broccoli into small bite-sized pieces. That way you can fit more broccoli into each hand pie.
- Soften the vegetables: The last thing anyone wants when biting into a crunchy warm savory turnover is to get a crunchy or raw onion. The baking time definitely helps to soften the vegetables, but not quite enough. So I recommend sauteeing the onions and broccoli in a pan before stuffing the hand pies. It helps take the strong bite out of the onions and helps to mix all the flavors properly.
- Make sure to seal the edges: Adding egg wash on top has two purposes. First it gives the hand pies the golden crunchy crust we all crave. But second, it also helps to bind the dough together. Before adding the egg wash though, you should press the sides together with a fork or even with your fingertips to properly seal. This helps keep the stuffing inside the hand pies.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do these savory hand pies keep?
You can store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and they will keep for 3 to 4 days. You can also assemble the pies completely, brush them with the egg wash, then freeze on a baking sheet. When frozen, store in a ziplock bag or airtight container. When you’re ready to bake them, add 10 minutes to the baking time.
What’s the best dough to use for Broccoli & Cheese Hand Pies?
For ease and convenience, I used a ready made dough pie for these savory appetizers. Of course, if you have a favorite dough recipe and have the time you can use that. Puff pastry would also work well.
What do you serve savory hand pies with?
I like to serve these as finger food appetizers, they are flavorful and textured and I don’t feel like they really need an accompaniment other than a wedge of lemon to squeeze on top. I like garnishing the dish with some fresh greens like microgreens here. You can also place the hand pies on a bed of lettuce, arugula or spinach for a festive colorful dish.
These adorable little broccoli & cheese hand pies are packaged up into perfect hand-held appetizers that are easy to prepare and loved by everyone! That’s why I love making them so much when I’m entertaining or taking an appetizer to a friend’s house. It’s basically a turnover or mini pot pie that’s portable, convenient comfort food at its best!
For more appetizers, check out:
- Greek Spinach Pie
- Bean & Cheese Wonton Quesadillas
- Pizza Quinoa Bites
- Mushroom Avocado Toast
- Shrimp Cocktail in Avocado Boats
- Vegetable Spring Rolls
- Cucumber Sushi
If you make this feel good Broccoli & Cheese Hand Pies recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories!
Broccoli & Cheese Hand Pies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 head broccoli grated
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 2 sheets ready-made pie dough
- Egg wash
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 °F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet, then sauté the onions for 5 minutes until they soften. Stir in the garlic and broccoli and cook for 2-3 more minutes, until the broccoli is crisp-tender.
- Remove from heat, then stir in cheddar cheese and sour cream, and mix until well blended; set aside.
- Cut out 3-4” rounds from the ready-made pie dough.
- Place about 1 tablespoon of the broccoli and cheese mixture in the middle if each round, being careful not to overfill them. Fold the pie dough over to make a semi-circle and press the edges together to seal. You can also use a fork to crimp the edges.
- Brush the rounds with egg wash. Bake for 20-22 minutes until crispy and golden. This will make about 24.
Video
Notes
- Instead of pie dough, you can use puff pastry. Watch the baking time as it may vary. You want to make sure it’s puffed and golden as the signal that they’re ready.
- You can leave out the cheese and sour cream, but they help to bind the mixture together. You can also use vegan substitutes for the dairy.
- If you prefer to make this egg free, you can spray some oil on top of the hand pies before baking them in the oven. Alternatively, brushing them with almond milk works as well.
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
I followed the recipe exactly. I have made many recipes with broccoli and puff pastry and I am not a novice cook. I didn’t like the addition of sour cream, and grating the broccoli changed the texture of the mixture, which, in turn, changed the taste of the broccoli. The broccoli should retain its recognizability in any recipe. But the combination of grating, along with the addition of sour cream looked and tasted like some type of purée. I will not be making this appetizer a second time. A lot of work for an unappetizing app.
I’m sorry to hear that. What improvements or changes would you have made?
I actually made them again last night: I chopped the broccoli rather than grated, I omitted sour cream, and I made a roux with equal parts of flour and half and half. Then I seasoned the (very thick) white sauce, and then added a cup of grated cheddar cheese to the white mother sauce and cooked the mixture for another 10 minutes until the floury taste was gone. I made the pockets from the puff pastry and used about a tablespoon of the mixture per pocket. It was almost like a chunky broccoli soup. Thank you for the inspiration. I did reimagine your recipe and will keep searching for the recipe for the perfect broccoli puff. Karen
Happy to be of inspiration!
Made these tonight for dinner! My two year old loved them. This is a super quick and easy recipe. I also subbed Greek yogurt because we didn’t have sour cream and turned out awesome! Will be making again!
Love that your 2 year old enjoyed them! I think the Greek yogurt substitute is a great one. Thanks so much for sharing!
Love that it is simple and e-z
I can’t wait to do it with apples ??
Thank you! Hope you like it with apples!
Made these today and they were SO GOOD! I didnt have much broccoli so I added diced bell pepper. Bomb!
So glad to hear that you loved it!! I think the bell peppers in there make an excellent addition!
Comfort food. Took notes of your helpful tips. I baked only half of them. The rest : baked half way and froze them.
These look so appetizing! Can’t wait to make them. What can I sub for the sour cream? I don’t like it.
Thank you! Instead of the sour cream you can use greek yogurt or a splash of milk or you can even leave it out all together.