Shortcut Pulled Pork Hand Pies

If you have been checking out my recipes, you might start to notice that I have a slight obsession with hand pies. There are so many reasons to love those little bread pockets. They are super simple to put together and they bake up very quickly. The options are endless – you could make a different version for every day of the week! Plus, you get to play with your dinner…gotta love handheld food.

I never saw or ate a Hot Pocket until I was in college. My mom never bought frozen convenience foods so it just wasn’t something we ate when I was young. Truth be told, I don’t think my boys have ever had one either. I am sure they’d love them, but since I can make a whole batch for a fraction of the cost, I opt for the homemade version.

The recipe I am sharing today is a good one for days when you need dinner in a flash. This recipe for Shortcut Pulled Pork Hand Pies is a great way to use leftover pulled pork. If you don’t happen to have leftovers…no worries! Just throw a Boston Butt in your slow cooker in the morning and then you just need another 25 minutes to prep and cook the hand pies for dinner.

This recipe is part of the Publix Menu Plan Week Of 8/28. Here are the other recipes that I have shared so far this week –

Shortcut Pulled Pork Hand Pies
Author: Michelle
Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded pork
  • 3/4 cup sweet barbecue sauce
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 1/2 medium red onion, chopped
  • 1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
  • can of refrigerated biscuit dough (large Grands type biscuits) or pizza/bread dough ball
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350º F.
  2. In a medium bow, mix the pork, barbecue sauce, cilantro, onion and cheese until combined.
  3. Press or roll out the biscuits until they are large flat circles – approximately 2½ times the regular size.
  4. Add 1/3 – 1/4 cup of the meat mixture in the center of the dough.
  5. Fold the dough in half and pinch the edges until sealed (use a fork to crimp the edges).
  6. Brush the top with olive oil or an egg wash.
  7. Bake for 15 – 20 minutes or until golden brown.
Notes
[i]Homemade pulled pork is very simple. All you need to get started is a 3 pound Boston Butt and the dry rub of your choice. You can use a pre-made blend, create your own or you can even just use seasoning salt and pepper. I use a blend called Bad Byron’s Butt Rub Barbecue Seasoning – it’s delicious.[br]You want to coat your roast pretty heavily and then pop it in the slow cooker – nothing else needed! Remember to season it good…that’s a big chunk of meat and will need some flavor. Stick the cover on your slow cooker and turn it to low and let it go for about 12 hours.[/i]