Name: Ham and Cheese Hot Pockets
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 1 recipe homemade pizza dough (or store bought dough); 1 pound ham (thinly sliced); 1/2 pound colby jack cheese slices; 1 egg; 1 tablespoon water

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Ditch store-bought and serve up these Homemade Hot Pockets, filled with ham and cheese, for a family-friendly meal or a perfect on-the-go lunch that is oozing with flavor.

Don't want to make individual hot pockets, AKA calzones? Try out my recipe for a Ham and Cheese Stromboli.

Hot Pockets are an easy grab-and-go meal. However, store-bought hot pockets are filled with preservatives and the flavor is a bit lacking.

However, you can easily make hot pockets at home that are not only made with more wholesome ingredients but also taste SO MUCH better.

My favorite version of homemade hot pockets, which is truly just a calzone, happens to be Homemade Ham and Cheese Hot Pockets. Tender dough filled with salty cheese and ham is truly irresistible.

why you'll love this recipe

Versatile. Fill your hot pockets with any filling you like.
Freezer-Friendly. Just like store-bought Hot Pockets, this homemade version can be made in a large batch and frozen to pull out as desired. They reheat beautifully!
Better for You. When you make Hot Pockets at home, there will be no added preservatives, and YOU are in charge of the quality of ingredients.

Notes on Ingredients

Pizza Dough: Homemade pizza dough will result in the best flavor, but you can opt to use any store-bought pizza dough you like.
Ham: Use thinly sliced deli ham, leftover Instant Pot Ham, or leftover Baked Ham.
Cheese: Thinly sliced cheddar, Colby, or Swiss cheese are all great options.
Egg Wash: For the hot pockets to brown evenly, you want to brush the dough with an egg wash before baking.

How To Make Homemade Hot Pockets

Prepare homemade pizza dough, or substitute homemade dough with 1-pound store-bought dough.
Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces and roll each piece into about an 8-inch oval.

Evenly divide ham and cheese between ovals, placing the slices on the center of the dough.

Fold the dough over, creating a crescent shape, and using your fingers or the prongs of a fork, tightly seal the edges of the "hot pocket"--just like you would for a calzone.

Place the hot pockets onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or that is well-greased.
Cut 2-3 slits across the top of each hot pocket to allow steam to escape while baking.
Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the dough is golden brown.

ham and cheese hot pocket on grey plate next to a pan of others

Filling Options

While ham and cheese hot pockets are my personal favorite, there are endless options for filling your homemade hot pockets. Simply roll out the dough as stated and then top each oval with any of the following combinations of flavors, or get creative with your own fillings. Just be careful to not overfill, so that you can securely close your hot pocket.

Pizza Hot Pockets: Top each section of dough with 2 teaspoons pizza sauce, 2-3 tablespoons shredded mozzarella cheese, and ½ tablespoon pepperoni if desired.
Ham and Broccoli Hot Pockets: Top the dough with 1 slice of ham, 2 tablespoons of shredded cheddar cheese, and 1 tablespoon of cooked diced broccoli florets.
Chicken Parmesan Hot Pockets: Top the dough with 2 teaspoons marinara sauce, 2-3 tablespoons shredded mozzarella cheese, and 1 tablespoon chopped cooked chicken.
Meatball Hot Pockets: Top each piece of dough with 2 teaspoons of marinara sauce. Cut cooked meatballs in half. Add 3-4 halves to each piece of dough and sprinkle with 2-3 tablespoons of mozzarella cheese.
Egg and Sausage Hot Pockets: Crumble ½ tablespoon of cooked breakfast sausage over each piece of dough. Top with ¼ cup scrambled eggs and 1 tablespoon shredded cheddar cheese.

Storage

Leftover hot pockets can be stored in an airtight container for 3-4 days in the refrigerator or frozen for up to 3 months using the instructions for freezing below.

To reheat hot pockets from the refrigerator, place one hot pocket on a microwave-safe plate and microwave for 45 seconds or bake at 400 degrees F for 5-8 minutes until warmed through. Let cool for 1-2 minutes before eating.

Freezing Instructions

I highly suggest making a large batch of Homemade Hot Pockets and freezing them for a quick dinner or to pack for lunches.

To freeze hot pockets, place fully cooked and cooled hot pockets onto a baking sheet and place the baking sheet into the freezer. Freeze until the outside is solid, for about 30-60 minutes. Place frozen Hot Pockets in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months.

To reheat hot pockets from frozen, either place them on a baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees F for 12-15 minutes or place an individual hot pocket on a microwave-safe plate and microwave for 2 minutes. Let cool for 2-3 minutes before enjoying.

How to Pack for Lunch

Taking a homemade ham and cheese Hot Pocket to school or work is a great option for a filling lunch. You have several options as to how to take pack them in lunches.

If your office/school has a microwave, place a homemade hot pocket (frozen or from the fridge) wrapped in parchment paper in a lunch bag with an ice pack. Heat the hot pocket right on the parchment paper in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.
If you don't have access to a microwave, heat a hot pocket in the morning before leaving for school or work. Place it in a thermos and your hot pocket will be warm and ready for your lunch.
If you like your hot pockets at room temperature, heat the hot pockets in the morning before leaving for school or work. Pack warm hot pocket in lunch container along with an ice pack. This keeps the hot pocket from developing bacteria while sitting in a locker or at an office desk.

Ham and Cheese Hot Sandwich wrapped up in parchment paper with apple

More Recipes Featuring Leftover Ham

If you made these delicious homemade hot pockets, I would love for you to leave a comment and review below.

Hot pocket next to baking sheet of ham and cheese calzones

Ham and Cheese Hot Pockets

Ham and Cheese are baked into a homemade hot pocket for a salty, cheesy, savory perfect hand-held meal or on-the-go lunch.

5 from 10 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 45

Cook Time: 15

Total Time: 1

Servings:

Calories: 322kcal

Author: Kristen Chidsey

Ingredients

▢ 1 recipe homemade pizza dough or store bought dough
▢ 1 pound ham thinly sliced
▢ ½ pound colby jack cheese slices
▢ 1 egg
▢ 1 tablespoon water

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper that can tolerate heat up to 450 degrees.
Divide the pizza dough into 8 equal pieces and roll each piece into about an 8-inch oval.
Place 1 slice of cheese in the middle of each oval. Place 3-4 slices of the thinly sliced ham on each slice of the cheese.
Fold the dough over, creating a crescent shape. Using your fingers or the prongs of a fork, tightly seal the edges of the "hot pocket."
Whisk the egg with 1 tablespoon water and brush each hot pocket evenly with the egg wash. Cut 2-3 slits on top of each hot pocket to let steam escape while baking.
Bake for 12-15 minutes until the hot pocket is nicely golden brown.
Serve warm or cool and store.

Notes

Ham: Use deli ham or leftover thinly sliced ham.

Cheese: Colby Jack Cheese was my family's preferred cheese for this, but Swiss, cheddar, and provolone are all good options.

Pizza Dough: Homemade pizza dough or store-bought pizza dough both work for this recipe.

To make EGG FREE Hot Pockets, brush with olive oil before baking instead of the egg wash.

Different Filling Suggestions

Pizza Hot Pockets: Top each hot pocket dough with 2 teaspoons pizza sauce, 2-3 tablespoons shredded mozzarella cheese, and ½ tablespoon pepperoni if desired.
Ham and Broccoli Hot Pockets: Top each hot pocket with 1 slice of ham, 2 tablespoons shredded cheddar cheese, and 1 tablespoon cooked diced broccoli florets.
Chicken Parmesan Hot Pockets: Top each hot pocket dough with 2 teaspoons marinara sauce, 2-3 tablespoons shredded mozzarella cheese, and 1 tablespoon chopped cooked chicken.
Meatball Hot Pockets: Top each piece of dough with 2 teaspoons marinara sauce. Cut cooked meatballs in half. Add 3-4 halves to each piece of dough and sprinkle with 2-3 tablespoons mozzarella cheese.
Egg and Sausage Hot Pockets: Crumble ½ tablespoon of cooked breakfast sausage over each piece of dough. Top with ¼ cup scrambled eggs and 1 tablespoon shredded cheddar cheese.

To Freeze Hot Pockets: Place fully cooked hot pockets on a baking sheet and place them in the freezer and freeze until solid. Place frozen Hot Pockets in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. Reheat by microwaving for 2 minutes or baking at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes.

Nutrition

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This post was orginally published in 2016 but was updated in 2021 with new tips.