I was born January 23, 1990 – right at the start of the greatest decade ever. I’m a 90s baby through and through. My life was filled with Spice Girl songs, Giga Pets and of course, too many beanie babies to count. In the summer, you could find me eating Lunchables and drinking bottles of Mondo (I personally liked blue the most).
When my friends at Date Night In told me that March’s box was going to be a throwback theme, I pretty much shrieked out loud. I knew creating the menu was going to be SO much fun. To put it together I did my research and was brought back in time reading lists of the most popular foods of my childhood. Let me just say, there was never a shortage of frozen food in the 90s. Fish sticks, pizza rolls and bagel bites were just a few on the lists I found.
Oh, and Hot Pockets! A personal favorite of mine. I don’t remember having a ton of them when I was a kid, but I do remember enjoying them. I decided to make this the main menu item of Date Night In’s throwback box and the homemade version turned out to be so much better than the often freezer burned stuffed square I remember! The puff pastry makes for a nice flaky outside.
I hope all of you Date Night In subscribers will enjoy it. If you have yet to order a Date Night In Box, it’s a monthly subscription box and the best way to have a date night at home. Each box includes activities, a date night playlist and a recommended menu created by me. Go check them out!
If you end up making this recipe, don’t forget to tag #marinamakeseats!
Homemade Hot Pockets
Makes three hot pockets
Ingredients
- 1 sheet of puff pastry, thawed
- 1/2 cup of pizza sauce
- 1/2 – 3/4 cup of shredded mozzarella
- 1/2 – 3/4 cup of shredded sharp provolone
- 9-10 large, thin slices of mild or hot pepperoni
- 2 teaspoons of fresh oregano, chopped
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Using a knife, cut the puff pastry into three sections vertically. Next, cut each section in half, making six squares of dough. This will create dough for three hot pockets.
Now, move on to the filling, but don’t go overboard with what you’re putting on the dough because you don’t want the filling to spill over. Make sure you place everything in the middle avoiding the sides. Start by placing a tablespoon of sauce on three squares of dough. Top the sauce with a few sprinkles of cheese, pepperoni, an additional tablespoon of sauce and more cheese. Top with fresh oregano.
Next, place the remaining squares of dough on top each of the squares with sauce, cheese and pepperoni. Using a fork, press down on all four sides of the dough to crimp the two pieces together creating a pizza pocket. Using the same fork, poke holes at the top of each pocket for ventilation.
Place in the oven and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until the puff pastry is golden. If you so desire, take the hot pockets out 2-3 minutes before you think they’ll be done and sprinkle cheese on top. Place them back in the oven until the cheese has melted and the puff pastry is golden brown.
Marina Makes 