Transform Your Canned Biscuits Into Custom Hot Pockets

One of America's most beloved frozen foods, Hot Pockets work great as an easy snack or a quick meal. And there seem to be countless flavors available for nearly every taste and any time of day: Breakfast versions, extra spicy ones, and even extra large sizes. Hot Pockets are a real grab-and-go kind of convenience food. One of the downsides of these prepared items is that all of the taste decisions are made for you –- salt level, flavor combinations, and the level of spice.

While you can always doctor up your Hot Pockets on the outside, the only way to control the flavor inside is to make your own version. And that's easy to do with canned biscuit dough. After all, Hot Pockets are sandwich fillings and sauces wrapped in pastry, and the premade biscuit can be the basis for creating the hot pocket of your dreams. You can replicate some of the flavors of original Hot Pockets, or you can create your own unique twist on this delicious handheld dish.

All you need to start making your hot pockets is a tube of biscuit dough. Separate each biscuit and roll out the individual dough pieces, making each into a good-sized circle. Rather than try for Hot Pockets' trademark rectangular shape, it will be easier to create crescent-shaped ones by folding the dough circles in half after filling them. Make sure to crimp the edges to keep the filling in. Some suggest moistening the edge with water before crimping to help form a better seal.

Just like Hot Pockets have different flavored crusts, you can also enhance the taste of your biscuit dough. There are some butter-flavored premade biscuit doughs, buttermilk-styled ones, and even some meant to have layers, much like a croissant would. You can build on the existing flavor of your dough, too. Don't be afraid to sprinkle on a seasoning blend –- anything from an Italian herb mix to an everything bagel mix would be great here. There are even sweet biscuit doughs that are perfect for a dessert version. 

Once you've got your biscuit dough ready, it's time to think about options for fillings. Hot Pockets has a ham and cheese pocket, which in many ways is the perfect fusion of two of America's most loved sandwiches –- grilled cheese and ham. While Nestle uses cheddar cheese for its ham and cheese pocket, you can use any variety when making your own (Swiss cheese works great with ham). You could also borrow inspiration from that famous French sandwich, Croque Monsieur, and use Gruyere with Dijon mustard. There are many other great melty kinds of cheese to use, too.

Pizza-style Hot Pockets are also popular, and it's easy to make your own using your favorite pizza sauce or marinara, mozzarella cheese, and your favorite toppings. You could also make a version of a Caprese salad using fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil pesto. Just be sure to chop ingredients fine to get a taste of everything in each bite. The same goes for other fillings; try new flavor combinations, too. You could take your personal pocket in an Indian direction with some curried potatoes, onions, and peas. It would be just like the filling you find inside a samosa. The sky is the limit with homemade hot pockets.