Make a healthier version of a Ham and Cheese Hot Pocket at home with this easy recipe that uses the bread machine and a few simple ingredients.
Jump to RecipeOne of my favorite combinations for a sandwich is simply ham and cheese. Because of this, when we were making homemade hot pockets, my choice was the Ham and Cheese Hot Pocket. It’s such a classic combination and can work well for almost any meal.
We rarely have ham for dinner, but I like it on a sandwich. I’ve also added some to my scrambled eggs to have a bit of meat with breakfast.
Cheddar cheese has always been my favorite cheese. The sharper the better. And usually, if we buy a block, it has to be the Cracker Barrel brand. I know it costs more, but it’s worth it to me.
The same combination of deli ham and sharp cheddar cheese is used for Christmas Sandwiches. They are a family tradition, and having something similar reminds me of family.
Ham and Cheese Hot Pocket Step by Step
Ingredients
Dough
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 2 tsp active dry yeast
- 1 3/8 cup water
- 3 tbsp oil
Hot Pocket
- 1/4 lb ham (sliced)
- 1/2 cup cheddar cheese (shredded)
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup water
- all-purpose flour (for dusting work surface)
Preparation
Add all of the ingredients for the dough into the bread machine. Set it to the dough setting and let it run. My machine takes 90 minutes to make a dough, but that can vary by machine. Make sure to look at the manual for yours so you know how to use it.
When the dough is almost done cooking, prepare your ingredients. For a ham and cheese hot pocket, this means tearing the ham into pieces and shredding the cheese.
Once the dough is finished cooking, roll the dough out on a floured surface. Cut the dough into quarters. Preheat the oven to 350F.
For each hot pocket, place about 1/4 of the salami and cheese down the center of the dough.
Use a pizza cutter to slice diagonal cuts into the dough at regular intervals. I find about 1/2″ works best. Cut the top and bottom off. Fold those over, then make the braid. Start by grabbing the end of the top piece and folding it over until it meets with the second on the other side. Repeat with the top piece on the opposite side.
Continue this pattern until you reach the bottom. Tuck the bottom two pieces around the bottom. Carefully move the hot pockets to a baking sheet. In a small bowl, combine the egg and water. Use a pastry brush to coat the dough. Bake for about 20-25 minutes until the dough is golden brown.
Recipe
Originally Published On: August 1, 2019
Last Updated On: July 28, 2023
Ham and Cheese Hot Pocket
Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 2 tsp active dry yeast
- 1 3/8 cup water
- 3 tbsp oil
- 1/4 lb ham (sliced)
- 1/2 cup cheddar cheese (shredded)
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup water
- all-purpose flour (for dusting work surface)
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Add all dough ingredients to bread machine and set to dough
- Chop the ham into small pieces
- Shred the cheese if it isn't already shredded
- Preheat oven to 350F
- Roll dough out on floured work surface to about 1/8-1/4 inch thickness
- Use a pizza cutter to cut the dough into quarters
- Add the fillings to the center of the dough
- Cut the dough in diagonals on either side and fold over until the entire hot pocket is braided
- Whisk the egg and water together to form an egg wash and brush the dough
- Bake for about 20-25 minutes until the dough is golden brown
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutrition content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.
More Hot Pockets Recipes
- Homemade Hot Pockets 4 Ways
- Pizza Hot Pocket
- Ham and Cheese Hot Pocket
- Salami and Cheese Hot Pocket
- Breakfast Hot Pocket
Other Recipes with Ham and Cheese
- Easy Hawaiian Sliders Recipe with Ham and Cheese
- Ham Steak and Gnocchi Casserole with Cheese
- Ham and Cheese Hot Pocket
- Ham and Cheese Omelet
- Christmas Sandwiches
- Baked Ham, Egg, and Cheese Quiches
- Baked Skillet Ham and Eggs
More Recipes in the Bread Machine
- Cinnamon Raisin Bread in the Bread Machine
- White Bread Recipe
- Homemade Pizza with a Bread Machine
- Cinnamon Rolls with the Bread Machine
- Homemade Bread in One Hour
- Fresh Mozzarella-Topped (Not So) Flatbread
- Mini Soft Pretzels
- Pizza Hot Pocket
- Ham and Cheese Hot Pocket
- Salami and Cheese Hot Pocket
- Breakfast Hot Pocket
- Pita Bread Pockets From Scratch
- Winter Molasses Bread
More Ham Recipes to try
- Ham Steak and Gnocchi Casserole with Cheese
- Country Ham Hash Breakfast
- Easy Hawaiian Sliders Recipe with Ham and Cheese
- Baked Skillet Ham and Eggs
- Christmas Sandwiches
- Easy Chicken Cordon Bleu
- Homemade Kolaches: A Texas Tradition
- Ham and Cheese Hot Pocket
- Ham and Cheese Omelet
- Baked Ham, Egg, and Cheese Quiches
Ooh, these sound really good – they’d be lovely for lunch with salad! I’d have to replace the ham with something else though as none of us like ham – maybe chicken or tuna perhaps… but I guess you could put whatever you like in them!
You could easily change the fillings for these to whatever you prefer!
Hey, it looks very testy as your way of presentation, I never tried these food items before though. Hope, I will try in the future. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you! It was fun trying to get the braiding method down and was easier than it first looks.
You don’t have idea how much I love all your recipes! Especially this one, ham and cheese hot pocket looks extremely delicious. I would love to try this recipe for lunch
Thank you! We have a lot of fun coming up with recipes together.
Oooh, I love this idea! (And you are reminding me that I haven’t had lunch yet!) This reminds me very much of my favorite quick lunch in a Paris café, croque monsieur (basically, a grilled cheese sandwich with ham and dijon mustard) – I bet these would taste delish with a smear of dijon on the inside, too! 🙂
Oh that sounds delicious! I haven’t had that but I’ll definitely be adding a bit next time.
As always, your food looks so pretty so I’m sure it’s super yummy. This is a quick meal when you are rushing in the morning which I always am. I love cheese and eggs. I wonder if made in advance and frozen how would it hold up.
We didn’t try that last time we made these. They were gone too quickly! I think if you were to do that and reheat in a toaster oven or regular oven it would work well. A microwave may make them a bit soggy.
Rolling the dough is half the fun. My grandma used to let me help her when she’d make pocket treats. They weren’t even popular then. She was ahead of her time!
The boys love helping me roll out dough whenever we make anything with it. Sounds like your grandma was ahead of the times, I’ve only seen these in the last 15 years or so.
My kids and my husband would absolutely love this. I love that you can actually customize it anyway you’d like for each person.
We love making foods that can be customized because we all like different things. It’s a great family recipe for that reason!
Homemade hot pockets open up so many possibilities! I love using fresh ingredients rather than frozen foods.
Me too! It makes everything have so much more flavor and usually a better texture, too.
I love ham and cheese! this is such a great recipe. thanks for sharing!
Ham and cheese just go so well together!
I totally read this at the wrong time because now I’m laying in bed wanting ham and cheese lol. So need to make this!! Yum!
I’ve done that so many times before, too! It’s so hard writing a food blog sometimes 🙂
Oh my gosh my husband would flip! He loves ham and cheese anything! Looks so good!
This would be perfect for him, then! You could make a few and he would have lunch for a few days with this recipe.
I am always a fan of your recipes. They inspired me to do good in my cooking and improve every day.
Thank you so much! I like things like this that are simple to make, but also a great snack.