Ham and Cheese Strudel

A delicious strudel recipe that does not demand a lot of preparation if you have store-bought puff pastry on hand. Easy to make and perfect for entertaining.

Yield: 6 slices

Time:  40 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 puff pastry sheet about 8.5 oz (240 g)
• 1 cup (115 g) shredded Swiss or Cheddar cheese
• 1/2 lb (225 g) cooked ham or turkey, sliced
• 1/4 cup (25 g) Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1/4 cup (16 g) thinly sliced scallions
• 1 lb (450 g) fresh spinach washed and drained
• 1 egg beaten with 1 Tbsp water (egg wash)
• salt and pepper (optional)

Preparation:

Preheat oven 400° F/200° C.

Place a large saucepan over medium heat and cook spinach until it is wilted and most of the moisture has evaporated. Drain in a colander and allow to cool. Squeeze any residual spinach moisture with your hands and chop it roughly. Season spinach with salt and pepper and set aside.

In a bowl mix the shredded cheese, Parmesan, and scallions. Season with pepper if necessary. Set aside.

Thaw puff pastry at room temperature until easy to unfold while keeping pastry cold at all times. Unfold it over a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Roll it into a 16×12 inches (40×30 cm) rectangle. Brush puff pastry with the egg wash and scatter spinach on top of it keeping about 1 inch (2,5 cm) away from the edges. Top it with the cheese mix. Arrange ham or turkey slices on top. Start rolling the pastry on the short side. Roll it up like a jelly roll making sure that the seam is underneath. Gently crisscross a diamond pattern on top. Do not cut through. Poke some holes on the pastry top to allow the steam to escape. Brush with the egg mixture and sprinkle some sesame seeds on top. Bake for about 25 minutes or until golden brown. Allow cooling for at least 10 minutes before slicing.