Puff Pastry Brings Big Potential to Small Plates

Small plates are currently seeing increased popularity among diners for a number of reasons. They promote sharing and a collective dining experience—patrons can discuss flavors and enjoy appreciating the same foods. Small plates are also less costly than traditional entrées and a lower-risk option for people who want to try new flavors but are hesitant to go all-in with a larger, more expensive plate. For operators, they provide a great way to build incremental revenue and showcase creativity.

Capitalize on the small plate trend this holiday season with Pillsbury™ Puff Pastry doughs. Puff pastries are incredibly versatile, can be menued throughout the day, and are used for both sweet and savory applications. Plus, elegant, flaky layers elevate your menu and add that extra touch of festivity diners look for around the holidays.

Putting Puff Pastry on your (Small) Plates

Pillsbury™ Puff Pastry doughs deliver consistent, high-quality results every time. Rest easy knowing anyone on your team can get the job done. (And not merely ‘done’, but perfectly executed.) A delicious taste customers can count on really is that simple, and we have a troubleshooting guide for our puff pastry dough, just in case you need help.

Additionally, menuing puff pastry on small plates throughout the day will consolidate your ingredients, using valuable back-of-house storage efficiently and reducing waste.

No-Rules Cooking—Get Creative

With puff pastry, there are countless ways to enhance your holiday menu. Here are a few ideas from our expert chefs:

1. Cut puff pastry into squares for trendy shareable bites like this Mini Margherita Pizza. Tantalizing Italian flavor on top of tender puff pastry is just one way to do it. Versatile puff pastry dough can be used as a carrier for any number of ingredients you have on hand.
2. Fold puff pastry into triangles or half-circles around all sorts of delicious fillings. Try Tomato Goat Cheese Triangles, Butternut Squash & Goat Cheese Turnovers, or use your own signature combination of ingredients.
3. Cup sweet or savory fillings in flaky layers of puff pastry. For a savory twist this Quiche de Fromage is a good place to start, or make it sweet with delicacies like Chocolate Hazelnut Tartlets and Strawberry Tart Tartins—perfect to start the day or finish a meal.
4. Roll small bites of meat and cheese in puff pastry dough for fun and appealing shapes like these Smoked Turkey Pinwheels. Serve with a side of greens for an inventive small plate at any time of the day.
5. Top puff pastry with sweet or savory ingredients for simple, yet impressive, small plates. Crack an egg over your dough for this baked Italian Egg Tart, or top this classic Puff Fruit Danish with any seasonal fruit you have on hand for an easy and economical way to delight diners.
6. Fill puff pastry dough with almond paste to make Almond Bear Claws, a classic almond breakfast pastry that can be easily transferred to dessert.

See it in Action!

Check out the way Minneapolis chef Eric Evans uses puff pastry in this creative small plate

Watch our puff pastry video for further inspiration.