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    Home » Recipes » Appetizers

    Jack O’Lantern Ham and Swiss Hand Pies

    By Chula King · October 6, 2016 · Updated October 25, 2022 6 Comments

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    Crispy and delicious for a quick bite during the hectic Halloween season.

    For a quick bite during the hectic Halloween season, grab one of these delicious Jack O’Lantern Ham and Swiss Hand Pies. They are way easier to make than carving a pumpkin, and taste as good as they look!

    Jack O'Lantern Ham and Swiss Hand Pie
    Jump to:
    • Ingredients: Here’s What You’ll Need 
    • Here’s How I Made These Adorable Hand Pies
    • Recipe

    Ingredients: Here’s What You’ll Need 

    The ingredients for the Jack O’Lantern Ham and Swiss Hand Pie include store-bought pie crust, Dijon mustard, Swiss cheese, ham, and an egg for the egg wash. For variety, you could also use Brie in place of Swiss cheese.

    ingredients for jack o'lantern hand pies

    Here’s How I Made These Adorable Hand Pies

    I started by unrolling one of the pie crusts onto a floured surface and used a Wilton Pumpkin cookie cutter to cut the shapes. I was able to get seven pumpkins from one crust. I repeated the process with the other pie crust. Previously, I had made a template with cut-outs of the eyes and nose on card stock, so I used that as a pattern to cut out the eyes and noses on half of the pumpkins with a sharp knife.

    making the pumpkin cutouts of the pie dough

    I spread some mustard on the uncut side of one of the pumpkin shapes and topped that with some Swiss cheese and ham, making sure that I left space around the edge. Then, I put one of the cut pumpkin shapes on top and pressed it all around to produce a seal.

    Assembling the Jack o'lantern hand pies

    I brushed the tops with some egg wash and baked the Jack O’Lantern Hand Pies at 425°F for 15 minutes.

    Brushing the top of the hand pies with egg wash

    After 15 minutes, the Jack O’Lantern Ham and Swiss Hand Pies were golden brown. I transferred them to a wire rack, and let them cool for about 5 minutes before sampling one of the morsels. They were crispy and delicious. Yum!

    Jack O'Lantern Ham and Swiss Hand Pie

    If you’re looking for some more yummy Halloween dishes, check out my Spooky 8-Layer Taco Dip, Halloween Ghost Pizza, or Mac O’Lantern Salad.

    I hope you liked this recipe for Jack O’Lantern Ham and Swiss Hand Pies as much as I do. If so, please consider rating it and leaving a comment. Also, if you’d like to receive notifications of new posts by email, enter your email address in the Subscribe box.

    Thank you so much for visiting Pudge Factor. I hope you’ll come back!

    Recipe

    Perfect for a quick bite during the hectic Halloween season.

    Jack O’Lantern Ham and Swiss Hand Pies

    Chula King
    For a quick bite during the hectic Halloween season, grab a delicious Jack O'Lantern Ham and Swiss Hand Pie. They are way easier to make than carving a pumpkin, and taste as good as they look!
    5 from 5 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time 30 minutes mins
    Course Appetizer, Halloween
    Cuisine American
    Servings 7 hand pies
    Calories 196 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 box refrigerated pie crusts
    • 3 to 4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
    • 3 to 4 slices thinly sliced Black Forest or Virginia ham, cut in half
    • 3 to 4 slices thinly sliced Swiss cheese, cut in half
    • 1 large egg plus 1 Tablespoon of water for the egg wash

    Instructions
     

    • Heat oven to 425°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with nonstick foil or parchment paper.
    • Make a template of a pumpkin cookie cutter on card stock. Cut out eyes and nose from the template.
    • Unroll pie crusts on a floured surface. Cut each crust into 6 to 7 pumpkin shapes with a 3-inch pumpkin cookie cutter.
    • Using the template, cut the eyes and nose with a sharp knife on half of the cutouts.
    • Spread ½ teaspoon of Dijon mustard on the solid pumpkin shapes.
    • Fold Swiss cheese into 2-inch squares, and place on top of the mustard.
    • Fold ham into 2-inch squares and place on top of the Swiss cheese.
    • Top with remaining pumpkins with cut-out faces. Carefully press edges to seal.
    • Place on the prepared baking sheet. Brush tops with egg wash. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Let cool on the rack for 5 minutes before serving. Yield 6 to 7 hand pies.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 196kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 8gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 42mgSodium: 298mgPotassium: 76mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 134IUCalcium: 103mgIron: 1mg
    Keyword Jack O’Lantern Ham and Swiss Hand Pies
    Tried this recipe? Tag me today!Mention @PudgeFactor or tag #pudgefactor
    Crispy and delicious for a quick bite during the hectic Halloween season.

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    Filed Under: Appetizers, Halloween Treats, Sandwiches

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Amber Rivera says

      October 24, 2022 at 12:08 pm

      can these be made the night before and baked less than 24 hours later?

    2. Chula King says

      October 24, 2022 at 7:18 pm

      I’ve not made these ahead of time for baking later. However, I’d be a bit concerned that the mustard on the bottom crust could cause the bottom crust to be somewhat soggy. I’d probably go ahead and bake the hand pies and reheat them before serving.

    3. Anonymous says

      October 26, 2022 at 12:31 pm

      Thank you. I decided I will get them all ready to go, and then assemble them next day 🙂

    4. Chula King says

      October 26, 2022 at 3:42 pm

      Hope you enjoy them!

    5. Debbie says

      October 29, 2022 at 6:48 pm

      5 stars
      Success! Definitely keeping this recipe. Easy to make and so good. The only problem I had was with the crimping. The two crusts didn’t want to meld. Tried a little water but it was futile in some places. Still great.

    6. Chula King says

      October 30, 2022 at 6:58 am

      Hi Debbie,

      Sorry about that. Maybe the ham or the cheese extended too far down interfering with the crimping? That’s the only think that I can think of. I’m glad, however, that you liked the hand pies!

      Chula

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    Crispy and delicious for a quick bite during the hectic Halloween season.
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    Chula King is an award-winning photographer and videographer behind Pudge Factor. She’s a professor by day and foodie by night, showcasing her favorite tried and true recipes.

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