These easy cheese and onion pasties are hearty, flavourful and the ultimate comfort food. A classic British dish. It's the perfect combination of delicious cheese and a caramelised onion filling, encased in a crispy puff pastry shell, baked to golden perfection.
Perfect to have on the go, in a lunchbox or as a savoury side to a salad. They're so quick to make from scratch and vastly better than any shop bought version. Give them a try and prepare to marvel at your own pasty making skills! (You don't have to tell anyone you used shop-bought puff pastry!)
Try these homemade chorizo and pork sausage rolls and these mini butter chicken pies for more easy recipes using puff pastry.
What's to love about this recipe
- Minimal skill required
- Fool-proof recipe
- Far better than a shop-bought pasty, even Greggs cheese and onion pasties!
- Ideal as a delicious snack on the go, for lunchboxes or as part of a main meal with a salad. Particularly lovely with potato salad!
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Key ingredient notes and substitutions
**Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full list of ingredients.
Red onion - We love red onion for the colour it brings to the filling, but you can also use white or brown onions, or shallots.
Brown sugar - We are using sugar to lightly caramelise the onion. You can also use white sugar for similar results but brown sugar should remain the first choice.
Puff pastry - Shop-bought fresh or frozen puff pastry will do just fine. Look for the puff pastry in sheet format, rolled up in a paper and packaged in an elongated box. In the UK the standard packet of most brands weigh around 375g. You need around this weight mark. A few grams over or under won't matter much. A popular UK brand is Jus-Rol, Pampas in Australia and in the US it's Pepperidge Farm.
Cheese - This recipe calls for mature cheddar cheese. Use the strongest one you can find for ultimate cheesy filling. If you don't like overly strong cheese, you can also use gouda or a combination of other cheeses. You can also use vegan cheese.
Cream cheese - The cream cheese helps make the filling soft and creamy. For best results, don't leave it out as the filling might then be dry.
Herbs and spices - Dried oregano gives a lovely flavour to the pasty and goes well with the cheese and onion flavour. You can also use fresh parsley or thyme. Add a few good grinds of black pepper too. You don't really need extra salt because the cheese will be savoury enough. You can add a pinch of salt if you wish though.
As an optional extra, you can add a quarter teaspoon of mustard powder for a bit of punch.
Egg - We will use a beaten egg for the egg wash, for golden, shiny pastry.
Garnish - Sesame seeds, poppy seeds or black Nigella seeds. Choose which one you'd prefer or use a combination.
How to make the cheese and onion pasties - Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 190C/374F/gas mark 5. Line a baking sheet with baking paper.
- In a large frying pan over medium heat, fry the onions until soft and translucent. Add the sugar and cook until the onions are golden brown and caramelised. Set aside to cool down.
- Roll the puff pastry open on the work surface. Top tip, don't bother flouring the surface, just keep the pastry on top of the paper it was rolled up in, saves cleaning up later.
- Roll the pastry sheet slightly bigger to about 40cm x 25cm.
- Slice the sheet in half lengthways and each half into four equal sized rectangles.
- You will notice when unrolling the pastry that the very inside 'curl' might be a bit cracked. Just smooth clean fingers over it to seal up any breaks in the pastry.
- In a mixing bowl, add together the grated cheese, cream cheese, oregano and pepper. Add the fried onions and combine.
- Scoop equal amounts of the onion mixture onto four of the rectangles.
- Using a pastry brush, brush the egg around each mound of the filling, along the edges of which will form the seam.
- Place the unused pastry rectangles on top of the filled ones. Press the edges of the top and bottom sheets together.
- Use a fork to crimp the edges of the pastry shut. Be careful not to press the fork's tines into the filled part of the pasty.
- Brush the top of each pasty with the remaining beaten egg.
- Sprinkle over sesame, poppy or nigella seeds and place the cheese and onion pasties on the lined baking sheet.
- With the tip of a knife, stab two small steam holes in the top of each pasty.
- If you're wondering why my baking paper below looks so crumpled, here's a top tip for you:
To make baking paper/parchment paper lay flat on the baking tray, scrunch it up and then flatten it again. It will break the 'curl' from the rolled up position it was boxed in.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes until the pastry is puffed up and a light golden brown.
Make ahead and storage
You can make these pasties ahead and freeze them un-baked for up to three months. Keep them in an airtight container to protect them from freezer burn. To bake, remove them from the freezer a few hours before consuming. Bake in a preheated oven of 190C/374F/gas mark 5 for 20 minutes.
The pasties are at their best straight from the oven, but to reheat already baked pasties, place them in a preheated oven at 190C/374F/gas mark 5 and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until piping hot throughout.
They are also nice at room temperature.
What can you serve these pasties with?
- Mustard like English, Dijon and wholegrain
- Garlic mayonnaise
- Sweet chilli sauce
- Potato salad
- A crispy green salad
- Chips or chunky wedges
- Coleslaw
FAQ
You can yes, although it's somewhat better at room temperature, so remove it from the fridge an hour or so before having it.
Yes it does, there are eggs in the pastry, not in the filling.
Yes you can! You can make these pasties ahead and freeze them un-baked for up to three months. To bake, remove them from the freezer a few hours before consuming. Bake in a preheated oven of 190C/374F/gas mark 5 for 20 minutes.
Yes you can, the pastry just won't be the same as the flaky puff pastry.
No, these are somewhat different. A Cornish pasty contains beef, onion, potato and swede and is made with a thick shortcrust pastry.
Not exactly the same no, Gregg's pasties also contain potato, more than likely to flesh it out at a lower cost. We prefer this recipe that's mainly cheese and onion.
More recipes using puff pastry
Recipe
Cheese and onion pasties
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 200 grams red onion - finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1 sheet puff pastry - circa 375g
- 160 grams mature cheddar cheese - grated
- 80 grams cream cheese
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- few grinds black pepper
- 1 egg - whisked
- sesame seeds for sprinkling
- poppy seeds or nigella seeds for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 190C/374F/gas mark 5 and line a baking sheet with baking paper.
- In a frying pan, heat the teaspoon of oil. Add the chopped onions and fry over a medium heat until the onions are soft and translucent. 5-7 minutes.
- Add the teaspoon of brown sugar to the onions and stir through. Keep moving the onions around for another 2-3 minutes until they are caramelised and golden brown. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool down.
- Roll the sheet of puff pastry open on the countertop. Keep the puff pastry on the paper sheet it was rolled in to save having to flour the surface. Seal any cracks that might have appeared in the pastry during unrolling.
- Using a rolling pin, roll the sheet out until it's slightly larger, about 40cm x 25cm.
- Slice the sheet in halve lengthways and then slice each half into 4 equal rectangles, so you end up with 8 rectangles in total.
- In a bowl, add the grated cheese, cream cheese, oregano and black pepper. Give it a quick mix. Add the fried onions and combine.
- Equally spoon the mixture onto four of the pastry rectangles. Leave a gap of 2cm along the sides.
- Using a pastry brush, brush the egg along the edges surrounding the filling.
- Place the unused pastry rectangles on top of the filled ones. Press the edges of the top and bottom sheets together.
- Use a fork to crimp the edges shut. Be careful not to press the fork's tines into the filled part of the pasty.
- Brush the top of each pasty with more egg wash. Sprinkle over sesame, poppy or nigella seeds. With the tip of a knife, stab two small steam holes in the top of each pasty.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes until the pastry is puffed up and a light golden brown.
- Enjoy warm straight from the oven.
**Nutritional data disclaimer**
Please keep in mind that the nutritional information provided below is calculated by a third party and we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We try our best to give you the most accurate information, but we do not take responsibility for errors that may be present. Also, the nutritional value of the recipe may change depending on the exact brands and products used. We recommend that you consult with a qualified healthcare professional or registered dietitian for personalised advice on your dietary needs.
Nutrition
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Lorraine says
Thought I'd try this recipe from my usual one but we didn't like it as much so I won't be making it again. I used the strongest cheese I could find but still quite bland and a little too greasy.
Maretha @ The Cinnamon Jar says
Hey Lorraine,
I am really sorry to hear that you found it disappointing. Can you remember which cheese you used? I know some cheeses can contain more oil than others and this may be the cause of the greasiness. I've not
experienced any greasiness yet, but the cheese I am using might behave completely differently to the one you used.