These Cheese & Bacon Turnovers make a perfect comforting afternoon snack! Gooey melted cheese and smoky bacon are enveloped in a puff pastry square. Only four ingredients required!
Most UK readers will be very familiar with Greggs, for those that are not or live elsewhere, Greggs is something of a British institution!
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It is one of the UK’s largest bakery chains, and you can usually hunt a branch down with your nose as the delicious aromas of warm pastries and freshly baked bread waft down the High St.
It really is heavenly & now you can make your own as my cheese and bacon turnovers (they call them bacon & cheese wraps in the shop)taste just like the real thing! I will walk you through, step-by-step and show you how to make them.
In the “How can I make this allergy-friendly?” Section below, I’m also going to explain how you can make simple swaps to make the turnovers gluten-free, dairy-free or egg-free too!
Speaking of gluten-free, you may want to check out my other gluten free pastry recipes like these Gluten Free Apple Turnovers, Gluten Free Mini Sausage Rolls with Chutney, Puff Pastry Pesto Pinwheels, Gluten Free Sausage Plait & Gluten Free Puff Pastry Pizza.
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🥘Ingredients You Will Need
Here is a brief overview of the ingredients you will need to make these bacon & cheese turnovers. To find out how to make them allergy-friendly, simply scroll down to the section below this one.
✋ Double check all packaging for allergens ✋
- Puff Pastry - You can make your own, but the shop-bought pastry is so good you may as well save your time! I use a puff pastry sheet as it’s pre-rolled and is available in most supermarkets in the UK, however, you can buy a block of puff pastry too and roll it out yourself to a thickness of around 1cm. I've used shop-bought pastry in these veggie curry pies too.
- Bacon - Back? Streaky? Smoked? Unsmoked? The choice is yours! You will need to pre-cook the bacon for a few minutes before adding it to the turnover, except if you are using streaky bacon, as this will cook in the same time as the pastry, so it can be added raw. If you want to make these turnovers vegetarian, use Quorn bacon-style rashers instead.
- Cheese - I have used a mild cheddar; however, you can use whatever cheese you like! Use a strong cheddar if you prefer more of a cheesy flavour or maybe a red Leicester?
- Egg - This is used to glaze the pastry before cooking, which gives it that gorgeous golden brown colour.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
🥜 How Can I Make These Allergy-Friendly?
- ✔️ Make It Gluten-Free: Swap the regular puff pastry for a gluten-free version. In the UK, Jus-Rol make a good gluten-free puff pastry.
- ✔️ It Dairy-Free: Use a dairy-free cheddar cheese in place of regular cheese.
- ✔️ Make It Egg-Free: Instead of an egg wash, brush the pastry with milk ( regular or plant-based) to help crisp up and brown the pastry.
✏️ How To Make Cheese & Bacon Turnovers
⬇️ Here you will find an overview of how to make the recipe. For full information on ingredients and quantities please see the recipe card at the bottom of the page ⬇️
Step 1: Start by preheating your oven to 190˚C fan / 210˚C electric / 375˚F so it's ready to go.
While the oven heats up, lightly cook the bacon by either grilling or frying it for a few minutes. If you prefer, you can also pop it in the air fryer at 190˚C / 375˚F for 3 minutes.
The aim here isn’t to fully cook the bacon—it will finish off in the oven once wrapped in the pastry.
Step 2: Next, take your pre-rolled pastry sheet and cut it into six equal-sized squares. If you're making these for a party or prefer smaller portions, you can cut the sheet into eight or even ten smaller squares instead.
Lay each pastry square flat and place a rasher of bacon diagonally across each one.
Step 3: Sprinkle a generous handful of grated cheese over the bacon on each pastry square. To help the pastry stick together, brush a little egg wash onto the corners using a pastry brush.
Step 4: Fold two opposite corners of each square into the middle and press them down firmly so they hold their shape while baking.
Once folded, brush the rest of the exposed pastry with egg wash—this will give them a golden, crispy finish.
Step 5: Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper, or use the paper from the pastry and place the turnovers on it, leaving a bit of space between them so they have room to puff up.
You should be able to fit six turnovers comfortably on one tray. Pop them in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and the cheese is beautifully melted.
🤔 Do I Need To Pre-Cook The Bacon?
You can skip pre-cooking if you’re using thin streaky bacon, as it’ll cook through in the oven. But if you’re using thicker-cut or back bacon, it’s best to partially cook it first so it’s properly done by the time the pastry’s golden brown.
Pre-cooking also stops too much moisture from making the pastry soggy. Just give it a quick fry, grill, or air fry so it’s lightly cooked but still soft—it’ll finish off in the oven.
If you prefer a softer texture, you could try it raw, but for the best results, I’d give it a quick cook first.
🤔 Can I Make These In The Air Fryer?
Yes, cook them in the air fryer @ 190˚C / 375˚F for around 8-10 minutes, depending on your air fryer, until golden and puffy.
For reference, I have a Ninja Dual Air Fryer and they took 9 minutes to cook.
💡Lauren's Tips
- ✔️ Use The Greaseproof Paper From The Pastry: Most pre-rolled pastry comes wrapped in a sheet of greaseproof paper. Instead of throwing it away, use it to line your baking tray.
- ✔️ Add Some Tang: Spread a ½ teaspoon of Dijon mustard over each square of pastry before you put the bacon on. This adds a tangy zing and really ramps up the flavour. Maybe best to leave this out on the kid’s ones, though!
- ✔️ Don’t Overcook The Bacon: Since the bacon will continue cooking inside the pastry, just give it a quick fry, grill, or air-fry beforehand. It only needs a couple of minutes.
- ✔️ Space Them Out On The Tray: Leave enough room between the turnovers so they can puff up properly without sticking together.
🥡 How To Store
These are best eaten fresh out of the oven, while the pastry is crisp and flaky, and the cheese is gooey. If you leave them too long, the pastry can go a bit soft.
However, they will store in the fridge for up to 2 days.
When you wish to re-heat them, simply pop in the microwave for a minute or so until piping hot (the pastry does lose its crunch this way though) or place them back in the oven for 10-15 mins at 180˚C or air fryer for 5 minutes at 170˚C.
You may want to wrap them in foil when putting in the oven or air fryer to stop the pastry browning even more.
To freeze, place the wraps on a baking tray and freeze for an hour. This stops them from sticking together. Once frozen, they can be placed in a freezer bag and stored for up to 3 months.
To reheat from frozen, place in a hot oven 180˚C for 20-25 minutes until hot. Wrapping in foil if you prefer.
💬 Recipe FAQ's
The most popular way to eat these wraps is as a snack, however they most certainly can be made into a meal! Why not serve with chips and baked beans for an easy kids tea. You could also serve with a dressed side salad to make this into a lighter lunch.
Yes! You can assemble them ahead of time and keep them in the fridge for a few hours before baking. Just don’t brush them with egg wash until you’re ready to bake, or the pastry might go a bit soggy.
Make sure you’ve brushed the whole surface with egg wash—this helps it turn golden brown. Also, don’t overcrowd the tray, as the turnovers need space to puff up properly.
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📖 Recipe
Cheese And Bacon Turnovers
Equipment
- Cooling Rack optional
Ingredients
- 320 g sheet puff pastry
- 6 rashers back bacon smoked or un-smoked
- 150 g (5 oz) mild cheddar cheese
- 1 medium egg whisked for egg wash
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 190˚C fan / 210˚c electric / 375˚F.
- Grill or fry the bacon for a few minutes until it has cooked lightly. You can also place it in the air fryer on 190˚C /375˚F for 3 mins. It will finish cooking in the oven once it has been added to the pastry, so you don’t want to cook it fully.
- Cut the pre-rolled pastry sheet into 6 equal-sized squares. If you want to make smaller turnovers for a party food snack, you can make mini ones by cutting them into 8 or 10 squares.
- Place a bacon rasher diagonally on each pastry square.
- Sprinkle a generous handful of the grated cheese over each rasher of bacon.
- Egg wash the corners of the pastry with a pastry brush and fold two corners into the middle, pressing firmly so they stay in place whilst cooking in the oven.
- With the egg wash, brush all over the rest of the exposed pastry. This helps the pastry to have a crispy golden brown finish.
- Place the turnovers on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper, leaving enough space for them to puff out a little, 6 should fit nicely on one tray.
- Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until the pastry is golden & puffed up and the cheese has melted.
Notes
- Use The Greaseproof Paper From The Pastry: Most pre-rolled pastry comes wrapped in a sheet of greaseproof paper. Instead of throwing it away, use it to line your baking tray.
- Add Some Tang: Spread a ½ teaspoon of Dijon mustard over each square of pastry before you put the bacon on. This adds a tangy zing and really ramps up the flavour. Maybe best to leave this out on the kid’s ones, though!
- Don’t Overcook The Bacon: Since the bacon will continue cooking inside the pastry, just give it a quick fry, grill, or air-fry beforehand. It only needs a couple of minutes.
- Space Them Out On The Tray: Leave enough room between the turnovers so they can puff up properly without sticking together.
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