12 pocket recipes

Pineapple stuffed empanadas. A delicate pastry style dough with a filling of pineapple and apricot jam. Perfect for afternoon tea or healthy snacks for the kids or guests.

Those who enjoy an instant cup of broth but are dismayed by the use of flavor enhancers and the abundance of salt in commercial brands may welcome the chance to make their own soup mix.

Pressed angel food cake sandwiches filled with chocolate chips, marshmallows, cherry preserves, or cinnamon sugar. Made in a sandwich maker until golden and gooey. Kids love these.

Homemade whole wheat pita pocket bread with just four ingredients: whole wheat flour, yeast, honey, and water. Bakes in 5 minutes at high heat and puffs into perfect pockets.

Angel food cake slices stuffed with chocolate chips, marshmallows, fruit preserves, or coconut, then grilled golden in a sandwich maker. A 15-minute dessert kids go wild for.

Stuffed pork loin chops with an apple, mushroom, and raisin bread crumb filling, browned and baked until tender. A cozy dinner for two, served with applesauce on the side.

Loaded tuna pita pockets stuffed with romaine, tomatoes, bell pepper, carrots, broccoli, and onion tossed with tuna in low-fat ranch. A no-cook 10-minute lunch packed with vegetables and whole-wheat fiber.

Pocket soup is a homemade instant soup powder: split peas, bulgur, dried vegetable flakes, sesame and sunflower seeds, and nutritional yeast ground to a fine powder. Add boiling water for a quick vegan broth anywhere.

Fruit and cheese pita pockets stuffed with low-fat cottage cheese, diced cheddar, kiwi, pineapple tidbits, and chives for a quick no-cook lunch ready in 10 minutes.

Falafel in pita pockets: cumin and coriander-spiced chickpea patties stuffed into warm pita bread. A Middle Eastern street food staple made quickly at home.

Homemade beef gravy mix from scratch using flour, beef base, cornstarch, and ketchup. A DIY replacement for store-bought gravy packets with pantry staples.

Chicken finger packets wrap soy-Dijon broiled chicken, tzatziki, lettuce, and sweet peppers in flour tortillas. Portable lunch-box rolls that hold up in a bag all morning.