Ham and Broccoli Puffs

December 2025. Winter in Memphis, 67 years old, and the cold has settled into the house on Deadrick Avenue the way cold settles into old bones — persistently, without malice, just the physics of aging and December. Rosetta has the thermostat set at 74, our eternal compromise, and I cook warming things: stews and soups and slow-braised meats that fill the house with steam and flavor.

Rosetta beside me through the week, steady as ever, the woman who runs this household with the precision of a hospital ward and the heart of a mother who has loved fiercely for 42 years of marriage.

Baked beans on the smoker — navy beans soaked overnight, simmered with onion, brown sugar, molasses, mustard, and my BBQ sauce, then smoked uncovered at 250 for two hours. The hickory settles into the sauce and transforms ordinary beans into something that belongs at any table, any gathering, any moment when people need to be fed and comforted and reminded that simple food, made with patience, is the best food there is.

Another week in the book. Another seven days of tending fires — the one in the smoker, the one in the marriage, the one in the family, the one in the church. Each fire needs something different: wood, attention, food, faith. But the tending is the same for all of them: show up, add what's needed, wait patiently, trust the process. Low and slow. Always. Low and slow.

After a week of tending the smoker and keeping every fire in this household burning steady, I wanted something that honored that same spirit of patience but came together a little quicker for Rosetta and me at the supper table. Ham has always been the centerpiece of a faithful Southern kitchen, and these Ham and Broccoli Puffs — golden and flaky on the outside, warm and savory all the way through — are exactly the kind of simple, comforting food I mean when I say that showing up and doing the work always pays off. Low and slow built the baked beans; a steady hand and a good oven built these.

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 18 min | Total Time: 38 min | Servings: 8

Ingredients

2 cans (8 oz each) refrigerated crescent roll dough
2 cups cooked ham, diced small
2 cups fresh broccoli florets, steamed and roughly chopped
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)

Instructions

Preheat. Heat your oven to 375°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Make the filling. In a large mixing bowl, combine the softened cream cheese and sour cream and stir until smooth. Fold in the diced ham, chopped broccoli, cheddar cheese, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper until evenly mixed.
Prepare the dough. Unroll both cans of crescent dough and separate into 16 triangles. On a lightly floured surface, press two triangles together at their long edges to form 8 larger rectangles, pressing the seam firmly to seal.
Fill and fold. Spoon about 3 tablespoons of filling onto one half of each dough rectangle, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edges. Fold the empty half of the dough over the filling and press the edges firmly with a fork to seal all sides.
Apply egg wash. Transfer the puffs to the prepared baking sheet. Brush the tops generously with the beaten egg to ensure a deep golden finish.
Bake. Bake for 15–18 minutes, until the puffs are puffed and golden brown. Let rest 5 minutes before serving — the filling will be very hot straight from the oven.

Nutrition (per serving)

Ham and Broccoli Puffs — Low and Slow Love, Right Down to Supper