For decades, I wanted to prepare an appetizer based on stuffed cream puffs.
But I kept postponing, always waiting for the time when I would finally learn to make choux pastry at home.
Since… waiting and waiting for this pivotal moment of homemade cream puffs, with homemade choux pastry, seemed never to come, I eventually told myself just get it done, let’s buy them, these cream puffs!
And it just happened that I prepared these stuffed cream puffs – which means these ‘bought’ stuffed cream puffs, the very ones I will show you in the photos – around noon on that Sunday when we were invited by my friend Sandra to enjoy her fantastic lasagna.
And how could I not show them to you (even if the rule of how-to-write-a-recipe would say that the first photo should be of the recipe you are about to write)?
They were fantastically delicious, as well as beautiful, Sandra’s lasagna 😀
So.
If you’re invited to lunch and want to bring something that will make a good impression even in front of the beautiful lasagna you’ll be welcomed with, and that’s also easy to make, well, I really recommend stuffed cream puffs.
Then once I learn to make cream puffs at home, okay, we’ll talk about it again and see how much more effort their preparation will require.
But for now, you should also start practicing with the sauces and the combinations between sauces and other ingredients.
For example: does lemon zest pair better with the cooked ham sauce or the ricotta sauce?
Yes, because these are things to experiment with as well!
Well, I’m ready for…
Aaahhh!!!! Have you already bought them??? Wow, such speed!!!
Yes yes, I’m coming, I’m coming! I’ll write the recipe right away!!! 😀
👉 If you want to experiment even more with the variety of sauces, try the 6 sauces I made for the bourguignonne + the sun-dried tomato cream + the asparagus pesto, which is excellent to use as a spread for canapés and why not in cream puffs? 🙂👇
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 40 pieces
- Cooking methods: No cooking
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
Naturally, the quantities are to taste because in the rush of setting everything up, I couldn’t weigh 😀
- Cream Puffs (small)
- Ricotta
- Spreadable Cheese
- Cooked Ham
- Tuna
- Salami (Milano type)
- Walnuts
- Arugula
- Lamb's Lettuce
- Belgian Endive
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Mayonnaise
- Lemon Zest
- Pink or Green Peppercorns
Tools
- Chopper
No Salt Tips
Remember that I cook without salt, and I suggest not salting these sauces even if you’re not as low-sodium as I am. Since they are made with ingredients already salted like tuna, cooked ham, and cheeses, adding salt can be avoided.
Tips for those who need to watch their salt intake without missing out on delicious cream puffs:
You can replace the ham and tuna with grilled vegetables, or with vegetable purées, like asparagus or peppers for example, to mix with ricotta.
Additionally, I suggest favoring the ricotta or lemon spreadable cream, maybe making them homemade (so you can make them without salt). For the spreadable cheese, I recommend this recipe or this herb version both of which can be made with milk kefir or yogurt. Homemade ricotta –> here it is.
I’ll leave you with my usual tips in pills:
If you’re interested in reducing or eliminating salt, always remember to:
▭ Reduce salt gradually, the palate must get used to it slowly and must not notice the progressive reduction.
▭ Use spices. Chili pepper, pepper, curry, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, cumin…
▭ Use aromatic herbs. Basil, parsley, oregano, thyme, sage, marjoram, rosemary, mint…
▭ Use seeds. Sesame, pine nuts, almonds, walnuts…
▭ Use spicy vegetables or fruits. Garlic, onion, lemon, orange…
▭ Use my vegetable granules without salt and gomasio.
▭ Prefer fresh foods.
▭ Avoid cooking in water, prefer cooking methods that do not disperse flavors (grill, foil, steam, microwave).
▭ Avoid bringing the salt shaker to the table!
▭ Occasionally break the rule. It’s good for the mood and helps to persevere.
If you don’t want to, or can’t, give up salt:
▭ You can still try my recipes and salt according to your habits.
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