Even if you're skilled at making pastry, it's worth having some ready-made pastry in the freezer for when you're short of time. Whether you need to use up leftovers from a roast dinner to make a pie, or homemade puff pastry is just a step too far, our recipe collection will help you with so many new ideas to rustle up something savoury or sweet with little effort. There are classics such as pecan pie, family favourites with a chicken pot pie, and some new combinations for tarts and quiches.

Always a family favourite, the simple filling is made from scratch, with chicken simmered in stock with vegetables until tender. You could also adapt the recipe to use leftover chicken. The stock is then thickened, seasoned with a little lemon, then it's topped with shortcrust pastry and baked in the oven. It's a meal in itself, but you could serve with extra vegetables, if you like.

Get the recipe for chicken pot pie here

Just imagine a creamy fish chowder, with potatoes and sweetcorn, topped with buttery puff pastry. If you don't want to use crayfish, you can make your own combination of shellfish and firm fish. For a special occasion, you could even add in some lobster tails. It only takes around 25 minutes to prepare, but you can make it in advance, then leave in the fridge until you are ready to bake.

Get the recipe for crayfish pie here

Everyone loves a homemade apple pie, but why not take it to the next level by cooking the apples in a creamy, salted caramel sauce. It's topped with a puff pastry lid, and takes just 10 minutes to prepare in one pot. A few scoops of vanilla ice cream would be perfect to serve it with while still warm.

Get the recipe for salted caramel apple pie here

Chunks of beef are slow cooked in stock and ale, with mushrooms, bacon, onion and garlic until meltingly tender. You need a craft ale for this recipe, rather than a lager, so a pale ale would be perfect. It's topped with a puff pastry lid. The filling is easy to make, but it needs slow cooking. You could prepare it in advance, then freeze.

Get the recipe for steak pie here

This classic pie has never gone out of fashion, with its creamy, syrupy filling, and crunchy, nutty topping. You can just buy a prepared pastry shell for this recipe, or use bought shortcrust pastry, rather than making it from scratch. Remember it needs to cool completely before serving, so that the fillings sets properly, before slicing.

Get the recipe for pecan pie here

You can make this recipe into six individual pies, or one large one to feed six. It's made with chicken thighs, which are so much better than chicken breast, which tends to dry out. The sauce is creamy, packed with mushrooms, herbs, vegetables and smoked bacon. Once the filling is ready, it's topped with puff pastry.

Get the recipe for chicken and bacon pie here

Using shop-bought pastry makes a classic quiche a walk in the park. With its filling of bacon, eggs, cheese and cream, there's nothing tricky to find. You do need to bake the pastry blind first, so it's not soggy. Line the pastry case with foil or baking parchment, fill with baking beans, dried beans or rice, then bake for 15 minutes, remove the paper and bake for five minutes until the pastry is lightly cooked.

Get the recipe for quiche Lorraine here

A bought pie crust will do the job for this favourite pie, or use shortcrust pastry and bake it blind. You can use a mixture of fresh and frozen blueberries, the latter being perfect for the jammy base, flavoured with cinnamon and lemon. Then use the fresh blueberries to top the pie before serving. Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream are the best accompaniment.

Get the recipe for blueberry pie here

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With a packet of ready-rolled puff pastry, you can have a great meal on the table in 25 minutes. Mascarpone is mixed with soft goats' cheese and fresh thyme, spread over a part-baked pastry base, then topped with cooked beetroot and returned to the oven until golden and puffed up. Just serve with a simple green salad.

Get the recipe for beetroot, goats' cheese and thyme tart here

Make over your favourite apple pie by adding plums, which add sweetness and texture to make the filling a little more syrupy. Even if you don't have a traditional cast iron skillet, a deep frying pan which is ovenproof will do the job. A little cinnamon brings out the flavour of the apples. Just cook on the hob, top with shortcrust pastry and you're ready to bake.

Get the recipe for apple, plum and cinnamon skillet pie here

Using canned or frozen pumpkin purée means you can make this favourite pie at any time year. Add in shop-bought shortcrust pastry, and you have a real time-saver. The scent of the spices makes your kitchen smell divine, and on warmer days, serve with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Get the recipe for pumpkin pie here

Layers of sweet, caramelised onions, sautéed mushrooms, artichokes from a jar and fresh herbs are piled onto a sheet of ready-rolled puff pastry, covered in cheese and cream, then baked in the oven until golden brown and bubbling. Serve it straight from the oven with a tomato or green salad.

Get the recipe for onion, artichoke and sage tart here

This stunner takes a bit of effort, but you'll save time by buying shortcrust pastry, instead of making it. Baked sweet potato mash is spiced with cinnamon, mace, ginger and allspice, mixed with eggs and condensed milk, then baked in the pastry cases. Topped with marshmallow and drizzled with syrup, it's definitely a recipe for the sweet lovers in your life.

Get the recipe for sweet potato pies with marshmallow here

Now here's a smart way to make any leftover vegetables into an impressive main meal. Just use shop-bought pastry to line your tin, bake it blind, then pile in your vegetables with lots of cheese, pour in a savoury custard, then bake until set. You can use any cheese you have to hand in the fridge – feta, goats' cheese or blue cheese are good alternatives to Cheddar. 

Get the recipe for leftover tart here

Broccoli and blue cheese are a perfect match, the saltiness of the cheese balancing the slight sweetness of the vegetable. Our recipe uses Gorgonzola, but any soft blue cheese you prefer will do. It uses a ready-rolled puff pastry sheet, to which you pile in cream, vegetables, chilli, lemon and garlic.

Get the recipe for broccoli and blue cheese quiche here

If you're looking for a showstopper dessert, look no further than this gorgeous pie. Rather than making your own pastry base, buy either shortcrust or sweet shortcrust pastry to make the base. The recipe uses a cook's blowtorch to brown the meringue, but you can easily bake it in the oven at 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/gas mark 4 for 15 minutes.

Get the recipe for mile-high lemon meringue pie here

This is a breakfast dish for many Italians, but it makes a fabulous lunch with a green salad. And it couldn't be simpler. You just need two sheets of ready-rolled puff pastry, then spread tomato passata over the base, top with grated cheese, add sliced ham, top with the other pastry sheet, glaze and bake until it's golden brown and piping hot. When you cut it, the cheese just oozes out.

Get the recipe for Italian ham and cheese pie here

Here's a simple tart which is easy on the eye, and on the pocket. It's made with canned salmon and a pack of shortcrust pastry. The custard filling is made with eggs, milk, cream and cheese. It has sautéed leeks and onions added, but you could use some peas from the freezer, a few capers from the cupboard or some spinach. 

Get the recipe for salmon tart here

Love lemon meringue? Try this twist using ruby or pink grapefruit, laced with fresh lime. Just buy the shortcrust pastry to speed up the preparation time, rather than following the recipe. The silky custard filling is thickened with cornflour, so there's no fear of it curdling. Topped with a vanilla meringue, it's a real stunner without too much effort.

Get the recipe for grapefruit meringue here

Bring a ray of sunshine into your kitchen with this lovely tart made from a puff pastry shell. The base is slow-cooked tomatoes with onion, garlic, balsamic vinegar and thyme, which cooks down to a rich purée. It's then topped with sun-dried tomatoes and goats' cheese, and flashed in the oven to heat through. It works very well with feta cheese, too.

Get the recipe for tomato tart with goats' cheese here

This dish originates in Nice, in the South of France. It's a simple pizza lookalike topped with caramelised onions, black olives and anchovies. Sometimes it is made with a bread dough base, but our recipe uses a sheet of ready-rolled puff pastry. It's great as a snack with drinks, or a light lunch with a green salad.

Get the recipe for pissaladière here

Despite the very British-sounding name, beef Wellington is actually a French dish. Prime beef fillet is spread on the outside with cooked mushrooms and liver pâté, before being wrapped in puff pastry and baked until tender. It's a real showstopper for a special dinner (it serves eight), but is surprisingly easy to assemble, and you can make it ahead and leave in the fridge until you're ready to bake it.

Get the recipe for beef Wellington here

Enjoy a taste of the Mediterranean with a plum and almond tart. Just buy shortcrust pastry to make it. Once the pastry case is baked blind, it is spread with plum jam, topped with frangipane – an almond, butter, flour and egg mixture, which rises to a light sponge – then topped with slices of fresh plums. This is great, served just warm, with whipped cream or ice cream.

Get the recipe for plum frangipane tart here

Palmier comes from the French for palm tree, because of their shape. They can be savoury or sweet, and make a lovely snack to have with drinks. You just need a few ingredients, rolling and folding puff pastry, which here is spread with sun-dried tomato paste, covered with Parmesan cheese, and sweet and salty Parma Ham. Warning – they are extremely moreish!

Get the recipe for Parma Ham palmiers here

This gorgeous upside-down, caramelised apple French tart needs just four ingredients – apples, puff pastry, butter and sugar. You need a firm eating apple which doesn't break down in cooking, such as a Granny Smith. You'll also need a skillet. The apples are cooked down in the caramel until tender, covered in puff pastry, then baked. Then you just flip it to serve warm.

Get the recipe for tarte Tatin here

A sausage roll may be a quintessentially British snack, but you're missing a trick if you've never made them. Perfect for parties and picnics, and kids just love them. They are so simple to make. You take sheets of ready-rolled puff pastry, add sausage meat (just skin sausages for speed), roll up, cut into slices and glaze before baking. Try the homemade ketchup, too. It's not too sweet.

Get the recipe for sausage rolls with homemade ketchup here

Making the most of juicy citrus fruit, this zesty, simple tart is made even easier when you use bought shortcrust pastry. It's light and fresh – perfect as an ending to a big meal. You do need to chill it in the fridge for up to 12 hours after baking, so it's a perfect make-ahead dessert solution.

Get the recipe for caramelised clementine tart here

Enjoy the new season's vegetables. This recipe uses courgettes, broad beans and peas, but you could use any green veg you like, and you could top it with slices of tomato. Asparagus would be great here. Buy shortcrust pastry rather than making it, and you'll have around 15 minutes' preparation time. This makes individual pies, but you could make one large one instead. 

Get the recipe for courgette, broad bean and pea quiche here

A French classic which certainly has the wow factor. Fresh salmon, mushrooms and spinach wrapped in buttery puff pastry takes little time to assemble. The recipe is served with a creamy, fresh dill sauce, which really makes the salmon zing. It will be made and on the table in an hour. Serve hot with a green salad and buttered new potatoes.

Get the recipe for salmon en croute here

Such a pretty tart, this can be made with bought shortcrust or sweet shortcrust pastry. You need two kinds of apples for this recipe – cooking apples which cook down to a purée for the base, and a firmer apple for the top layer where they are sliced and glazed. The apple purée is flavoured with cinnamon, such a classic combination.

Get the recipe for apple and cinnamon tart here