Cheese and Onion Plait

Name: Cheese and Onion Plait
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 2 tbsp olive oil; 3 onions, thinly sliced; 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves; 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard; 200g vegetarian mature cheddar, grated; 1 tbsp plain flour; 2 ready rolled puff pastry sheets, about 320 g each, all butter if possible; 1 egg, beaten, to glaze; 1 tsp black onion seeds, optional

Soft sweet onions and sharp cheddar in a braided puff pastry loaf. Great hot for tea or cold on a picnic.

Time1 hr 10
LevelMedium
Costabout £0.77 a head
Oven200°C (180°C fan)

Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.

Estimated nutrition per serving

295kcal
21.1gcarbs
2.9gof which sugars
17gfat
8gsaturates
13gprotein
3.7gfibre
0.7gsalt

A rough estimate worked out from the ingredients, for the serving size above. It is a guide only and not medical advice. If you count carbs or manage diabetes, check with your own tools and your care team.

6 slices

Ingredients

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2 tbspolive oil
3onionsthinly sliced
1 tspfresh thyme leaves
1 tbspwholegrain mustard
200 gvegetarian mature cheddargrated
1 tbspplain flour
2ready rolled puff pastry sheetsabout 320 g each, all butter if possible
1eggbeaten, to glaze
1 tspblack onion seedsoptional

Method

1
Heat the oil in a large pan, add the onions and a pinch of salt and cook over a medium-low heat for 20 minutes, stirring now and then, until soft and golden. Stir in the thyme and cool completely.
20 min
2
Mix the cooled onions with the mustard, cheddar, flour and plenty of black pepper.
3
Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Unroll one pastry sheet onto a lined baking tray. Spoon the filling down the middle third, leaving a 3 cm gap at each end.
4
Cut diagonal strips about 2 cm wide down both long sides of the pastry, from the edge to the filling. Fold the short ends up over the filling, then cross the strips over the top alternately to make a plait, tucking in the ends.
5
Brush all over with egg and sprinkle with the onion seeds if using. Chill for 10 minutes.
10 min
6
Bake for 30 minutes until puffed, deep golden and crisp underneath. Rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
30 min

Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.