Recipe: Easy Baked Empanadas

As promised, here is an easy recipe for baked empanadas!

What is an empanada you ask?  Per Merriam-Webster, an empanada is a turnover with a sweet or savory filling.  It is typically fried, but I prefer to bake mine.

These empanadas are a great way to use leftover taco meat.  Since there are only two of us, if I make a full pound of taco meat, we typically have a decent amount leftover.  This is a great way to use up that meat without having tacos, again.

Fair warning, these are not the healthiest things in the world, even though they are baked.  I use pie crust to create the turnover, so I wouldn't recommend having this in your weekly repertoire, but it is a good treat every once in a while.

Easy Baked Empanadas

Ingredients:

approx 1/2 lb seasoned taco meat, chilled 

I use 94% lean ground turkey and taco seasoning for mine.  Once the seasoning is on the turkey, it tastes exactly like beef, but with less fat an cholesterol.  It is important to have the meat chilled in the fridge and not right out of a hot pan.  You will destroy your pie crust if you put a hot filling in it and then try to fold it over.  I recommend mixing veggies and beans into your meat for added flavor, however it is completely optional.  Corn and black beans are great!

1/4 cup shredded cheese

I usually use a low fat mexican cheese blend, or if I'm shredding the cheese myself I'll use a sharp cheddar

2 9in. pie crusts

I typically use a premade pie crust (found in the freezer section of the store), but if I'm feeling adventurous, I'll make a pie crust from scratch.  If you are going to make a pie crust from scratch, make a few and freeze the leftovers.  This will allow you to have easy access to a much better crust.  In a pinch, the freezer crust works well.

1/4 cup egg substitute, or 1 egg

I use egg beaters or egg whites.  This will only be used as an egg wash on the empanadas to give them a shiny and flaky outside.  It will also be used to help bind the two sides of the empanada together before you crimp.  The egg beaters and egg whites cuts down the calories a little bit more.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line 2 baking sheets with foil.  Lightly spray the foil with oil (if you have something like the Misto) or nonstick cooking spray.

2. Roll out your pie crusts to 1/8".  Using a 3"-4" round cookie cutter, cut your dough into as many circles as possible.  Remove the scrap pieces of crust and re-roll the scraps to cut additional circles (depending on the size of your cutter, I usually end up with 6-10 empanadas).

3. In your first circle, place a small pinch of shredded cheese into the middle of the circle.  On top of the cheese, place about 1 tbsp of taco filling.  Be sure to leave about 1/2" all around the circle clear of any filling.  Repeat steps for the remaining circles.  Take your egg wash and brush around the perimeter of all of your circles.  Fold one side of your circle over to the other to create a half moon shape.

4. Using a fork, crimp the outside edge of the empanada to seal, carefully avoiding punctures to the filled portion of the pastry.  Repeat steps for remaining circles.  Place empanadas on cookie sheets.

5. Take the remaining egg wash and lightly brush onto the outsides of your empanada.

6. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Tips:

1. Don't forget to lightly flour the surface you are rolling your pie crust onto.  Additionally you will need to lightly flour your cookie cutter

2. If you don't have a larger side round cookie cutter, never fear!  There are tons of great alternatives in your kitchen!  I typically use the lid to the oatmeal tub or a tupperware lid.  Get creative!

3. If you don't have a pastry brush for the egg wash, use your fingers to brush on the egg wash.

4. Make sure there are no tears in your empanadas.  They will ooze once you start baking.

5. If you don't have enough taco filling left to fill all of the circles, feel free to try dessert fillings!

-Danielle