Empanadas I

Total time:  Full recipe of 30 empanadas will take close to 3 hours.  Plan on 1 hour per 10 empanadas.

A great addition to our "Meximeal"!!

This dough made only 9 of my preferred sized empanadas the first time I did it.  I’ve had mixed results since.

Filling
1 pound of hamburger (or shredded meat of your choice)
.5 pound of sausage (I like a tube of Jimmy Dean sausage) (optional!)
1 can of black beans (or one cup dry beans, soaked over night and boiled for 10 minutes)
1/2 an onion, finely chopped
1 poblano pepper, finely chopped
1-3 serranos, finely chopped
1/2 can of corn
1 tomato, pureed
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped (I like to use 2 tablespoons of the garlic that’s already chopped up in a jar)
1/4 cup or more of cilantro, finely chopped
salt, pepper, and cumin to taste
1-3 cups of corn or vegetable oil

Prepare empanada dough as directed; set aside. Brown meat in medium skillet on medium heat; drain. In a large mixing bowl, add all of the ingredients and mix well.

Shape dough evenly into 9 balls, using about 3 Tbsp. of the dough for each ball. Flatten each ball into 6-inch round with a rolling pin. Spoon about 1/4 cup of the meat mixture onto center of each round. Fold dough rounds in half to enclose filling; press lightly on tops to remove any air pockets. Seal edges with fork or fold over and press down.

Heat oil in large deep skillet to 375°F (you can flick a drop of water into the pan and it’ll sizzle). Add empanadas, in batches of three or four; cook 3 min. on each side or until golden brown on both sides. Remove from oil; drain well. Cool slightly before serving.

This filling makes about 30 empanadas!!! I had no idea it was going to make so much! I wouldn’t do that much meat again! I made 9 for JB and Brett and myself, and then I put the rest of the filling in the refrigerator. I made 9 more the next day, and I still had too much filling leftover. So… cut back on the meat and vegetables for a smaller amount of filling.

We served them with cheese, sour cream, homemade grilled salsa and guacamole.