I’ve kind of impressed myself on this one. These empanadas are restaurant level tasty and would make a delicious appetizer (or dinner) at any occasion. They are hearty, delicious and creamy.
If you haven’t made empanadas before, this recipe isn’t too difficult for a first timer. I recommend buying a couple boxes of frozen puff pastry and sticking them into the fridge the day you plan to make them. I watched Martha Stewart make this from scratch once – it’s tragic labor.
Just be SURE your puff pastry dough is cold enough when you start working with it. They will come out so much better if the dough is firm and not soft and doughy like when you make bread or pizza.
If you DO NOT have a crock pot, you can certainly still make these. Swap a large pot instead and cook your beef on medium high heat with the onion and garlic with some olive oil. Then add the other ingredients and simmer for about an hour.
What you need: a slow cooker, 2 baking sheets, a brush, a rolling pin, a knife
Time: 1.5 hours
Makes: 12-13 empanadas
For the slow cooker:
- 1.5 pounds of stew beef
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 yellow sweet onion, diced
- 2 tablespoons of tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Additional ingredients:
- 2 red bell peppers
- 8 oz of goat cheese
- 2 sheets of puff pastry, defrosted in fridge
- 1 egg
- Everything but the bagel seasoning (can substitute some salt and pepper instead)
Directions:
In the slow cooker, add all of the ingredients and place heat on high. The meat can be pretty frozen still. Cook on high for 4-5 hours, then take off of heat and let cool. The meat will be a bit soupy, so I transferred the meat to a bowl with a straining spoon. Shred meat with a fork and set aside.
Meanwhile, chop the red peppers into bite sized pieces and place on a baking sheet. Drizzle with one tablespoon of olive oil. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes at 400 degrees. Remove peppers from oven and reduce the oven heat to 375 degrees.
Then, on a heavily floured surface, roll out the first pastry sheet (work with one at a time) with a rolling pin until an 1/8 inch thick. Use a small plate or large mug (5 inches or so wide) to measure and cut out uniform circles. Once you have about 4-5 pastry circles, layer a spoonful of meat in the center of each circle, followed by a couple pieces of pepper. Crumble goat cheese on top.
Beat the egg in a separate bowl and use as egg wash. With a brush or your fingers, brush a small amount of the egg around the perimeter of each empanada, and then fold over each empanada very carefully and seal with your fingers. Then crimp each empanada with a fork and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
You will need to repeat this process several times until you have about 12-13 empanadas. You will need to keep rolling out the puff pastry scraps until it is all used up. DO NOT remove your second puff party roll from the fridge until the first sheet is used up. This will prevent it from melting too fast (and making it difficult to work with).
Place baking sheets with the empanadas in the freezer to chill for 15 minutes to firm up. Once done, pull out of the freezer and brush remaining egg wash on top of each empanada. Take a knife and cut two slits into the top of each empanada and sprinkle a pinch of the bagel seasoning on each.
Bake empanadas in the oven at 375 for 25 minutes or until golden brown. They will be HOT so let cool for 15-20 minutes. Enjoy! If you have leftovers, place them in the fridge in an air tight container. When ready to eat again, place them on a baking sheet and reheat at 375 for 5 minutes.
Nathan
Loved these!!