Big Sis is doing an oral report on Mexico for her class tomorrow. She wanted to bring in a Mexican snack to share, so I made a trip to a local Mexican grocery store and found some caramel empanadas. After buying them, I suddenly got a hankering for some meat-filled empanadas. Unfortunately, Sarah’s Empanada’s (local restaurant) was further than I was willing to drive. So guess what? I made my own! Watch out kids, it’s “Try Something New Night” and we’re having Beef and Cheese Empanadas for dinner! I forget exactly what goes in Sarah’s but this is what I put in mine. I, of course, snuck lots veggies in there, too.
Beef and Cheese Empanadas
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp cooking oil I use grapeseed oil
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 4-5 finely chopped up mushrooms I used baby Bellas
- 1 cup chopped up spinach
- 1 med onion finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 Tbsp Taco Seasoning or more or less, per personal taste
- 1/2 cup water
- 3/4 cup shredded Mexican cheese
- 2 boxes Pillsbury refrigerated pie crust or your favorite brand
- 1 egg beaten
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
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Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.
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In large pan, saute garlic, onions, mushrooms and spinach in grapeseed oil until tender. Remove to bowl.
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In same pan, brown ground beef, breaking up into small pieces as you go. Add taco seasoning and water and let simmer until fully cooked.
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Add sauteed veggies back into pan, mix into ground beef well and let cool in pan.
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Unroll pie crusts and cut 5″ circles (or smaller, depending on what size you desire). I was able to make exactly 16 crusts.
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Once cooled, mix cheese into meat mixture.
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Spoon roughly a heaping tablespoon of meat mixture onto each crust circle.
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Fold dough in half and cinch edges together edges. Using a fork, press the bottom side of the tines around the edges.
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Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray or use parchment paper. Place empanadas on sheet so they are not touching. Beat egg and brush onto tops of empanadas.
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Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes or until golden brown.
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Enjoy!!
The filling, all ready and waiting to fill:
If you fill the pie crust while it’s still moist, then you can pretty much just follow these three steps to your finished product.
But if your pie crust has gotten a little dry, I just cinch/fold up the edges up a bit first and then use the fork to finish it off.
Tada! Aren’t they pretty? 🙂
Baked up a few for dinner and froze the rest by first laying them flat on a cookie sheet/plate and then placing in a Ziplock bag or airtight container for future hankerings. 🙂
Update 9/26/2019: I recently made these again using my Nordic Ware Pie Crimper and they turned out great. Just fill the middle, wet the edges with your finger and press together. Presto! Funny thing is I don’t even remember buying this tool, but I’m glad I did! Either way, these beef and cheese empanadas are just awesome!
And finally, the girls’ dinner tonight. I’m happy to report that Little Sis LOVED it and gobbled it right up! And Big Sis liked it well enough to finish 3/4 of it, so that’s a “Win” in my book! 🙂 Both dipped theirs in Muir Glen’s Organic Medium Salsa.
In this dinner:
- Beef and Cheese Empanadas
- La Preferida Spanish Rice
- Deep fried black beans w/ shredded Mexican cheese
- Organic fresh carrots
- Steamed organic broccoli
Thanks so much for stopping by! Feel free to make my day by leaving me a comment, following my blog via email, Facebook or Instagram. The more the merrier, of course!
Christine, aka happyvballgirl : )
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These look so delicious – can't wait to try them! We've chosen them as a feature on What Kids Eat Wednesday's! The party is going again until Sunday 😀
This looks so tasty!! Thanks for the recipe. Linda and thanks for linking every week to What to do Weekends.
My pleasure!! thank you for hosting! 🙂
These look tasty! And I like that you can freeze them & have meals prepared ahead.
Yes, I LOVE stuff you can freeze. Love love love the oonvenience of it. 🙂 Thanks, Noreen!
Pinned ! This is exactly what my family would love 🙂 Thank you for sharing at the WEDNESDAYS ADORNED FROM ABOVE Blog Hop !
These look delicious…something about meat in a crust is always "comfort food."
: )
I completely agree, Gail! Just reading your comment gave me the warm and fuzzies. I want a nice fire to go along w/ it, but it's too hot for that now. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!
Looks delicious. Thanks for providing the "Pin It" button…makes it so easy to pin (which I did, of course). Your plating reminds me of my sister…her food can't touch anything else on the plate…even as an adult 🙂
Awww, thanks, Natalie! And HAHA! Yes, that's Big Sis for ya. HATES it when things touch. Little Sis may very well say the same thing about her one day. 🙂 Thanks so much for pinning and stopping by!!!!!! 🙂
Oh yummy! I am bookmarking this for next week!
Thanks, Jenn! Hope you like it! I bet Kidlet would enjoy making these w/ yoU! 🙂
They were quite delicious!
Awwwww, thank you, Sweetie. 🙂 You're so sweet to comment. <3 u!