Main dishes

Savory Beef Empanadas

(17)

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photo by:kraft

These delicious empanadas are made with a versatile dough that can be either fried or baked.

time

prep:

40 min

total:

1 hr

servings

total:

6 servings, 2 empanadas each

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What You Need

Empanada Dough

lb. ground beef

1/4

cup chopped onions

1/4

cup chopped green peppers

slices OSCAR MAYER Smoked Ham, finely chopped

Tbsp. KRAFT Zesty Italian Dressing

Tbsp. tomato sauce

cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/4

cup chopped cilantro

cup oil

Make It

PREPARE Empanada Dough as directed; set aside. Brown meat in medium skillet on medium heat; drain. Add onions, peppers, ham, dressing, tomato sauce and garlic; mix well. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer 10 min., stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Stir in cilantro. Set aside.

SHAPE dough evenly into 12 balls, using about 2 Tbsp. of the dough for each ball. Flatten each ball into 6-inch round. Spoon about 1/4 cup of the meat mixture onto center of each round. Moisten edges with water. Fold dough rounds in half to enclose filling; press lightly on tops to remove any air pockets. Seal edges with fork.

HEAT oil in large deep skillet to 375°F. 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.

Kraft Kitchens Tips

Size-Wise

You'll know it is a special occasion when you get to enjoy a serving of this indulgent dish.

Make Ahead

Prepare empanadas as directed. Place on parchment paper-covered baking sheet; cover. Refrigerate a few hours or overnight. Cook as directed. To freeze, layer empanadas in airtight container between sheets of wax paper or parchment paper. Freeze empanadas up to 2 weeks; thaw completely and pat dry before cooking as directed.

Make it Easy

Substitute 1 pkg. (17.3 oz.) frozen puff pastry, thawed, for the Empanada Dough. Roll each pastry sheet into 15x10-inch rectangle on lightly floured surface. Cut out six (5-inch) squares from each sheet. Fill and seal as directed, forming triangles instead of semi-circles. Bake at 400°F for 18 to 20 min. or until pastry is golden brown. Makes 6 servings, two empanadas each.

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acassady

posted:3/4/2010

Savory

liljennn2

posted:2/21/2010

This recipes was easy and Very good. Everyone in the family liked it. I did have to make a few modifications. I used ground turkey, instead of beef. Omitted the green pepper b/c we don't like them. I had green onions on hand and used that also. I also added a can on corn. It was a little balnd on tasteing so I sprinkled a little cayenne pepper and sharp cheaddar chesse to it. I made the dough as described.

ainst

posted:11/12/2009

I made this for my family and no one liked it. I think adding ITALIAN DRESSING TO A LATIN RECIPE was the mistake. It had an akward taste. I prefer ethnic foods to taste ethnic not like a jumbled mess. Maybe if I had added red sauce or salsa instead it would have turned out better. Also the empanada dough recipe doesn't sound good. And many of the ratings said it was missing ingredients so I didn't even try to make it. I used frozen puff pastry instead which was to sweet for this recipe.

kristilemons

posted:12/30/2008

I make this recipe all the time. i love it and so does my family...

katb06

posted:11/24/2007

I hadn't ever heard of empanadas before, and I was looking for something different so I tried this recipe. I didn't change anything except I put more ham in than what was called for. This is a keeper and I make it at least twice a month!

jennyjubjub

posted:11/14/2007

The dough was excellent. We made both a savory and sweet version. For the savory version we made a dipping sauce with sour cream and taco seasonings. For the "dessert empanadas" we tried jam, cooked apple and brown sugar and butter. Definately a crowd pleaser!

onada

posted:8/28/2007

i saw on a website that is dedicated to cuban cooking that you can use the refrigerated buttermilk biscut dough to make these and then bake them. I am going to try that, with this filling, for cuban night for our "dinner with friends night". I will let you know how it goes!

gmglucero

posted:6/8/2007

I was taught to make them from my mother in law, she is from Argentina and they are wonderful!! I tried the filling recipe and it is good. The only thing I didn't do was the dough. I can buy the disks pre-made in the frozen section!!!

jesslburke

posted:2/6/2007

I found them to be a lot of work, but we enjoyed them. It will be a while before I make them again, but I will.

a cook

posted:7/27/2006

Easy to make. I decided to bake it instead of frying and they came out good. I also added some kidney beans to the ground beef mixture and let me tell you they were delicious. The only thing missing was a sauce for it, but I will make some Mexican Salsa next time:o)