Cheesy Spinach And Bacon Empanadas Food

CHEESY SPINACH AND BACON EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Prepare Empanada Dough as directed. Cook bacon in medium skillet on medium heat 3 min. Add onions and garlic; cook and stir 4 min. or until bacon is crisp. Drain; place in medium bowl. Add spinach, cheese, corn and crushed pepper; mix well.
• Heat oven to 400°F. Shape dough into 24 balls, using about 1 Tbsp. dough for each ball. Press each ball into 4-inch round. Spoon about 1 Tbsp. spinach mixture onto center of each round. Brush edges of dough evenly with half the egg; fold in half. Press tops lightly to remove air pockets. Press edges together to seal. Place on parchment-covered baking sheet; brush with remaining egg.
• Bake 15 min. or until golden brown. Cool slightly.

SPINACH AND CHEESE EMPANADAS

Steps:

• In the bowl of a standing electric mixer using the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter on high speed until very smooth, pausing to scrape down the sides of the bowl, as necessary. Reduce the mixer speed to low, add the flour, little by little, and the salt, and process until just combined. Turn the dough out onto a slightly floured surface and knead lightly. Form the dough into a disk, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours and up to overnight.
• Heat 1 teaspoon of the reserved bacon drippings in a medium nonstick skillet and, when hot, add the spinach. Cook, stirring frequently, until the spinach is wilted and has released its liquid, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the spinach to a colander to drain. When the spinach has cooled enough to handle, squeeze to release any excess water, then transfer to a cutting board and finely chop. Set aside.
• Add 2 more teaspoons of the bacon drippings to the same skillet, then add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until soft but not browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the reserved spinach, crumbled bacon, cottage cheese, salt and pepper to taste and nutmeg and mix thoroughly. Transfer to a mixing bowl and allow to cool thoroughly. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F and lightly grease a baking sheet.
• Remove the dough from the refrigerator and, working on a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough to a thickness of about 1/8-inch thick. Using a small bowl or saucer as a guide, cut the dough into as many 5-inch circles as possible. Gather the scraps of dough together and knead lightly to reform the dough into a disk. Roll out as before and again cut as many rounds as you can. You should be able to get 10 to 12 rounds. Divide the spinach filling evenly among the dough circles. Using your fingers, lightly moisten the edges with some of the beaten egg, then fold 1 side over so that the edges meet, and press to seal. Crimp the edges using the tines of a fork and transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Repeat until all of the empanadas are assembled. Brush the tops of each empanada with some of the beaten egg and bake uncovered until golden, 12 to 15 minutes.
• Serve either warm or at room temperature.

CHEESY SPINACH AND BACON DIP

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients into a crock pot.
• Cover and cook for 1 1/2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes.
• Remove lid and stir well.
• Serve on warm setting with chips and crackers.

CREAM CHEESE, BACON AND SPINACH DIP

Steps:

• Grill bacon until well-cooked, but not crispy. If you do this on a rack above an oven tray, much of the fat will drip away. The time will vary according to the type of bacon. Cool bacon for a few minutes, then chop into very small pieces.
• Microwave frozen spinach according to directions on the package. Drain any liquid.
• In a medium sized bowl, mix all the ingredients together until well-blended, then transfer to a nice serving bowl.
• Cover with glad wrap and cool in the fridge. If you can prepare this a few hours ahead of time, the flavours will intensify, but it is fine straight away.

EASY CHEESY SPINACH AND BACON DIP

Steps:

• Cut 1 lb. Velveeta cheese into 1/2 inch cubes; place in a large, microwavable bowl.
• Add spinach, thawed and well-drained, cream cheese, diced tomatoes and chilies and bacon.
• Microwave on high for 5 minutes or until Velveeta is completely melted and mixture is well-blended, stirring after 3 minutes.
• Serve hot with tortilla chips or assorted cut-up fresh veggies.

CHEESY SPINACH & BACON CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350ºF.
• Cook VELVEETA and milk in saucepan on low heat 10 min. or until VELVEETA is completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring occasionally.
• Pour over combined spinach and bacon in 13x9-inch pan sprayed with cooking spray; mix well. Bake 15 min; stir.
• Combine cracker crumbs and oil; sprinkle over casserole. Bake 10 min. or until heated through.