Sausage Empanadas Food

SPICY SAUSAGE EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Heat 2 tbsp oil in a skillet.
• When the oil is heated, add the onions and saute until they are softened.
• Add the sausage meat and pepper flakes and cook making sure to break the sausage into pieces while stirring so that it isn't one big clump of meat.
• Once the sausage is cooked, taste and season with extra salt if necessary.
• Add the cream, and stir to combine.
• Remove the cooked sausage from the heat and let it cool down to room temperature.
• Stir the cheese into the cooled down sausage filling. Set aside until ready to make empanadas.
• Make the empanada dough as written here, and chill the dough for at least 1 hour.
• Roll out the chilled empanada dough until it's about 2 - 3 mm thick.
• Cut 3.5 inch circles from the rolled out dough.
• Fill the middle of each circle with a little sausage filling.
• Dab the edges of the empanada dough circle with water and fold over the pastry to seal in the filling.
• Press down the edges to seal, and use a fork to crimp the edges.
• Place the empanadas in one layer, on a baking tray.
• Keep it covered with plastic wrap and keep it in the fridge until you are ready to fry, IF you will be frying these within 24 hours.
• Heat remaining oil to deep fry the empanadas to 350°F / 180°C.
• Fry the empanadas in the hot oil, 2 minutes per side, until the pastry turns a golden brown.
• Drain excess oil by placing the fried empanadas on paper towels or newspaper.
• Heat remaining oil to deep fry the empanadas to 350°F / 180°C.
• Fry the frozen empanadas for about 4 minutes per side, until the pastry turns golden brown (maybe slightly darker).
• Drain excess oil by placing the fried empanadas on paper towels or newspaper.
• Enjoy while hot with dipping sauce!

SAUSAGE EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Let pie crusts stand at room temperature for 20 minutes.
• Crumble sausage into a medium skillet.
• Add onion, garlic powder, cumin and oregano.
• Cook over medium-high heat until sausage is no longer pink.
• Drain drippings.
• Stir in olives and raisins.
• Beat the egg yolk slightly; stir into sausage mixture, mixing well.
• Carefully unfold crusts.
• Cut 6 circles using a 3" cookie cutter.
• I use the Pampered Chef Cut-N-Seal(See NOTE below).
• Place about 2 tsps of the sausage filling on the cutouts.
• Top with 6 more cutouts.
• Be sure the edges are sealed.
• Moisten fingers with water and pinch dough to seal edges.
• Slightly beat the egg white; gently brush over tops of empanadas.
• Bake in a 425* oven 15 to 18 minutes or until golden brown.
• NOTE: I make 6 cutouts using the Pampered Chef Cut-N-Seal.
• Add the filling.
• Make the toppers one at a time.
• As you cut one place it over the top of your filled one and push down on the Cut-N-Seal.
• Check the edges for sealing.

POTATO AND CHORIZO EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Put the potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water; add the salt and bring to a boil, uncovered. Simmer until fork tender, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, place a large skillet over medium flame. Add the chorizo, and cook, stirring for 5 minutes, until the sausage renders its fat and gets crispy. Add the onion and garlic; season with the cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper. Cook and stir for 5 minutes, until the mixture is soft and has a beautiful red color. Pour in the broth and simmer for 3 minutes.
• Drain the potatoes and fold them into the pan, using a wooden spoon, break up the potatoes into nickel-size pieces. Add the olives and raisins and toss everything together; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Allow the filling to cool before filling the empanadas. Serve with cilantro cream.
• In a large bowl, sift together the flour, masa harina, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the melted butter. Gradually add 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup of water, working it in with your hands to incorporate; the dough should be easy to handle and not sticky. Form the dough into a ball, wrap it in plastic, and chill for 30 minutes.
• Lightly flour your rolling pin and counter. Divide the dough in 1/2 so it will be easier to work with and roll it out to 1/8-inch thickness. Using a 4-inch cookie or biscuit cutter, cut out 10 circles of dough; repeat with the other 1/2.
• Spoon 2 generous tablespoons of filling into the center of each pastry circle, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Brush the edges with the egg wash and then fold the dough over in 1/2 to enclose the filling and form a semi-circle. Tightly seal the edges by crimping with the tines of a fork. Chill at least 30 minutes before baking.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place the empanadas on a buttered baking sheet and brush the tops with additional egg wash. Using a fork, prick a few holes in the top of the empanadas for steam to escape. Bake for 30 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown.
• Cilantro Cream
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• 1/2 lime, juiced Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• In a small mixing bowl, combine the sour cream, cilantro, and lime juice together. Mix thoroughly; season with salt and pepper. Serve with empanadas.
• Yield: 1 cup

BEEF EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the beef, chorizo, onion, garlic, cumin, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly and breaking up chunks of meat with a potato masher or wooden spoon, until the ingredients are well blended, 5 to 7 minutes. Add additional cumin, if desired, and cook until the meat is browned and cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes longer. Set aside to cool.
• On a floured surface, roll out each pie crust to a circle about 13 inches in diameter. Stamp out rounds using a 3-inch cutter. Put 1 tablespoon of filling on half of a round. Fold the other half of the round over the filling. Crimp the edges with a fork to seal the empanada all around. Repeat with the remaining rounds and filling.
• Whisk the egg in a small bowl. Brush the top of each empanada with the egg wash. Arrange the empanadas on a nonstick baking sheet and bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Transfer the empanadas to a platter and serve.
• Cook's Note: You can substitute your favorite pie crust recipe for store-bought. Make enough for two crusts.

BAKED EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees.
• Cook sausage, onion, green pepper and garlic in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until sausage is browned and onion is crisply tender (5 to 6 minutes).
• Drain well.
• Stir in tomato and oregano.
• Set aside.
• Roll 1 sheet puff pastry to 12-inch square.
• Cut into 16 (3-inch) squares.
• Place 1 rounded tablespoon filling in center of each square.
• Fold opposite corners of squares together to form triangles.
• Pinch edges of pastry together; crimp with fork to seal.
• Place triangles onto lightly greased baking sheets.
• Repeat with remaining pastry sheet and filling.
• Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.

SAUSAGE SWEET POTATO EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°. Place apples and sweet potato on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with oil; sprinkle with salt, pepper and cinnamon. Toss to coat. Roast until tender, about 20 minutes., Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink, 4-6 minutes, breaking into crumbles; drain. Add apple mixture and goat cheese; stir to combine., On a lightly floured surface, roll crust to 1/4-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 3-in. round biscuit cutter. Place circles 2 in. apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Place 1 heaping teaspoon filling on 1 side of each circle. Beat egg and water. Brush edges of pastry with egg wash; fold circles in half. With a fork, press edges to seal. Brush with egg wash. Bake until golden brown, 12-15 minutes per batch. Freeze option: Bake and cool empanadas. Freeze cooled empanadas in freezer containers. To use, reheat empanadas on a baking sheet in a preheated 400° oven until heated through, 12-15 minutes.