Lunch: Spicy Ground Beef Empanaditas

Two-bite savory pastries stuffed with a sweet and spicy ground-beef filling called picadillo. Assemble them up to a month ahead and freeze. Bake according to recipe.

Ingredients

3 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1 c. shortening
6 tbsp. water

Instructions

Make Flakey Turnover Pastry: In large bowl, combine 3 cups all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, and 3/4 teaspoon salt. With pastry blender or two knives used scissor-fashion, cut in 1 cup shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle with about 6 tablespoons cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing with fork after each addition, until dough is just moist enough to hold together. Shape dough into a ball. Refrigerate pastry if not assembling turnovers right away.
Prepare Picadillo In 10-inch skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook 5 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Stir in garlic, cinnamon, and ground red pepper; cook 30 seconds. Increase heat to medium-high; add ground beef and salt and cook 5 minutes or until beef begins to brown, stirring frequently. Stir in tomatoes with their juice, raisins, and olives, breaking up tomatoes with back of spoon; cook over high heat 7 to 10 minutes, until almost all liquid evaporates. Remove skillet from heat.
Make Empanaditas Divide dough into 4 equal pieces. On floured surface, with floured rolling pin, roll one-fourth of dough 1/16 inch thick (keep remaining dough covered with plastic wrap). With 3-inch round biscuit cutter, cut out as many rounds as possible, reserving trimmings. On half of each dough round, place 1 level measuring teaspoon filling. Brush edges of rounds with some egg mixture. Fold dough over filling. With fork, press edges together to seal. Prick tops; brush egg mixture lightly over turnovers. With pancake turner, place turnovers, about 1 inch apart, on ungreased large cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining filling and dough, rerolling trimmings. If not serving right away, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
About 25 minutes before serving, preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Bake turnovers 15 to 17 minutes, just until golden. Serve hot.

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