Easy Picadillo Empanadas Recipes

PICADILLO EMPANADAS OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Steps:

• Beat the cream cheese with the butter in a mixer at medium speed, until it is creamy. Gently add the flour and salt and continue mixing for a minute more. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for a minute. Form the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate from 15 minutes up to 24 hours.
• After refrigerating, sprinkle flour over the countertop and roll out half the dough until its about 1/4 inch thick. For medium sized empanadas, cut out rounds of 4 to 5 inches in diameter. Continue until all of the dough is used.
• Grease a baking sheet with butter. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• Spoon about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the picadillo filling into the center of each round. Brush the edges of the round with the beaten egg. Fold a side of the circle over the filling across the other side. Press with your fingers as you close. Without breaking the dough, press with a fork over the edges to seal and make a design.
• Place the empanadas on the baking sheet. When you fill the baking sheet, lightly brush their tops with the lightly beaten egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
• Bake the empanadas anywhere from 20 to 25 minutes, until the tops have a golden tan and dough is cooked through. Serve hot.
• Heat olive oil in a large saute pan set over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute for a couple of minutes, until it becomes translucent and soft. Incorporate chopped garlic and saute for about a minute until it becomes fragrant. Incorporate the meat and the salt and let it cook for about 8 minutes, until cooked and lightly browned.
• Pour in tomato puree and let it season, stirring often, for 5 to 6 minutes, until it has deepened its color, thickened in consistency and lost the raw flavor. Pour in the chicken broth or water, cumin, cloves and cinnamon. Stir well and let it cook 15 minutes more.
• Add the raisins, almond and olives, mix well and taste for seasoning. Cook for 5 more minutes. If needed, add more salt. The filling should be nice and moist.
• Just remember, once it cools, it will dry a little more as it will absorb the juices. Turn off the heat. You can make the filling up to two days ahead of time, let it cool, cover and refrigerate.

GROUND BEEF EMPANADAS (PICADILLO)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Heat the oil in a heavy saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef chuck and cook until browned, about 7 minutes. Season with the salt and pepper. Add the olives, raisins, carrots and onions and saute for just a couple minutes until softened. Add the tomato puree and simmer for 10 minutes. Turn the heat off and cool to room temperature before filling the empanadas.
• Grease a large baking sheet with some nonstick cooking spray. Unfold one sheet of puff pastry onto a lightly floured surface. Using a floured rolling pin, roll the pastry out to a 1/4- to 1/8-inch thickness. With a knife, cut out 4 equal squares measuring 4 1/2-by-5 1/2-inches. Add 2 tablespoons of the cooled beef mixture to the center of the square. Brush the edge of each square with some egg wash and fold to shape into triangles. Crimp the edges with a fork. Transfer the empanadas to the prepared baking sheet and brush them with the remaining egg wash. Bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes.

PICADILLO EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil, drop in the tomato and boil 30 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon and let cool 5 minutes, then peel and puree in a blender until smooth; set aside.
• Heat the vegetable oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 7 minutes; season with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add the onion, carrot, olives, raisins and the pureed tomato. Simmer until thick, about 2 minutes, then remove from the heat and set aside.
• Beat the egg with 2 teaspoons water in a small bowl; set aside. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Working with 1 sheet of puff pastry at a time, unfold on a lightly floured surface. Roll out the dough into a 10-inch square, about 1/4 inch thick, using a floured rolling pin. Cut into four 5-inch squares. Place 1/4 cup of the picadillo mixture in the center of each square. Brush the edges with the egg wash and fold diagonally to form a triangle. Crimp the edges with a fork.
• Transfer the empanadas to the prepared baking sheet and brush with the remaining egg wash. Bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes.