Chicken Empanadas
Golden little hand pies stuffed with chicken, potato, cheese and salsa - endlessly freezer-friendly and made for baking straight from frozen.
Serves: Makes about 12
Prep time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
INGREDIENTS
2 cups cooked chicken, chopped or shredded
1 potato, peeled and chopped into small pieces (about 5mm thick)
1 red capsicum, chopped into small dice
3/4 cup store-bought onion jam or sautéed onions (or 2 onions sautéed until soft and golden)
3/4 jar mild salsa (about 3/4 cup)
1 tsp chicken stock powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tbsp cornflour
small bunch coriander, finely chopped
1 cup frozen peas
100g tasty cheese, in chunks
1 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 cup sour cream
3 sheets store-bought pastry, cut into circles about 13-15cm diameter
1 egg beaten with 2 tbsp milk, for egg wash
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 200°C.
Thaw the pastry if frozen, following the package instructions.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked chicken, potato, capsicum, onion jam or sautéed onions, salsa, chicken stock powder, garlic powder, onion powder, crushed garlic, cornflour, coriander, frozen peas, cheese, tomato paste and sour cream. Mix well until evenly combined. You could freeze the mix at this point.
Take one pastry circle and place about 1/4 cup of filling in the centre.
Brush the edges of the pastry with egg wash to help seal.
Fold the pastry over the filling into a half-moon and press the edges firmly to seal.
Use a fork to crimp the edges. Repeat with the remaining pastry and filling, then brush with egg wash. You could freeze these on a tray then bag them up now, and bake frozen raw for 25-30 minutes.
Place the empanadas on a lined baking tray.
Brush the tops with egg wash for a golden finish.
Bake for about 20-25 minutes, until golden brown and crisp. You could also freeze them after baking - thaw and eat cold, or warm through in a low oven for 10-15 minutes.
HINTS
The whole filling can be made and frozen before assembly, so you can portion it out over a couple of cooks.
Sealing well with egg wash and a firm fork crimp stops the filling bursting out as they bake.
These bake beautifully straight from frozen, so make a big batch and keep them on hand for fast dinners and lunchboxes.
NUTRITION (per recipe total, makes about 12 - guide only):
Energy: 13600 kJ (3250 cal)
Protein: 155 g
Fat: 165 g
Saturated fat: 65 g
Carbohydrate: 275 g
Sugars: 40 g
Sodium: 4800 mg
This nutrition information is a guide only and may vary depending on brands, exact quantities, and ingredient substitutions used.