Chicken Empanadas

Mom is going to type the blog for now until we get into the swing of things, but Nell will be dictating. :)

The first recipe we chose was Chicken Empanadas. I've never had empanadas, and had never even heard of them, but they looked delicious!

You will need:
1 box refrigerated pie crusts (two 11-inch rounds)
4 ounces cream cheese
2 T. chopped fresh cilantro
2 T. salsa
1/2 t. ground cumin (we left this out)
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. garlic powder
1 cup finely chopped cooked chicken (make sure it's cooked before you start everything else)
1 egg, beaten
Additional salsa (we used ranch for dip instead of salsa)



First, cook the chicken.



Then take the pie crusts out of the box and let them thaw at room temperature for about 20 minutes. Use a glass or a round cookie cutter to create the "bed" for the empanada filling.





Heat the cream cheese, salsa, cumin, salt, and garlic powder in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir it until it's smooth. Stir in the chicken, and then remove from heat.

Preheat oven to 425*F. Place about 2 teaspoons chicken mixture in the middle of each round. Brush the edges with water. Pull one side of the dough over the filling. It will form a half circle. Pinch the edges to seal.



Place empanadas on foil-lined baking sheet and brush with egg.



Bake 16-18 minutes or until lightly brown. Serve with salsa (or ranch!).



Empanadas can be made ahead of time and frozen! Just wrap the unbaked empanadas with plastic wrap and freeze, and then bake for 18-22 minutes. These are good party favors but made a great dinner for us.

This is why it's important to check if there is anything in the oven before preheating. Mom stores her crayon molds inside! Woops!



This recipe got 5 out of 5 stars because everyone in the family gave it a thumbs up, even Gracelynn - who NEVER eats chicken. We tricked her, which is nearly impossible to do. That's me, my sisters, and my friend Zoe.



As soon as we were finished eating dinner, the electric went out!!! I am so glad it waited until we were finished. The oven would not have worked without electric, and I would have been mad. So thank God my first recipe was a success!

Please leave comments and let me know if you have any questions. If you make this dish, I'd love to know if you like it or if you add anything to it! Thanks for reading.

Love,
Nell