Saturday, December 10, 2011

Crock Pot Empanada Recipe

Crock Pot Empanada Recipe (Baked or Fried)

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Check it out here Amazon Cookbook Link



Baked Empanadas

Every culture has their version of the "Meat Pie;" Empanadas, Pasties, Paztizzi... you could go on and on. These are great as an on the go meal and they are fantastic for parties and gatherings. They can even be made ahead of time and frozen before cooking.

Below is my version of an Empanada Meat Pie. Don't let the long post intimidate you, I just wanted to make sure I covered everything. You really are just doing 3 steps; cooking a roast in a crock pot, shredding the roast and adding a few extra items and then filling premade empanada dough.

This recipe makes about 30 empanadas (more if you add diced cooked potato to your meat mix).

Ingredients for Crock Pot Roast:
3-4 pound sirloin roast
1 yellow onion, quartered
3 cloves of chopped garlic OR 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
1 1/2 cups of carrots chopped
1 cup of celery chopped
1/2 tablespoon of pepper
1 ½ cups red wine (any Merlot, Cabernet etc. will do)
1/2 tablespoon salt

Combine all the ingredients in a crock pot and cook on high for one hour and them move to low for 6 additional hours; for about 7 hours of total cook time or until the meat is cooked and fork tender.

Remove the meat and let it cool. Strain the juices leftover in the crock pot and discard the solids, but save the drained liquids / beef broth.. You will need approximately 1 cup of the beef broth for the empanada filling. The rest of the beef broth you can use / freeze for other recipes or use it as a starter for soup.

Shred the meat once it has cooled.

Ingredients for Empanada Filling
Shredded Meat
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/2 tablespoon salt
3 cloves garlic minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3/4 cups beef broth
Optional: you can stretch this recipe by adding a few cups of diced boiled potato and/or peas to your empanada filling as well.

In a large sauce pan over medium heat, add the oil, onions, garlic and salt. Cook them until they are soft, but not browned. Add the remaining ingredients and stir. Simmer over low heat until the broth is reduced and the mixture is thickened (about 10 minutes). Add additional broth, if needed. The filling should be slightly moist, but not overly wet. Remove from heat and let cool at least an hour before making the empanadas. You can refrigerate this and make them the next day if you like.


Preparing the Empanadas
You will need you meat filling, 30 premade Goya Empanada Discs (check your grocer's freezer), a small bowl of water, a fork (and eggs, vegetable oil, a cookie sheet and Silpat or parchment paper for baking).














(1) Using clean hands, dip your fingers in your water bowl


 and wet the outer 1/2 inch of the disc.

(2) Add about 2 tablespoons of the beef mix to the center of each dough disc.
(3) Fold into a half moon shape. Using a fork, crimp the edges of the dough together.

At this point you can freeze any empanadas you do not want to immediately bake so you can cook them at a later date **(see below)**

Once you empanadas are assembled you can pan fry, deep dry or bake them.

Baking Empanadas
(1) Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
(2) Place the empanadas on a cookie sheet lined with a
Silpat Non-Stick Silicone Baking Liner, 11 5/8-Inch by 16 1/2-Inch
or Parchment Paper.
(3) Brush the empanadas with a beaten egg. I prefer to use a
OXO Good Grips Silicone Pastry Brush.
(4) Bake at 350 for 15 minutes
(5) Quickly remove the empanadas and brush them with vegetable oil and a small dash of salt, Return the empanadas to the 350 degree oven for 10 minutes or until golden brown.
Serve alone or with seasoned sour cream. These are also great cold the next day.


Creamy Sausage and Potatoes Crock Pot

Creamy Sausage and Potatoes

3 lbs. small red potatoes peeled and quartered
1 lb. smoked sausage, cut into 1/4th slices
8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
cream of celery soup
1 envelope dry ranch salad dressing mix

Place potatoes in slow cooker and then add the sausage. In a bowl, mix together cream cheese, soup and salad dressing mix until smooth and pour over potatoes and sausage. Cover and cook on low 6 to 8 hours or until potatoes are tender

Chicken Noodle Soup for the Soul Crock Pot

  • 4-6 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
  • 4 cups water
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 2 chicken bouillon cubes
  • 1 teaspoon salt to taste (or not)
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper (maybe a little more)
  • 1 leek or small onion chopped
  • 1 large carrot, chopped
  • 2 stalks celery, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1/4 cup parsley, chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon oregano
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 6 ounces noodles

Chicken Noodle Soup for the Soul

We cook this with fresh chicken breasts. You can follow the recipe or dice up the chicken before hand and cook it w/o shredding the chicken. It’s up to you! Own it.

  1. Place all of the ingredients, except the noodles into the pot.
  2. Cover and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours.
  3. Remove the chicken and the bay leaf.
  4. We shred the chicken into little bite sized morsels and return it all to the pot.
  5. Add the noodles.

Cook another 1/2 hour on high or you can cook the noodles separately and add them just before serving. We have used broken up fettucini or egg noodles with this. Give it a good stir before serving. A big bowl of this with bread and butter is good for the Soul. Serves 8-10.


Chicken and Dumpling Casserole

Marzetti Ingredients
1 (12oz.) pkg. Reames® Homestyle Flat Dumplings
Other Ingredients
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 (8oz.) pkg. mushrooms
3 cups prepared Alfredo sauce
3 cups chopped cooked chicken breast meat
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
8 oz. bacon, cooked crumbled
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a ceramic baking dish.

Bring 4 quarts of water to boil in a large saucepan. Add Reames Homestyle Flat Dumplings allow water to return to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Drain.In sauté pan, heat oil and cook onions for 2 to 3 minutes or until tender. Add mushrooms and continue to cook until mushrooms are golden. Remove from heat. In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients and toss gently to cover all with sauce. Spoon into prepared dish and bake 30 to 35 minutes or until casserole is heated thoroughly. Serve.