Italian Sausage Empanadas

Empanadas can either be baked or fried. They are little pastries, shaped like the crescent moon, and can be either sweet or savory. They are filled with meat, fish, berries or just about any ingredient you choose. Throughout Latin America you will find many variations of pastry, fillings and cooking methods, but most variations find their roots in Galacia, Spain.

I cheated and used store-bought pastry. Next time I will make the dough. These were excellent, but one of the special features of an Empanada is its very flaky crust and store-bought is never as flaky as homemade. I made these for a Sunday game-day snack and served with a crostini topped with cucumber, smoked salmon and egg salad made with lots of horseradish.

The other change I will make next time is a slightly larger cutter. I used a 3 1/2 inch ring and I think 4 inches would be better as you could get even more filling inside.

Start by taking the meat from 2 Italian sausage casings. Grate 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese and 1/2 cup of parmesan. Set aside. Finely dice 1/4 cup each Green Bell pepper an onion. Mince 2 large garlic cloves.

Add 1 Tbsp. of olive oil to a heavy bottomed skillet. Brown the sausage, but don’t cook all the way through as the sausage will continue cooking when the Empanadas are baked. Season with salt and pepper. Add the onion and Bell Pepper and cook a couple minutes more. Stir in the minced garlic.

Remove from the heat and add the two cheeses, 1/2 tsp. dried Italian seasoning. Stir to combine thoroughly and cool completely before beginning to fill.

Roll out the pie-dough and cut into circles.

Be sure to re-roll the pie-dough scraps to make as many Empanadas as possible. Pie-dough is quite forgiving so don’t worry if there are a couple of tiny cracks in the pastry. When they are baked it should all come together.

Drop a heaping tablespoon of filling onto each round of pie-dough. Fold in half and using your fingers cinch the edges together. Crimp the edges by pressing a fork along the outer edge. This helps seal the Empanada and keeps the filling inside.

Beat 1 egg with 1 Tablespoon of water and liberally brush the tops. Place in the fridge for about a half hour to help them set.

This made more filling than I needed to fill 10 Empanadas, but the sausage/cheese mixture makes an excellent stuffed mushroom!

Preheat oven to 375 and bake for 20-22 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.

I do not think these little meat hand-pies will disappoint!

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Italian Sausage Empanadas

Savory and satisfying! Buttery flaky pastry wrapped around beautiful Italian sausage and cheese. What's not to love?

Ingredients

• 2 Italian sausage links, meat removed from casings
• 1 Tbsp. Olive oil
• 1/4 cup Onion, diced
• 1/4 cup Green Bell pepper, diced
• 2 lge. Garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 tsp. Dried Italian seasoning
• 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese, grated
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• Salt/Pepper to taste
• 1 Egg plus 1 Tbsp. water for brushing tops before baking.

Instructions

• Grate the cheeses and set aside.
• Dice the Bell Pepper and onion and set aside. Mince the garlic.
• In a heavy bottomed skillet heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil. Add the sausage and brown. Do not cook all the way through as the meat will continue cooking as the Empanadas bake.
• Add Bell Pepper and onion to the pan and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the minced garlic.
• Remove from the heat and add 1/2 tsp. dried Italian seasoning, the two grated cheeses and salt/pepper to taste. Let cool completely before filling.
• Roll out pie-dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut the dough into circles. Fill each circle with a tablespoon or more of meat. Roll the pastry together to make a half-moon.
• Using your fingers, cinch the edges together and then using a fork press the edges to close more securely. If the edges are stubborn, wet your fingers with water and that will help form the seal.
• Brush the tops of the Empanadas liberally with 1 egg beaten with 1 Tbsp. of water. Place in the refrigerator for 1/2 hour before baking.
• Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 20-22 minutes or until tops are golden brown.