Hey, You…
Psst…? Wanna know a secret? Empanadas are easy to make, and you have my blessing to use store bought crust.
Yep, you heard it here first, kids.
Have you ever felt like less than a cook ‘cuz you opted for store bought pie crust, or boxed bread crumbs, or bottled cocktail sauce? That since you didn’t make it from skritchy-scratch, that you were somehow pulling a switcheroo on your unsuspecting guests? Well, I am here to absolve you of your store bought sins.
There. You should feel better already.
They Do It In Argentina…
When we were visiting with friends in Argentina, the birthplace of empanadas, I asked if there was some sort of stigma to using store bought or frozen empanada crust. “Absolutely not!” was the response. Who has time to make all that pastry crust? Even empanada take-out restaurants used store bought crusts to make their empanadas. And if Argentinian take-away restaurants can use frozen dough, you can too.
Next time you are at the supermarket, check the area that has frozen delicacies from Latin America. Chances are they will have frozen empanada crusts. I always have a couple of packages in the freezer at the ranch. A few cupfuls of any left-over ingredient makes a terrific empanada filling.
Even though this recipe is for empanadas, you can make this Kale Potato filling as a delicious side dish.
Empanadas are Good to Go
The Kale and Potato Empanadas are extra good as they are filling, and work for vegetarian diets (sorry, I can’t tell you if the frozen empanada crusts are vegan or not. I would bet they are, but read the label) My husband liked them with Salsa Criolla, which is certainly an authentic accent. Take some freshly baked empanadas along to your book club night, on your next car trip, or to the church pot luck. So delicious even that church lady will forgive you for opting to use the frozen dough.
PrintSavory Kale and Potato Empanadas
- Yield: 24 1x
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp. olive oil (30ml)
- 1/2 cup or 4 oz finely chopped onions (125gr)
- 4 oz chopped fingerling or new potatoes (125gr)
- 8 oz finely chopped kale (250gr)
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- Salt and pepper
- ½ cup water (120ml)
- 2 pk empanada discs (12 discs per pkg)
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil over medium high heat in a heavy, 10” (25cm) lidded sauté pan.
- Add the onions and potatoes, and cook until well browned, about 3-5 minutes.
- Add the kale, garlic, salt and pepper, and the water. Cover the kale, and allow to simmer over medium heat for about 20 minutes, until the kale is tender.
- Remove from heat, and drain the kale mixture in a colander, so that all the liquid drains away. Allow to cool completely.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C)
- Fill each of the discs with 1 generous tablespoon of kale filling. Pinch the edges together to seal.
- Place the formed empanada on a greased cookie sheet. Form all the empanadas in the same fashion.
- Bake for 30 minutes until golden brown.
- Remove from oven and cool on wire racks.
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