Saturday night's dinner was a casual, fun, watch a movie kind of dinner. If you've been following my blog you know I made my Super Moist Meatloaf this past week. It was a big one, about 2 pounds and it was enough for dinner and lunch for the Hub the next day. I still had over 1/3 of it left over. I got to thinking what I could do with it? And then the lightbulb went off ... I had bought some refrigerated biscuit ... "I'm going to make biscuit empanadas". If you aren't familiar with what an empanada is, it's basically a pastry turnover. Here's what I came up with:
 |
| So Yummy! |
Cheesy Beef Stuffed Biscuit Empanadas
Serve 2-4
For the meat mixture:
1/3 to 1/2 pound of leftover meatloaf,
finely chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
5-6 large large baby bella mushrooms,
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
5-6 large large baby bella mushrooms,
finely chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 generous tablespoon tomato paste
1 medium tomato seeded and chopped
1/4 to 1/2 cup of red wine or stock if you prefer
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 generous tablespoon tomato paste
1 medium tomato seeded and chopped
1/4 to 1/2 cup of red wine or stock if you prefer
not to use wine
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano, rub between your
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano, rub between your
finger as you add to release oils
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon salt or season to taste
Quesillo or mozzarella string cheese. Cut into 8 - 2" long pieces (think of it looking like a Wrigley's stick of gum)
1 egg beaten with a splash of water.
Heat the olive oil in a skillet to medium. Add onions and let cook until onions are translucent, about 3 minutes. Add mushrooms and continue cooking an additional 3-5 minutes, incorporate the garlic and stir through. Stir in chopped meatloaf and combine with onion mixture. Once blended add basil, oregano, tomatoes and paste, add in salt if needed at this point and combine well with other ingredients. Cook for 2 minutes, you want a bit of browning from the tomato paste. Add the red wine in small batches. You want it to deglaze the pan to impart rich flavor and to evaporate as it cooks. The mixture needs to be moist but not wet, otherwise you will get a soggy finished product. Once the wine has been consumed, take off heat and set aside.
Preheat over to 350 degreesF. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
Pop open the biscuit roll, flour your work surface, rolling pin and hands. Take one biscuit disc and gently flatten and going in a circle stretch dough out just slightly. Use your rolling pin to roll out a round 5-6" diameter biscuit disc. Add two tablespoons of meat mixture to one side of the disc, 1 cheese piece and another tablespoon of meat mixture atop the cheese. leaving a 1/4 inch border. Dip a pastry brush or a finger into eggwash and run along the 1/4" border all around the biscuit. This helps to seal the biscuit. Fold over and pinch closed or use a fork and crimp down all around with the tines of the fork (looks prettier). With your fork, prick the top of each empanada to let the steam escape. Place each empanada on the baking sheet as you go, leaving about an inch between each one. Finish by brushing egg was over each empanada, this makes it golden and shiny. Put in the middle rack of a preheated oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or till golden.
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon salt or season to taste
For the empanadas
One large 8-count can of refrigerated biscuit doughQuesillo or mozzarella string cheese. Cut into 8 - 2" long pieces (think of it looking like a Wrigley's stick of gum)
1 egg beaten with a splash of water.
Heat the olive oil in a skillet to medium. Add onions and let cook until onions are translucent, about 3 minutes. Add mushrooms and continue cooking an additional 3-5 minutes, incorporate the garlic and stir through. Stir in chopped meatloaf and combine with onion mixture. Once blended add basil, oregano, tomatoes and paste, add in salt if needed at this point and combine well with other ingredients. Cook for 2 minutes, you want a bit of browning from the tomato paste. Add the red wine in small batches. You want it to deglaze the pan to impart rich flavor and to evaporate as it cooks. The mixture needs to be moist but not wet, otherwise you will get a soggy finished product. Once the wine has been consumed, take off heat and set aside.
Preheat over to 350 degreesF. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
Pop open the biscuit roll, flour your work surface, rolling pin and hands. Take one biscuit disc and gently flatten and going in a circle stretch dough out just slightly. Use your rolling pin to roll out a round 5-6" diameter biscuit disc. Add two tablespoons of meat mixture to one side of the disc, 1 cheese piece and another tablespoon of meat mixture atop the cheese. leaving a 1/4 inch border. Dip a pastry brush or a finger into eggwash and run along the 1/4" border all around the biscuit. This helps to seal the biscuit. Fold over and pinch closed or use a fork and crimp down all around with the tines of the fork (looks prettier). With your fork, prick the top of each empanada to let the steam escape. Place each empanada on the baking sheet as you go, leaving about an inch between each one. Finish by brushing egg was over each empanada, this makes it golden and shiny. Put in the middle rack of a preheated oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or till golden.
- Serve with a side of your own or bottled marinara sauce, sprinkled with a little grated parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
Yeah this really looks YUMMY! STARVING NOW lol.
ReplyDeleteThe Hub ate 4 of the 8 that I made. They really were yummy! Thanks for commenting.
ReplyDeleteThis was really good especially in the AM, which is when I had it :-D!!
ReplyDeleteI gotta try to make this myself!