Beef and Bean Empanadas

I've always wanted to try to make empanadas. But with everything else to cook for the Brazilian Olympic themed meal, I took a few short cuts, one being using prepared pie crusts. 

First of all, this makes a large amount of filling. You have several ways of going with this. You can make the filling as I had written, and either have enough hand pies for a party (!) or you can use larger diameter biscuit cutters to have larger empanadas, OR you can make as many empanadas as you'd like, and use the remaining filling later in the week for burritos or tacos.  See? Lots of options here.

I have this nice set of pastry cutters bought at the Kitchen Collection which gives different sizes to choose from. For my empanadas, I used the 4 inch cutter.

1 lb. lean ground chuck

1 T. paprika

1 t. ground cumin

1 t. chili powder

1/8 t.  cayenne pepper

1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and diced

1/2 large yellow onion, diced

2 - 3 jalapenos, seeded and diced

2 cloves garlic

1 can Rotel tomatoes

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

8 oz. block of pepper jack cheese, shredded
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

2 rolls prepared pie crusts

1 egg, lightly beaten (for the egg wash)

Place first nine ingredients in large skillet over medium high heat and cook until meat is cooked and vegetables have softened, about 5 - 6 minutes.

Add Rotel tomatoes and black beans and lower heat to low. Let simmer for 3 - 4 minutes. 

Slowly add shredded cheese a few spoonfuls at a time, stirring to blend in to the meat and vegetable mixture. Add cilantro and stir.

Remove from heat and allow to cool for a 5 - 10 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Prepare the dough:

Roll the dough out on a floured surface until it is 1/4 inch thickness.Cut out roughly 4 inch round circles in the dough using biscuit cutters or a sauce turned upside down.

Place 1 - 2 T. of filing in the center and fold the circle in a half moon. Use a fork to crimp the edges together and seal the empanada closed. Place on a baking sheet. Continue this process with remaining dough/filling.

Once you've formed all the empanadas, brush them with the egg wash. Bake for approximately 20 - 22 minutes or until golden brown. 

Serve with salsa, sour cream, sliced avocado, etc.