Chicken Apple Cheddar Empanadas
- 2 Tablespoons Butter
- 1/4 cups Minced Red Onion
- 1 whole Diced Red Apple
- 2 whole Diced Granny Smith Apples
- 2 whole Cooked Chicken Breasts
- Salt And Pepper
- 1- 1/2 cup Shredded Extra Sharp Cheddar
- 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
- 1 package Frozen Puff Pastry (2 Sheets)
- 1 whole Egg
- Heat a saute pan with the butter.
- Saute chopped apples and onions in butter until onions are cooked and apples are just soft.
- Dice the (cooked) chicken breast.
- Toss diced chicken, apples, onions and shredded cheddar in a bowl with salt and pepper to taste and a squeeze of lemon juice.
- Set aside on the counter to cool.
- Place first puff pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface and roll out to about twice the size that it started out.
- Puff pastry is not like pie or pizza dough you cant lump it together and re-roll, or patch, so roll carefully.
- Use a glass to cut out circles.
- Use your geometry skills and maximize the surface area (remember you cant collect the scraps at the end and re-roll the pastry wont puff the same).
- Try to get 12 circles, each 2.5 inches in diameter.
- You can give the kids the scraps to make weirdly shaped pastries or haphazardly filled versions.
- Mine always insist on making a just cheese version.
- Repeat with second sheet of puff pastry.
- Traditionally empanadas are half moon shaped (you fill one side and fold over) but this filling is a little chunkier, and you need a certain ratio of the ingredients in each empanada to get the correct flavor, so Im using one circle on top and one on bottom.
- Place a heap of filling of the chicken/apple mixture in the center of each circle (leaving 1/4 inch pastry around the edge showing).
- Use your finger or a pastry brush to wet the edge with warm water and top with second circle.
- Crimp edge with a fork.
- Place empanadas on a parchment covered baking sheet.
- I use parchment for everything, for guaranteed non-sticking and easy clean up.
- I especially like how puff pastry bakes on it.
- If youre not using parchment, place on ungreased cookie sheet.
- Theyre going to puff up twice their size, so leave 3 inches between each on the pan.
- Whisk the egg with a tablespoon of water (this is an egg wash, which makes puff pastry golden and shiny) and brush the tops of each empanada.
- Bake for 15 minutes at 375F, or until golden (in Colorado it takes twice as long).
- Let cool ten minutes, then serve with sour cream and Dijon (or any mustard or dipping sauce you like).
- These make good appetizers/ finger party food, but you can serve with a salad as a main dish as well.
- Makes 12.
butter, red onion, red apple, apples, chicken breasts, salt, cheddar, lemon juice, pastry, egg
Taken from tastykitchen.com/recipes/appetizers-and-snacks/chicken-apple-cheddar-empanadas/ (may not work)