You know, as I was writing this recipe, I didn’t realize how much instructions I have to explain. Look, this hungry girl is craving for some empanadas and I made it happen! So here I am, struggling to explain how to make the dough because guess what? I just winged it. *nervous laughter* Now that I think about it, I apologize in advance if you or someone out there attempts to follow this recipe. Best of luck! If it doesn’t work out, there’s always hot pockets, right? No? Not the same? Yeah, I know.

For Dough:

4C Flour

1/2T Salt

2 1/2T Sugar

3/4C Butter

1C Water

Mix flour, salt, and sugar in a bowl. Melt the butter and let it cool. Mix the water and butter, then slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients while mixing using a wooden spoon or spatula. When the dough is fully mixed, remove from the bowl and knead until smooth and form it into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and let it rest in the fridge for 1 hour. Once the dough has rested, divide it into 4 balls. You want to keep the dough cold so keep the rest of the dough in the fridge covered in plastic while working on 1 ball at a time. Roll each ball into 1/8 of an inch thin and then cut using a round cookie cutter or bowl about 5 inches in diameter. Use a little bit of flour if needed while rolling out the dough. Place each round in between parchment paper and then immediately put them back in the fridge to keep them cold as you roll out the other balls of dough. Once the dough is portioned, stack them with parchment paper in between and keep them in the fridge (cover the exposed dough with plastic) for ten more minutes before filling them.

For Filling:

1T Butter

1/2C Onions, small diced

1T Garlic, minced

2C Carrots, small diced

1C Potatoes, small diced

1# Ground Beef

1/2C Corn, cooked

1/2C Green Peas, cooked

1C Low Moisture Mozzarella, medium diced

Water

Salt

Pepper

Canola Oil/Frying Oil

Melt the butter, then saute onions and garlic until fragrant. Add the carrots and potatoes, cook for a few minutes. Add the ground beef and break into small chunks using the back of a wooden spoon. Cook until golden brown and most of the moisture is gone. Fold in the corn and green peas, then adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Let it cool completely. To make the empanada, fill each dough with 1 to 2 tablespoon of filling, and then add 3 cubes of mozzarella cheese. Use a little water along the edge to help seal the dough. Fold the dough over forming a half-circle, tucking in the filling making sure there are no air gaps inside. Seal the sides using a fork or by folding over the sides, by pinching-pulling-folding over until the edges are sealed. Heat the oil until it reaches 350F. Do not overcrowd while frying, leave some space for the empanadas to move around. Fry until golden brown.