Sweet Potato and Black Bean Empanadas

TGIF! I'm so happy that the weekend is finally here.  We are heading out to a new restaurant tonight that we have been dying to try since it opened, so I'll be back with the full details on Monday! Lots of fun is on the agenda for this weekend....I can't wait!

Last night, I made empanadas for the first time. I can't believe it's taken me this long. We've had some meat-heavy meals this week, so a vegetarian entree was definitely on the agenda. It was fast, easy, and most of all - delicious.

Excuse the dark photo....I was ready to dig in, so there was no time for pics!

I started the filling by cubing one large sweet potato and cooking it in some olive oil with salt and pepper.

Make sure to leave them alone for a while....you want to get some color on these guys! Color = flavor.

I covered these and added a splash of chicken stock to help them steam and cook through. Do whatever you need to do to make them get nice and soft, then using a potato masher, mash away. I always leave a few chunks for texture.

Next, I added in a large can of (drained) black beans, some green onion, cilantro, cumin, chili powder, and the adobo sauce from a chipotle can (my favorite part!).

Mix it all up and add more salt to taste.

Let this cool for a few minutes while you get the pie crusts ready.

I rolled these guys out and cut them into fourths.

Then I took about 1/4 -1/2 cups of the filling and placed it in the middle of the sections.

You'll need to brush some eggwash on the corners in order to seal them properly and also on top so they turn a nice golden brown. I used the back of a fork to make sure they stayed together, and cut a slit in the top to let the steam escape.

Let these bake for about 15 minutes on 450, or until nice and golden. Keep an eye on them! Meanwhile, you can clean up your mess...

I love my chef's table so much for this reason! It cleans up in no time.

These empanadas are so versatile, I'm sure there will be different varieties popping up in the next few months. We served ours with some sour cream mixed with more adobo sauce and cilantro. Delish!

SWEET POTATO AND BLACK BEAN EMPANADAS

1 package prepared (refrigerated) pie crusts

egg wash (1 egg, mixed with 1 tbs water)

Filling:

olive oil

1 large sweet potato, cubed

1 large can black beans, drained

1/4 cup chopped green onion

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

salt and pepper

2 tbs adobo sauce from chipotle can

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp chili powder

splash of chicken stock

In a large skillet, cook sweet potato in olive oil for a few minuteso ver medium high heat. Add chicken stock and cover to steam, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes (or until soft). Mash in the pan. Add in all other filling ingredients and stir to combine. Season as needed with salt.

Roll out the pie crusts and cut into fourths. Fill each sections with some filling, then brush the edges with egg wash and seal with a fork. Cut a slit in the top for steam to escape. Brush the tops with more egg wash for color.

Bake at 450 for about 15 minutes, or until brown. Keep an eye on them, and cook on the top rack so the bottoms do not burn. Enjoy!

Comments

[Melissa]

These look so yummy! I am going to try these for dinner tonight, thanks for the recipe and mouth-watering pictures!

xoxo