Thursday, March 22, 2012

Cheesy Chicken Empanadas

(Courtesy of The Neelys)

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
1 jalapeno, finely diced, seeded and ribs removed
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 green onions, thinly sliced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 c. shredded then diced cooked chicken breasts (from leftover chicken)
1 c. shredded Monterey and Cheddar cheese blend
4 oz. cream cheese, diced
Dash hot sauce
1 egg
Flour, for rolling
1 (15 oz.) pkg. refrigerated pie dough
1 Tbsp. chipotle chile powder
Chili lime dipping sauce (recipe follows)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Coat a baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Place a large saute pan over medium heat and add oil.  Once the oil is hot, add the onion, jalapeno, garlic and green onions then saute until tender, about 3 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.

In a large bowl, combine the chicken, cheese, cream cheese, sauteed mixture and hot sauce together.

Whisk the egg in a small bowl.  Set aside.  Sprinkle flour on your work surface and unroll the pie dough. 

Roll out each rough to a 13 inch circle.  Cut each crust into 8 (4 inch) circles with a biscuit cutter.  You can knead the scraps and then roll out, if necessary.  Spoon 1 Tbsp. of the chicken mixture into the center of each rough.  Brush the edges with the egg wash and fold each circle in half.  Gently press on the top of the empanada to release any air.  Seal the edges with a fork and brush the top with the remaining egg wash.  Sprinkle with chile powder.  Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. 

Serve the chicken empanadas with the chile lime dipping sauce.

Chile lime dipping sauce recipe
Ingredients:
1 c. Greek yogurt
1 chipotle pepper (canned in adobo sauce), minced
Juice and zest of 1 lime

Directions:
Comine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well.

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