30-Min Ham and Cheese Empanada Recipe – Montecristo Style
Want to make the easiest, tastiest dish today? Bring the best appetizer to the holiday party? This ham and cheese empanada recipe Montecristo style, is the bomb! It is made quickly and with flavors that will have you going for seconds.
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Jump to RecipeThe origin of empanadas is largely attributed to the Middle East, particularly in Galicia and Portugal as they populated many areas within Spain. Then Spain brought empanadas to Latin America through colonization. Ever since, empanadas have evolved and transformed as each country has given them its own twist, especially in South America and the Caribbean.
In Puerto Rico, these are known as empanadillas, and they are excellent for quick breakfasts, lunch, or as an appetizer during a holiday dinner. They can be made ahead of time and frozen for ease or simply to have them in hand at any moment.
What you need.
As far as equipment you need the following items if baking your empanadas:
- Pastry brush
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
If your method of choice is frying, you need:
- Large skillet
- A pair of long tongs
- Paper towels
You will also need a couple of mixing bowls (small and medium) and a fork to seal the empanadas.
For the dough, I like to use Goya empanada discs or any store-bought dough disc. They save you a ton of time and taste beautifully. If you are unable to find them, you can use puff pastry dough (use a rolling pin to make it thinner) and a cookie cutter to cut it into 5” – 7” rounds. For larger empanadas, you can make the dough discs bigger.
You can also make your own if you like. If you have a recipe for pie crust that you are used to, that will work perfectly for these as well. Essentially, you want a flaky pastry, it needs to be buttery and managed cold. This is a simple empanada pastry recipe if you want to make your own.
Be sure your dough discs are defrosted beforehand but do not allow them to come down to room temperature or warm up too much. Like any puff pastry, warm dough is hard to manage and does not yield a favorable texture after cooking.
Variations.
As far as cheese goes, you can use whatever type you prefer! If you are like me and love cheddar or mozzarella cheese, they are both great for an empanada. The same goes for the meat. Salami, ham steak, or even leftover ham during the holidays is perfect for this recipe! To keep it simple, use your ham and cheese of preference and make that your empanada filling. The following are empanada recipe variations from home:
Cheese Empanada: For the easiest yet super tasty empanada, cube, slice, or shred some cheddar cheese and use that as your empanada filling. Do not let the simplicity of this cheese empanada recipe fool you… it is DELICIOUS. Fry as usual and serve with your favorite sauce!
Pizza Empanada: Super popular in Puerto Rico and kid-friendly. Use pepperoni (in small pieces), mozzarella cheese, and marinara sauce. Add a tablespoon of sauce to the center of the disc, then top with cheese and pepperoni. Close and fry as usual. Serve with a side of ranch and some veggies!
Beef Empanada: The most traditional empanadas in Puerto Rico. Prepare a quick and easy picadillo (ground beef mixture) and use that as your filling. Hearty and delicious!
If you prefer to bake your empanadas, brush an egg wash or olive oil over the top of your empanadas and place them on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.
Serving and Storing.
This ham and cheese empanada recipe can be served on its own, or with a sauce/salsa of your preference. I like to top my ham and cheese empanadas with confectioner’s sugar and dip it in blackberry jam, Montecristo style. Delicious! Perfect for any time of the day and customizable for all age groups. The best type of food!
If you want to make a big batch ahead of time and freeze them, do not brush them with the egg wash. Simply add the filling, seal the empanadas, and store them in freezer bags, separated with freezer paper. You can skip the freezer paper if you bag them in the portions you plan on using later. This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled if making ahead.
I hope you enjoyed this quick and easy ham and cheese empanada recipe. I love making them for my family due its ease and versatility. I am sure you will, too! Feel free to share how you like them and if you made any changes.
As always, ¡buen provecho from The Happy Wookiee!
Delicious Ham and Cheese Empanada Recipe Under 30 Mins!
Equipment
- Medium bowl
- Small bowl
- Large skillet if frying
- Pastry brush if baking
- baking sheet if baking
- Parchment Paper if baking
Ingredients
- 1 14oz packet empanada dough discs I used Goya
- 3.5 oz cooked ham or deli
- 3.5 oz deli turkey
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise
- Vegetable oil for frying
- 3 tbsp water
- 1 egg for egg wash if baking
- Preferred jam or preserve optional
- Confectioner's sugar optional
Instructions
- Be sure your dough discs are defrosted beforehand but do not allow them to come down to room temperature or warm up too much. This will make the discs hard to manage.
Frying Instructions:
- Cut the ham and turkey into small cubes/slices. If the Swiss is in slices, cut into 6-8 pieces.
- In a medium mixing bowl, mix turkey, ham, and mayonnaise.
- Place some cheese pieces on the center of each circle, then top with a couple of tablespoons of the ham mixture.
- Pour a tablespoon of water or so in a small bowl. Use your finger to spread water along the edge of the disc. Fold dough in half and with a fork, press along the edges until the empanada is tightly closed. This will keep it from opening while cooking. It will also give it its signature look! Do this until you run out of ham mixture.
- If deep frying the empanadas, pour oil into a large skillet (fill about two inches) and set it to medium-high heat. Otherwise, scroll down to baking instructions.
- Once the oil temperature reaches over 360 degrees Fahrenheit, gently place each empanada in the skillet. Do it in batches to not overcrowd the skillet. Fry for a couple of minutes on each side, until golden brown.
- Place them on a plate lined with a paper towel.
- Dust with powdered sugar and serve with your favorite preserves. You can also skip the sugar and jam and eat as is. SO TASTY!
- ¡Buen provecho from The Happy Wookiee!
Baking Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, then follow steps 1-4 of the instructions above.
- Prepare a baking dish with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk the egg for the egg wash (you can also use olive oil instead of an egg if preferred). With a pastry brush, top each empanada with the egg wash. Use a fork to poke holes on them so they can release steam as they bake. Place them on the baking dish.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.
- Dust with powdered sugar and serve with your favorite preserves. You can also skip the sugar and jam, and eat as is. SO TASTY!
- ¡Buen provecho from The Happy Wookiee!
