Delicious Ham and Cheese Empanada Recipe Under 30 Mins!
Want to make the easiest, tastiest lunch 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.
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!
Notes
If you want to make more and freeze for later, simply double the recipe and mix the ingredients in a large bowl. If you plan on baking them, do not do the egg wash prior to freezing the empanadas. Fill them up, close them, and place them in freezer bags.
For filling variations and a homemade puff pastry recipe, simply scroll up. 😊