Empanadas for a Thursday

Empanada's on a Thursday...Well why the heck not?

I am always saying how that you can make extra of things and put them in the freezer. This recipe was composed of the frozen cooked ground beef I had ready. Which really made these quick.  Then began the hunt for making this filling yummy.

I have been on a Chorizo kick lately, To me it is good on, and in everything. So I added it to the hamburger meat and continued from there. I actually think adding it, made the meat stretch and the chorizo and the seasonings made the ground beef go further. 

I was actually hanging about on Facebook this morning, trying to figure out what would be epic to put into my first time empanada. It was suggested to add olives and wow, just happened to have a lonely opened jar of olive pieces, just drained them and threw them in the saute pan. As for the spices, well we kinda kept tasting and adding. It made quite alot and I only had 10 wrappers I bought to try this. The extra I am thinking tomorrow, enchiladas, add some black beans to the mix and stretch it more into another meal. Will keep you posted on how it goes.

Empanadas

Our Ingredients ( adjust the flavor as you like, always start with a little, you can always add, but can't take away)

2 cups of cooked ground beef 

   (*tip. Once a month I usually brown 5 lbs of meat in my crock pot and then section into containers or freezer bags so I can just pull out for a quick start to a meal)

3 little things of chorizo, turned out to be about 12 oz

1 minced onion

3 tbs of minced garlic

1 10 oz of cut up olives

6 nice squirts of sirachi

1 tbs of turmeric

1tbs of cummin

1 tbs of chicken bouillon 

1 10 piece pack of goya empanada wrappers (or homemade)

Be sure to taste, so you can make it hot, or even medium. 

This also made 4 cups. I used 2 cups for the empanadas 

The other 2 cups I will use on something else.

Instructions:

1) Saute first the chorizo, ground beef, garlic and the onion.

2) Then add the olives, and spices and mix well. Continue to taste and add more of any spice you like.

3) Fill the wrappers. I held mine in my hand and filled in the middle then folded over and pinched both ends first and worked up to the front of the half circle. Then lay them on parchment paper and forked it all around the edge. Took a sharp nice and poke a little hole on top to release any steam, so it wouldn't break open. 

4) Spray tops with a little Pam spray. Pop in oven 400. For about 20 minutes.. You are only cooking to get it brown. The insides are already cooked. Be sure to check them

Let cool and dig in. We sure did.

Wow, the taste is so lively, kinda hot, but not that bitter hot, like a warm feeling. I am guess that is the cumin and the chorizo. 

I used a little sour cream and we devoured them all.

I was going to try the wrapper homemade, but for the price and the quickness, it was just as good.

I also know some people fry them, but baking them for me was just as good. I may try to fry in coconut oil next time. 

I had to get over here and post this one, cause it was yummy, yummy, yummy..

and simple.

and one more time.

Simple ingredients...sometimes it is really just that easy.

Enjoy.