Best 7 Poblano Cream Cheese Empanadas Recipes

EMPANADAS DE QUESO CON RAJAS (POBLANO CHILE AND CHEESE EMPANADAS)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Place poblano directly on the grates of a gas stove. Cook over medium heat, flipping with tongs occasionally, until blackened and charred, about 5 minutes. Place in a sealed plastic bag and allow to cool, 7 to 8 minutes. Peel off charred skins, remove seeds, and cut flesh into 1-inch squares.
• Place 1 1/2 tablespoons Manchego cheese onto each empanada disc. Top each with 1/2 tablespoon poblano peppers. Fold dough over on top of filling to close. Wet fingers with water and run them along the edges to help seal. Press edges together. Place empanadas on the prepared baking sheet and brush with beaten egg.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 24 to 26 minutes.

CHEESE AND POBLANO EMPANADAS

Steps:

• The poblano peppers can be roasted on the grill, in the oven under the broiler, or over the flame on a gas stove. I recommend grilling as the first option, place the peppers on a hot grill and grill on each side until they are blackened or charred. Next best option is to place them on a baking sheet and put them under the broiler (set to high) and roast on each side until charred. For the stove stop method, my least favorite because the fumes can be strong, use thongs to hold the poblano peppers and place them close to the flame, turn until they are blackened.
• Place the poblano peppers in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap for about 10 minutes- this will help them sweat so that the skin becomes very loose and easy to remove.
• Peel off the skins from the roasted peppers, cut them half and remove the seeds and stems. Remove any liquid inside the peppers.
• Cut the poblano peppers into strips and then cut them into small pieces, about ½ inch to 1 inch wide.
• To assemble the empanadas, place a spoonful or two of the cheese mixture and some chopped roasted poblano peppers or rajas on the middle of each empanada disc.
• Fold the empanada discs and seal the edges. You can either use a fork to help seal the empanadas, or use your fingers to twist and curl the edges creating a churito or curl type seal. You can also use an empanada mold to seal the empanadas.
• If you have time, for best results, especially since these empanadas contain cheese, chill the empanadas for at least 30 minutes before baking, this will help them seal better and prevent leaks.
• Before baking, brush the top of the empanadas with the egg yolk; this will give a nice golden glow when they bake. If you are making several batches of different empanadas and have any poblanos left over, you can place a small piece of the pepper on top of each empanada as a marker to help identify the filling.
• Bake in a pre-heated oven at 400F for 20 minutes or until golden.
• Serve the poblano and cheese empanadas with your choice of dipping sauce.

GUAVA AND CREAM CHEESE EMPANADAS

Steps:

• For the empanada dough: Mix all empanada ingredients in a mixer. Let the dough rest in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.
• For the filling: Put the guava paste and cream cheese in a bowl and use a potato masher to mash the two ingredients until they are incorporated.
• To form the empanadas, use half of dough (save remaining dough for another use). Knead the dough. Roll the dough out by hand or with a commercial sheeter. Cut out circles of dough 6- to 7-inches in diameter. Place a dough circle in an empanada mold if you have one, but it?s not necessary; fill empanadas with guava mixture. Wet the edges of the dough with your fingers. Close the mold to seal, or fold dough over filling and use the tines of a fork to seal the edges. Repeat with remaining dough and filling. Use a pastry brush to paint empanadas with an even coat of egg wash, then sprinkle with sugar.
• Preheat convection oven to 450 degrees F, or regular oven to 400 degrees F. Place empanadas on greased baking sheets. Bake for 3 minutes in convection oven or 10 to 15 minutes in regular oven.

BEEF AND ROASTED POBLANO EMPANADAS

Steps:

• For the Dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, combine flour, 5 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoon of salt on medium speed until completely blended. With the motor running, slowly add in water and continue to mix until a soft and pliable dough forms, 3 to 5 minutes. Flatten the dough into a 6-inch round, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator to let rest for 30 minutes to 4 hours.
• For the Filling: In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon canola oil over medium high heat until it smokes lightly. Remove the pan from the heat and add the ground beef in a single layer. Season with salt. Return the pan to the heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is cooked through, 5 to 8 minutes. Drain the beef, transfer the meat to a large bowl, and set aside.
• In a separate skillet, melt the remaining tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic, season with salt, and cook until soft and translucent, 8 to 10 minutes. Mix the onions and garlic into the beef and chill in the refrigerator. Once the meat mixture is cooled, add cumin and cayenne and mix to combine cumin. Add the cream cheese and mix well.
• Meanwhile, on an open flame or grill, roast the poblanos on all sides until charred, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Set aside to let cool enough to handle. Remove the skin, seeds and ribs. Cut the peppers into small strips. Set aside to let cool.
• For Empanadas: Line a sheet tray with parchment paper and dust with flour, set aside. Lightly dust a flat work surface with flour. Roll out dough into a 1/8-inch thick sheet. Make sure you flour only one side of the dough (if you flour both sides this will prevent the dough from sticking together when crimping the empanada.) Let the dough rest for 10 minutes. Use a 3-inch cookie cutter to stamp out 24 to 26 rounds.
• Place a couple of strips of poblano in the center of one round and top it with 1 tablespoon of the beef mixture. Fold the dough in half to form a half moon and crimp the edges together by gently pressing them with the tines of a fork to seal. Place the cookie cutter over the empanada and use the edge to cut off any excess dough. Repeat with the remaining poblano strips, filling, and dough. Place the empanadas as done in a single layer on the parchment-lined baking sheet that has been dusted with flour. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
• Place a wire rack on a sheet tray, set aside. In a medium pot with a heavy bottom, heat the remaining canola oil until it reaches 350 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer. Slowly place 3 to 4 empanadas into the hot oil (don't crowd the pot) and fry, stirring occasionally with a slotted spoon, until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes total. Transfer cooked empanadas to a wire rack set over a sheet pan. Sprinkle immediately with salt. Working in batches, fry the remaining empanadas and arrange in a single layer on the rack. Place the sheet pan in the center of the oven and heat for 5 to 8 minutes to ensure the centers of the empanadas are warm.
• Serve empanadas with tomato salsa on the side.

PIZZA DOUGH CHICKEN EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Combine the garlic, onions, salt and 5 cups water in a 12-inch high-sided saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the chicken breasts and bay leaf, and lower the heat to a simmer. Cook the chicken, partially covered, until cooked through, about 35 minutes. (To check for doneness, slit the chicken in half to make sure the interior is no longer pink.) Remove the chicken (reserve the broth) and allow to cool slightly. When cool enough to handle, shred by hand and place in a medium bowl.
• Remove enough broth to leave about 2 cups in the pan with the onions and garlic (cool and refrigerate or freeze the extra broth for another use). Remove the bay leaf. Add the tomatillos and jalapenos and cook until the tomatillos are olive green, 10 to 12 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the solid ingredients (onions, tomatillos and garlic) to a blender. Add the cilantro and process until smooth (using some of the liquid in the pan if needed). Season with salt and pepper. Pour the salsa back into the saucepan and bring to a boil; add the chicken and cook until the flavors incorporate, about 5 minutes. Adjust the seasoning. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• To assemble the empanadas: Dust a flat surface with flour. Roll out the pizza dough about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. Using a 6-inch round cookie cutter (or a bowl or plate with the same diameter), cut the dough into circles. Expect to get about 3 circles from 1 pound of dough. Brush the egg wash over the surface of one dough round. Add 2 tablespoons of filling onto half of the circle and sprinkle about 1 ounce of mozzarella on top of the filling, if using. Fold the plain half over the filling. Seal the edges with fork tines or crimp decoratively. Repeat for the remaining empanadas. (Save any leftover filling in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week for another use.)
• Transfer the empanadas to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Using a pastry brush, brush the tops of the empanadas with the egg wash. Bake until crisp and golden brown, about 20 minutes. Let cool for about 10 minutes before serving.

CHEESE EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Mixing by hand, combine 2 cups warm water, the shortening and salt in a medium bowl. Slowly add the flour, mixing quickly to avoid lumps. Knead until the ingredients are evenly combined. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes, then shape into small balls (about 3 ounces each).
• Using a hand tortilla press, place a piece of waxed paper on the bottom, center a dough ball on top and cover with another piece of waxed paper. Gently press down to flatten the ball into a thin circle (not too thin or it will crack). Alternatively, you can use a wooden board or large plate to press the dough.
• Remove the top paper and add 1 tablespoon of the cheese to the middle of the pressed dough. Carefully fold one edge of the circle over the cheese to the other edge, and press the edges together to close the empanada. Using a small bowl, place it over the empanada close to the edge and press down slightly to cut the edge and evenly seal it. Repeat with the remaining dough and cheese. Set the empanadas on a large platter and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, add enough vegetable oil to fill the pan about a third of the way. Heat over medium heat until a deep-frying thermometer inserted in the oil reaches 350 degrees F. Gently remove the wax paper from each empanada and fry two to four at a time (depending on the pan size) until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
• Serve immediately.

CHEESY GUAVA EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray 2 baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray.
• Put 3 or 4 of the empanada wrappers on a flat work surface. Spoon 2 teaspoons of cream cheese on the bottom half of each, then spread to create a half-moon shape, leaving a 1/2-inch gap between the cream cheese and the edge. Divide the guava paste into 1-ounce sections; depending on how the paste is packaged, you can either cut it into planks or scoop out about 3 teaspoons per empanada (using 3 teaspoons rather than 1 tablespoon will make the empanadas easier to seal). Finally, top each empanada with about 2 tablespoons of grated cheese.
• Make an egg wash by whisking the egg in a small bowl with a splash of water. Brush the outer edge of each wrapper with the egg wash, then seal by folding each wrapper in half and pressing the edges together with your fingers. Arrange the empanadas on the prepared baking sheets, then crimp the edges of each with a fork, pushing down enough to seal but not enough to go through the dough. Assemble, seal and crimp the remaining empanadas.
• Brush the top side of each empanada with the egg wash, then bake until the outsides are dark golden brown and feel crispy to the touch, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool for at least 5 minutes, then serve.