Spinach & Cheese Empanadas

I'm becoming such a housewife and cooking lover that the menu for the next day comes to my mind so easy. Well, I think it comes easy because I buy recipe books on sale :) and look through them with such an excitement.

I paid less then $6.00 for each of them. I was so excited!!

OK, let me get back to the real reason of this post, my empanadas or hot pockets. 

Thursday night I already had planned Friday's dinner and I was so excited about it that I even woke up earlier and went grocery shopping (by the way, buying your groceries in the morning is the best time). When I got home immediately went to the kitchen and started getting these delicious pockets full of deliciousness made. 

What you'll need:

5 slices bacon, cooked until crisp, drained and crumbled (drippings reserved)

1 1/2 pounds fresh spinach leaves, washed

1/3 cup minced onion

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup cottage cheese, farmer's cheese, or ricotta cheese

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 cup shredded cheese (any type)

1 pack frozen dough for pastries 

Directions:

Cook your bacon in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and reserve the drippings. Heat 1 teaspoon of the reserved bacon drippings in a medium nonstick skillet and, when hot, add the spinach. Cook, stirring frequently, until the spinach is wilted and has released its liquid, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the spinach to a colander to drain. When the spinach has cooled enough to handle, squeeze to release any excess water, then transfer to a cutting board and finely chop. Set aside.

Add 2 more teaspoons of the bacon drippings to the same skillet, then add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until soft but not browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the reserved spinach, crumbled bacon, cottage cheese, salt and pepper to taste and mix thoroughly. Transfer to a mixing bowl and allow to cool thoroughly. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.

Divide the spinach filling evenly among the dough circles and add one tbs of shredded cheese to each one. Using your fingers, lightly moisten the edges with some of the beaten egg, then fold 1 side over so that the edges meet, and press to seal. Crimp the edges using the tines of a fork and transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Repeat until all of the empanadas are assembled. Brush the tops of each empanada with some of the beaten egg and fry or bake uncovered until golden, 12 to 15 minutes. I fry my empanadas they come out crispier then when you bake them. 

It sounds like a lot of work but it's worth every bit of it. This empanadas look so good and they are not even fried yet!!! I placed them in the refrigerator until it was time for dinner and 20 minutes before I fried them, they turned out delicious.

Every bite of it was a burst of flavor in my mouth, bacon makes everything taste better. My husband really enjoyed it and took one to work the next day. 

You really don't need anything else to go with them but if you want a side, I would recommend baked beans, just a simple salad or potato salad but again you can play around with it, it's your dinner!!

Let me tell you something before I go. You can buy the pastry dough and fill them with whatever you want. Meats, cheese only, sweets, really!!! anything you know you will enjoy. 

Have fun, enjoy them and happy cooking!!!!