Happy National Empanada Day! Hands down, one of my top five favorite Latin American foods. I freaking love empanadas. We are considering a trip to Colombia this year for our second year wedding anniversary and I am counting down until I get a taste of their homemade empanadas!

This is probably the most American way to make them but it is a quick (and delicious) recipe; the good news must be shared.

The original recipe was pulled from Pillsbury, I’ll link here. In the past, I’ve followed their exact recipe and it was just as delicious. Today, I decided to explore a bit more by adding favorite veggies and extra seasonings.

Main Ingredients:

1. Pie crusts
2. 1 lb of ground beef
3. 2 roma tomatoes, diced
4. 1/2c of white onion, diced
5. 1 bell pepper, diced
6. 1 serrano pepper, finely chopped
7. 1/2c of cheese
8. 1c of green onion, chopped
9. 1 egg, beaten

Spices:

1. 1 tbsp of salt
2. 1 tsp of black pepper
3. 2 tsp of chili powder
4. 1 tsp of ground cumin

Set the oven to 400 degrees F to preheat. Next, set the pie crusts aside and let them thaw while cooking the meat and vegetables. Over medium heat, begin by cooking and dissolving the ground meat. Stir in the vegetables and spices, save the cheese and green onions until later. Once the meat is brown (or cooked), drain and let it cool for ~10 minutes.

Afterwards, spread the pie crust and place the meat mixture on one half. Sprinkle the cheese and green onions on top of the meat mixture.

Next, fold the other half over to cover the meat mixture, and using a fork, seal the pie crust by pressing the edges. Repeat for the second pie crust.

Finally, brush the beaten egg on top and place the tray in the oven to bake for ~20 minutes.

Serve warm with a side salad and enjoy!

Fun fact: I’ve made this on several occasions for dinner parties and they are the first to go! Guests really enjoy them. If you decide to try this recipe, please let me know what you think of it. I would love to see your creations,