Crescent Moon Empanadas Recipes

EASY CRESCENT ROLL EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F
• Saute ground beef with one chopped onion and drain fat
• Add taco seasoning
• Add one can Rotel (drain off most of the juice)
• Add cheddar cheese
• Unroll crescent rolls (I used Pillsbury)
• Spoon filling onto each triangle and roll up
• Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown
• Top with Sour Cream, guacamole or your favorite toppings

CRESCENT MOON EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425°F. In 10-inch nonstick skillet, cook beef over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thoroughly cooked; drain. Stir in taco seasoning and 1/4 cup water. Heat to boiling over medium-high heat; reduce heat to low. Simmer uncovered 3 minutes or until most of liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat. Stir in cheese, corn, beans and chiles
• Remove crusts from pouches; unroll on work surface. Roll each crust to 12-inch round. With 3-inch round cookie cutter, cut 17 rounds from each crust. Spoon about 2 teaspoons beef mixture over half of each round to within 1/4 inch of edge. Brush edges with water. Fold dough over filling; press edges firmly with fork to seal. On ungreased cookie sheet, shape empanadas to curve and look like crescent moons. Brush with beaten egg.
• Bake 11 to 13 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack. Cool 10 minutes. Serve with sour cream and salsa.

SOUTHWEST EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, mix together the beans, cheese and chicken. Working in batches, lay out the empanada wrappers on a clean work surface. Place a heaping tablespoon of the bean filling into the center of each wrapper. Fold the dough over the filling to form a half-moon shape and press the edge to seal. Using a fork, crimp the edge to completely seal. Transfer the empanadas to the prepared baking sheets.
• In a small bowl, whisk the egg with 2 tablespoons water. Brush the empanadas with the egg wash. Bake until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.

EMPANADILLAS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400°F. Line large cookie sheet with foil or cooking parchment paper; lightly spray with cooking spray.
• In 10-inch skillet, cook sausage, onion and garlic over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sausage is no longer pink. Stir in raisins, olives and cumin; remove from heat.
• On lightly floured surface, roll 1 sheet of pastry into 12x9-inch rectangle, trimming edges if necessary. Cut into twelve 3-inch squares.
• Place 1 tablespoon sausage mixture on each pastry square. In small bowl, beat egg and water with fork until well blended. Brush egg mixture on edges of pastry squares. Fold pastry over filling to make triangles; press edges with fork to seal. Place on cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining pastry and sausage mixture. Brush tops of triangles with egg mixture.
• Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm. Garnish with cilantro.

CHEESY CHICKEN EMPANADAS

Steps:

• In bowl, shred chicken with fork and mix in pepper, cheddar, and cream cheese. Mix well.
• If using crescents, unroll and seal together and. Flatten with a rolling pin.
• Using about a 3 1/2 inch circle cutter, cut out circles from the dough. Reroll and recut until all the dough has been used.
• If using biscuits, just flatten.
• Place about 1 tbsp of chicken mixture into center of each circle. Fold into a half moon shape and seal edges by pressing down all the way around with a fork. Apply a thin layer of butter or spray with butter flavored cooking spray on top of each empanada.
• Place on greased baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes until golden.
• You may need to turn baking sheet halfway around halfway through baking time so all empanadas golden evenly.

EMPANADAS

Steps:

• DAY BEFORE: Cream butter and cream cheese together until smoothly blended. Beat in the flour. Shape dough into a smooth ball, wrap in foil or cling wrap, and refrigerate overnight or up to a week.
• AT BAKING TIME: Remove dough from refrigerator 30 minutes before using. Start heating oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Roll chilled dough thin. Cut with 3 or 4 inch round cookie cutter. Place small spoonful of jam in center of each round, moisten edges with water.
• Fold round over and press edges together. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet 15 to 20 minutes. Immediately roll in sugar mixed with cinnamon (traditional) OR in confectioners' sugar if preferred.