These flaky empanadas are filled with all the fixin’s of Philly’s famous cheesesteaks. A spicy cheese sauce for dipping on the side is the winning touch — or you can skip it depending on which whiz camp you’re in.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 1 hr |
| Active: | 45 min |
| Yield: | 18 empanadas |
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 8 ounces sirloin steak, sliced into very thin strips about 1 inch long
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 1/2 small green bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 4 ounces provolone, cut into small cubes
- 1 large egg
- One 17.3-ounce package frozen puff pastry, thawed (2 sheets)
- All-purpose flour, for dusting
- 1 cup prepared jarred cheese sauce, such as Cheez Whiz
- 2 tablespoons sliced pepperoncini, diced with juice
Instructions
- Position 2 racks in the middle of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When it starts to shimmer, add the beef, a pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned on the edges and just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the beef to a medium bowl and set aside. Add the garlic, onion and bell pepper to the skillet and cook, stirring constantly, until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes.
- Add the vegetables to the bowl with the beef and toss to combine. Allow to cool slightly. Fold in the provolone cubes. Lightly beat the egg with 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl and set aside.
- Unfold 1 puff pastry sheet onto a lightly floured surface. Roll out into a 12-inch square. Cut out 9 rounds with a 4-inch round cookie cutter. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the meat filling just off center on each round. Brush the edge of each round with the egg wash and fold the puff pastry over the filling, slightly stretching if necessary. Press the edges together and crimp with a fork to seal.
- Transfer the empanadas one of the prepared baking sheets and brush each with more egg wash. Repeat this process with the remaining pastry sheet, filling and egg wash. Bake until puffed and golden brown, about 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, combine the cheese sauce, pepperoncini and juice in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 30 seconds and then stir. Repeat until hot.
- Serve the empanadas with the cheese sauce for dipping.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 18 servings |
| Calories | 115 |
| Total Fat | 9 g |
| Saturated Fat | 4 g |
| Carbohydrates | 2 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 0 g |
| Sugar | 0 g |
| Protein | 6 g |
| Cholesterol | 32 mg |
| Sodium | 125 mg |
Reviews
Used pepper jack cheese, came out great!
Did not care for the provolone cheese in them and I feel the vegetables should have been cut up smaller.
This was a great recipe. Just takes a little time to make up each empanada. I used shredded mozzarella cheese and cheddar mixed in with the steak mixture. I also made sure there was no moisture. Turned out great. Will definitely make again.
AMAZING! First time making empanadas and it was delicious. I used vegan beyond meat making the recipe vegetarian. And used a mozzarella/cheddar cheese combo. Will make again!
This came out amazing. My family loved this meal.
This recipe came out amazing. A couple of tips and short cuts. First, you can use deli-sliced roast beef instead of the steak. I cut the roast beef into strips a big as my thumb and then cooked them very briefly in the oil just to heat them up. Second, you can use sliced provolone cheese. Just cut the slices into wedges and lay a couple in the middle of each puff pastry round before you place the beef, onions, and peppers. Also, I found it’s important to cut the peppers and onions small, like a medium dice, otherwise the empanadas risk bursting even if you don’t overstuff them. Finally, consider draining as much moisture as you can out of the cooked onions and peppers. If they go into the empanadas moist the pockets leak and don’t stay crisp on the bottom. Otherwise, this was great. Making it again next weekend!
Going to make them for sure. Good recipe, I already can imagine how they taste. Will add mushrooms inside and pickled jalepenos on the side with the sauce.