Meat Pies

Okay….so I wanted to make an easy to eat, hand held meal, that was hardy and tasty

I found some store bought empanadas shells and an idea was born

I would make some kind of meat pie.  Something that you could just grab and eat on that busy school night

And they would love me for them (my kids that is)

Okay… enough of the drama… these are really great and I guarantee your family, will indeed, love them

Lets start with 1 red bell pepper, 1 green bell pepper, 1 onion and 4 garlic cloves

Peel the onion and give everybody a nice chop

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat

Add in the onion, peppers and garlic

Season with kosher salt and ground black pepper

Cook 6-8 minutes or until the vegetables start to soften and the onions begin to look translucent

I’m making a large batch, so I’m using 3 pounds of ground turkey, you can use whatever ground meat you like

If using ground beef drain off some of the fat after cooking it

Add the meat to the pan, brown and break up into smaller pieces as you go, cooking around 8-10 minutes

Now for some flavor

We will need 1/2 cup of Worcestershire Sauce, 1/2 cup of sofrito, 1/4 cup of Gravy Master and 1 teaspoon each of kosher salt, ground black pepper, garlic powder and onion powder

Sofrito is a Spanish style sauce made up of onions, garlic, tomatoes and paprika that is cooked down

You can make your own or look for it in the International section of most supermarkets

Note:  If  your cooking with less meat, adjust the Worcestershire Sauce and Gravy Master as they can be strong flavors

Add all of these ingredients to the meat

Give everybody a stir to incorporate

Bring the meat to a low simmer and cook 10-12 minutes to allow the flavors to meld

Remove from the heat and set aside

Taste and re-season with kosher salt and ground black pepper as needed

Next let’s grate 8 ounces of sharp cheddar cheese (white or orange, it doesn’t matter)

Add this to the meat mixture and stir to combine

The cheese will add a tasty creaminess to the meat as well as help to bind it

Allow the mixture to cool a bit

I love fresh herbs in my food so I’m going to use around 1 cup of parsley

Give the parsley a fine chop and sprinkle over the meat

Stir it up to combine

Preheat the oven to 350 F

Okay, now it is time to make some meat pies

I’m using Goya empanada shells for this recipe (a short cut) which come in either orange or white

I’m using the orange for extra color though there really isn’t much difference in taste

 You may find white or orange at the store in the frozen section and either or will work fine

I’m using the grande (large) which will yield 20 meat pies

Start with a clean work surface and place a disc down

Using a 1/3 measuring cup scoop out the meat mixture from the pan

Place the meat mixture in the center of the disc

 Using water rub the outer edge of the disc all the way around

Pull the outer edges together and gently pinch them to form a pocket

Place the pie on the cutting board and crimp the edges with a fork to seal the pie all the way around the seam

Place on a sheet pan lined with a Silpat mat or sprayed with cooking oil

Repeat until you have used up the meat mixture

Next we will need 1 large egg whisked to use as an egg wash which will help them to brown

Using your fingers rub all the meat pies with the egg wash

While the egg wash is still wet, sprinkle each pie with some kosher salt

Place these in the oven and cook for 20-25 minutes or until they are nicely browned

Remove them from the oven and allow to rest a few minutes

Serve these with your favorite dipping sauce

Enjoy!!!

Simply Bamboo Cutting Board

Architec Gripperwood Cutting Board

Royal Classique Measuring Cups

ZYLISS Quik Blend Whisk

Lodge Cast Iron Pan

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