I love any kind of savory hand pie – samosas, pasties, empanadas, calzones – you name it! For a few years I have been trying to perfect the dough for homemade empanadas. I have some variations that I like and will continue to work on it, but I found a solution that I didn’t know I needed when I found frozen empanada dough by Goya in the freezer section of my local grocer. I bought it on a whim and was surprised to find that it is quite good.

The dough comes as 12 rounds. Just roll out the dough a little bit and it’s ready to be used.

When I make the filling, here is my rule of thumb: protein (meat should be cooked before putting it in the empanada), green veggie (if using spinach/arugula, sauteed in a skillet until all liquid evaporates), and cheese. Throw in whatever seasoning you like, add hot peppers if you desire, and really you can anything else you want (mushrooms, onions, etc.). Just be sure that there is not a lot of moisure in your ingredients.

Brush egg wash on all of the margins and fold the wrapper over.

Seal the edges and press it with the tines of a fork. Then put egg wash all over the top.

Bake at 475 degrees for 15 minutes or so, and, Voila!

I like to eat my empanadas with my favorite hot sauces.

These also freeze really well. Put them on a baking sheet, not touching one another. Once they are frozen, just pop them into a baggie.

You can take them out of the freezer and put them straight into the oven to warm.

Although I will continue to try to perfect my empanada dough recipe, this shortcut has really come in handy. I can quickly make empanadas if I have leftovers that I don’t know what to do with. Also, I love having something quick and easy to heat up when we have unexpected company.

Viva la empanada!