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Broccoli & Cheese-Stuffed Mini Empanadas

Once in a while, I’ll walk down grocery store aisles and look for an interesting product that I am not familiar with. Sometimes I find an item that becomes a part of my regular kitchen routine, like these baby empanada wrappers. The wrappers are sold in the refrigerated section as thin discs of dough that are roughly the same thickness as wonton wrappers, and perhaps four inches in diameter. They are easy to use, although it takes a bit of time to fill them all and seal the edges when you are new to working with them. The packets I find contain sixteen mini empanadas, although you can easily scale the recipe up or down.
The following recipe makes 16 mini empanadas, with some broccoli and cheese filling leftover.

Ingredients

  • 1 head of broccoli (stem discarded, florets separated into equal-sized pieces)
  • ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
  • ½ tsp Kosher salt (or more to taste)
  • ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • ¼ cup cream cheese (softened)
  • ½ cup cheddar cheese (shredded)
  • ½ cup mozzarella cheese (shredded)
  • 1 package of 16 mini empanada wrappers (roughly 4 inches in diameter)
  • 1 whole egg (whisked, for the egg wash on the empanadas)

Instructions 

  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil on the stove, and reduce the heat to medium.
  • Add a few Tablespoons of Kosher salt, until the water tastes notably salty.
  • Cook your broccoli florets gently in the salted water until the thickest part of the stem is tender.
  • Remove the florets from the water and drain them. Set the florets aside on your cutting board.
  • Preheat your oven to 400F.
  • Dice the cooked broccoli up into small pieces.
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine the chopped broccoli with the crushed red pepper flakes, Kosher salt, and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste.
  • Mix in the softened cream cheese, shredded cheddar, and mozzarella cheese.
  • On a sheet tray lined with parchment paper, lay out the empanada wrappers.
  • Add a small scoop of the broccoli and cheese filling to the inside of each wrapper.
  • Gently close each empanada, and use your fingers or a fork to seal the edges shut.
  • *Try to avoid leaving any air pockets inside the empanadas when you are sealing them up.
  • Whisk the whole egg, and gently brush some whisked egg on the visible exterior of each empanada.
  • Bake the empanadas at 400F for roughly 18-22 minutes, or until they are perfectly golden-brown in color.
  • Remove from the oven, and allow the empanadas to cool down for a few minutes.
  • Enjoy while they are warm.

Notes

These empanadas can be reheated in the oven, although I prefer to eat them fresh. You can omit the step of egg-washing if you are strapped for time, although the egg wash gives the empanadas a shiny, golden-brown exterior that looks really appetizing when they come out of the oven.