Football Empanadas
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 cup onion diced
- 1 pound lean hamburger
- 1 tablespoon old el paso taco seasoning
- 1 4 oz. can old el paso chilies chopped and drained
- 2 tablespoons juice from 1/2 lime
- 1 10 oz can old el paso green enchilada sauce
- 1/2 cup monterey jack cheese or cheddar mixed
- 2 boxes refrigerated pie crusts 2 per box
- Carbohydrate 50.7536250427761 g
- Cholesterol 169.108925848556 mg
- Fat 44.2444253762338 g
- Fiber 0.00787499964237213 g
- Protein 40.626226377952 g
- Saturated Fat 25.6354674796867 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (537g)
- Sodium 575.12443571412 mg
- Sugar 50.7457500431337 g
- Trans Fat 2.64207814987319 g
- Calories 758 calories
Step-by-step
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Brown the ground beef, then add onion and garlic to pan.
- When the onion is translucent, add the taco seasoning and green chiles.
- Stir in green enchilada sauce and cook 5 minutes to thicken sauce.
- Cool the filling to room temperature.
- Add the shredded cheese to the filling.
- Preheat the oven to 375° F.
- For football-shaped pies: Unroll one of the pie crusts.
- Using a 3 1/2 inch football cookie cutter (you can also use a pliable round cutter and bend it into the shape of a football), cut out 7 footballs from the crust. Repeat with the second crust. Reroll the dough scraps together and cut out 4 more footballs. Repeat with the second box of pie crust.
- Place about 2 tablespoons of the filling in the center of a football, then spread it out slightly to create an even layer of dough with a 1/4 inch border around all sides. Brush the egg wash around the outer edge of the football, then place a second dough football over top and press the edges down to seal them together. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough.
- Crimp the edges with a fork, then brush the tops with egg wash.
- Bake for 23-25 minutes until golden brown and delicious.
- For round pies: Unroll one of the pie crusts.
- Place tablespoons of the filling: 7 around the outer edges of the circle and 1 in the middle so there’s plenty of room to cut them all out without overlapping.
- Brush egg wash around the filling. Unroll the second pie crust and lay over top of the bottom crust.
- Lightly press the dough around each mound of filling. Using a 3-inch round cookie cutter, cut out circles of the dough with the filling in the middle of each pie. If you don’t get egg wash on the dough scraps, you can reroll them to get 2 more pies.
- Makes 16 footballs or 16-20 round pies depending if you re-roll the dough scraps of the round pies.
Unlike traditional hand pies that rely on pinched half-moon shapes, these themed empanadas require specific geometric manipulation of standard pastry dough. Standard empanadas typically originate from a folded circle, but stamping distinct athletic silhouettes demands careful cutter angling and scrap consolidation without overworking the fat. Working efficiently keeps the laminated layers cold, preventing the butter from rendering before the pastry hits the oven heat. Chill dough scraps briefly if they become pliable during the rerolling process.
Managing Filling Temperatures and Pastry Integrity
Hot beef filling melts cold butter in commercial pie crusts instantly, compromising structural integrity during baking. Cool the meat mixture completely to room temperature before portioning. Shredded Monterey Jack and cheddar cheeses added to warm meat will grease out, so temperature control remains paramount. Maintain a strict one-quarter inch border when spreading the filling to ensure proper contact between top and bottom dough layers.
- Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit until the exterior achieves a deep golden brown hue, typically requiring 23 to 25 minutes.
- Press tines of a fork firmly around the perimeter to mechanically bond the two crust layers alongside the egg wash adhesive.
- Store unbaked assembled pastries on parchment paper in a refrigerator for up to four hours before baking.
