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beef and olive empanadas

Gabe's Beef and Olive Empanadas

My boyfriend Gabe's secret recipe for empanadas filled with savory beef, briny salty olives, fluffy potatoes, perfectly melty cheese, and seasoned with adobo, sazon and sofrito.
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Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Course Appetizer
Servings 30 empanadas

Ingredients
  

For the beef filling

  • 1 bell pepper, finely diced
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 lb potatoes, peeled and cut into small pieces
  • 1 large onion, finely diced
  • 1 1/2 lb ground beef
  • 1 cup spanish olives, diced
  • 1/2 cup plain tomato sauce
  • 1/2 cup red sofrito
  • 1/2 tbsp oregano
  • 1/2 tbsp cumin
  • 1/2 tbsp adobo seasoning
  • 1 packets sazon seasoning
  • 1/4 tsp chilli powder (to taste)
  • olive oil
  • salt and pepper

For forming the empanadas

  • 30 empanada discs (can be found in the frozen section of the grocery store)
  • 2 8 oz bricks cheddar or monterey jack cheese, thinly sliced
  • 1 egg, beaten for egg wash

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350. Set a pot of salted water over high heat.
  • In a large pan or wok over medium heat, saute peppers and onions until just beginning to brown, 5 minutes. Add garlic and saute one minute more.
  • Add ground beef, oregano, cumin adobo, sazon, and chili powder. Cook, breaking beef up into small pieces, until beef is cooked through.
  • While the beef is cooking, boil the potatoes in the water until potatoes are fork tender, then drain and set aside.
  • Add tomato sauce and sofrito to ground beef mixture. Cook until the sauces have incorporated and thickened, 5-10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper as needed. 
  • Remove filling from heat. Mix in boiled potatoes and chopped olives. Allow to cool slightly before stuffing empanadas.
  • Stuff empanadas. On a floured work surface, lay out one disc of empanada dough. On one side of the dough, lay out a slice of cheese and then mound 2-3 tablespoons of filling. Fold the other side of the dough over into a half moon shape, pressing edges to seal. Using the tongs of a fork dusted in flour, press down along the edges. Repeat with remaining empanada discs.
  • Brush empanadas with beaten egg. Bake on 350 for 20-25 minutes until crusts are golden.