Make Ahead

Sweet Potato Empanadas

by:
October  2, 2012
4.5
4 Ratings
  • Makes 20
Author Notes

A couple of years ago, I was asked to prepare a few dishes for a holiday-themed photoshoot for Baltimore Magazine. I was on an empanada kick then, and thought that my spicy sweet potato and bacon casserole (http://www.food52.com/recipes...) could become a nice fall-ish filling. They are certainly a pretty orange color! —theminx

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Ingredients
  • 2 large sweet potatoes
  • 2 tablespoons diced onion
  • olive oil
  • salt
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon chopped scallion
  • 2 slices bacon, cooked until crisp and crumbled
  • 2 packages of Goya empanada shells, "discos"
  • 1 egg
Directions
  1. Scrub sweet potatoes and prick all over with a knife or fork. Place on microwave safe plate and microwave on high for 15 minutes until the potatoes are very soft. Remove from microwave and set aside to cool.
  2. Sauté onion in a bit of olive oil and a pinch of salt until softened.
  3. When potatoes are cool enough to handle, scoop flesh into a bowl. Add cream, chipotle, brown sugar, and cinnamon, stirring well to combine. Stir in scallions, cooked onion, and bacon. Refrigerate until ready to use.
  4. Preheat oven to 350F. Remove discos from packaging. Place a scant tablespoon of sweet potato filling in the center of each. Fold ends over to form a half-moon, and crimp closed with the tines of a fork. Place empanadas on a nonstick cookie sheet.
  5. Beat egg with a teaspoon of water and brush onto tops of pastries.
  6. Bake for 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve hot or at room temperature.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

3 Reviews

Albickoff November 20, 2012
Can I make these ahead of time and then bake them off before I serve them? If so, how far ahead?
theminx November 21, 2012
I've never done that, but it would probably be fine if you made them the day before. Any longer than that, and I'd worry that the pastry might absorb too much moisture from the filling.
Skylor P. October 2, 2012
when you bring bacon and sweet potatoes together, anything can happen. I really believe that. YUM.