Happy Sunday! As you may have already seen on Instagram, I made these sweet potato empanadas last night to bring over to a friend’s house for their annual Friendsgiving (which, by the way, is an awesome tradition… two Thanksgiving feasts in one week? Umm, yes please.) and I think they were a hit! A little bit different, but still with those Thanksgiving flavors that everyone expects.
I searched high and low on every Harris Teeter shelf to find empanada dough, to no avail. I guess Harris Teeter just doesn’t give off that Mexican vibe. I settled on Pillsbury pie crust- 2 for $4! I think it still turned out ok- the crust was flaky and crispy- I just had to punch out my own circles. NBD.
For the filling, I used canned sweet potato, cream cheese, and a corn and black bean mixture that I sautéed with cilantro, onion and garlic. Crumbled goat cheese and walnut pieces on top! Then roll, crimp, and bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown and flaky.
- 1 package refrigerated pie crust (2 crusts), at room temperature
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 tbsp garlic
- 1/2 cup frozen corn
- 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1/4 cup cilantro
- 1/2 cup chopped spinach
- 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp lemon or lime juice
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 can sweet potato puree
- 4 oz. plain cream cheese spread
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp honey
- 1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese
- 1/4 cup crumbled walnut pieces (optional)
- 1 egg
- In a medium skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high. Add onion, garlic, and corn and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened- about 4 minutes. Add black beans, cilantro, and spinach and stir until wilted. Remove from heat and immediately stir in vinegar and lemon juice. Mash beans slightly with the back of your spoon.
- In a saucepan, heat butter over low heat. Add sweet potato, cream cheese, spices, and honey and stir to combine, until cheese is melted through.
- Add corn and bean mixture to sweet potatoes and mix.
- Unwrap pie crust and roll out with a rolling pin. Use the top of a large glass or a biscuit cutter to cut out circles 3″ in diameter. Fill each with about 1 tbsp filling, then fold over edges and crimp with fingers or a fork.
- Place on a cookie sheet and brush with egg wash (1 egg whisked with 1 tbsp water).
- Bake at 400 deg for 20 minutes, until golden brown and flaky.
- Makes about 12-15 medium sized empanadas (depending on size)
Enjoy your Mexican Thanksgiving!
Claire Tastes 
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