When it comes to making homemade pizza, I have that whole fear of yeast thing going on. Disaster almost always strikes when yeast and I are combined, but I’m hoping to eventually overcome that at some point. Until that day comes, I choose to improvise with frozen puff pastry empanada dough. These flaky little beauties are so versatile, allowing you to stuff them with whatever “toppings” you happen to have on hand. And the best part? The whole kitchen isn’t covered with flour when I’m finished.
I recently made these pepperoni and mozzarella stuffed empanadas for B.O.B. Bob, as a Sunday night snack/dinner, and was surprised at how amazing they turned out. That’s putting it mildly actually. We scarfed those suckers down so fast; you would have thought we hadn’t eaten in days! And they were so insanely simple to make. I think the whole process took less than a half an hour, and that was including the time they spent in the oven. (Less time than delivery, and so much tastier!)
Microwaving the pepperoni between paper towels beforehand helps to eliminate some of the greasiness usually associated with pepperoni pizza, but if you enjoy grease dripping down your chin, feel free to skip this step in the recipe.
Sorry there are no ingredient measurements for this recipe, but you’ll find that each empanada will be a one of a kind beauty containing more or less ingredients. This is your chance to make the recipe your own. If you like lots of oozing cheese add more; however, if you prefer more meat, don’t be afraid to fill it up. Just make sure you don’t add so many ingredients that you are unable to seal the empanadas.
Ingredients:
- Thinly Sliced Pepperoni
- Thinly Sliced Fresh Mozzarella Cheese
- 1 Package Goya Puff Pastry Empanada Dough, Thawed (Blue Label)
- Tomato Sauce for Serving
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Arrange pepperoni slices on a plate covered with three paper towels, cover with three additional paper towels. Microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Pat the pepperoni with additional paper towels to soak up any additional oil.
- On half of each empanada round, place several slices of pepperoni and cheese, then fold the dough over into a half moon shape, and seal the edges with the tines of a fork.
- Place empanadas on a Silpat or parchment paper lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 15 to 25 minutes, depending on how golden or crispy you prefer your empanadas.
- Serve with tomato sauce.
Suggestions:
- Please note, the empanada rounds that I use come in a similar package, but have a blue label underneath the GOYA logo. I think they have a better texture than the ones that come in the red-labeled package. You can find them in the freezer section of your grocery store.
- Some of the cheese may ooze out of the empanadas during baking, this only makes them better.
- After 15 minutes of baking, check the empanadas every few minutes for doneness. You’ll be surprised how quickly they darken.
- You can make these empanadas ahead of time, and then freeze them for later use. You’ll just need to increase the baking time by 5 to 10 minutes.
- Try serving with Garden Tomato Sauce with Italian Sausage and Prosciutto or your own homemade tomato sauce.
Improvements:
- Add veggies; diced green peppers, olives, or sun-dried tomatoes would all work nicely as “toppings.”
- Add finely browned ground Italian sausage, diced ham, or thinly sliced prosciutto.
If you like this recipe, check out Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck’s Ham & Cheese Empanadas with Dijon Peach Sauce.
