Empanadas (Chicken Pot Pie Turnovers)

Empanadas (Chicken Pot Pie Turnovers)

Country of origin: Argentina

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup frozen peas
1 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken (from rotisserie chicken)
1/2 cup prepared chicken or turkey gravy
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 ¼ cup flour

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup butter (or margarine, or shortening)
¼ cup ice water

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add the onion, garlic and pepper flakes. Saute until just tender, about 4 minutes. Add the carrots and peas and saute another 4 to 5 minutes, or until the peas are thawed. Add the chicken and saute until just heated through, about 3 minutes. Add the gravy and bring to a simmer. Add the cheese and stir until melted. Season with salt and pepper. To prepare the pastry, stir together flour and salt. Cut in the butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Slowly stir in ice water until it can be kneaded and rolled out. May not need all the water. Divide the dough in half, refrigerate the remaining half while you roll out the dough, very thin. Cut rounds using a biscuit cutter or a drinking glass. Lay aside dough remnants. Roll out and cut the refrigerated dough, setting aside the remnants from cutting dough. (The only reason you lay the remnants aside is to avoid add as much flour to the dough by repeatedly rolling out and re-rolling out the same piece of dough.) Gather the remnants, knead and roll out again, cutting more rounds.  Place half the rounds on a cookie sheet.  Place about 1/4 cup of meat filling in the center of each round. Pick up each round of dough, quickly moisten the dough and place over the meat filled round. Lightly press to seal, press edges lightly with a fork all the way around to close. Bake at 350 degrees 10-15 minutes until brown.

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