Chicken and Cheese Empanadas

Notes: You can make the filling for these appetizer pastries (through step 2) up to 1 day before using; cover and chill. You can make the empanadas up to 1 day before serving; let cool, wrap airtight, and chill. Unwrap and reheat on a baking sheet in a 325° oven for 20 minutes.

Yield: Makes 6 or 8 empanadas

Ingredients

• 1 1/2  cups  coarsely chopped cooked boned, skinned chicken
• 1/2  cup  shredded Swiss cheese
• 2  tablespoons  drained chopped pimientos (2-oz. jar) or chopped roasted red peppers
• 2  tablespoons  minced onion
• 1/2  teaspoon  pepper
• 1/2  cup  fat-skimmed chicken broth
• 1  tablespoon  cornstarch
• 1  package (3 oz.) cream cheese, cut into small chunks
• Salt
• 2  packages (10 oz. each) refrigerated pizza crust dough
• 1  large egg

Preparation

1. In a bowl, mix chicken with Swiss cheese, pimientos, onion, and pepper.

2. In a 1 1/2- to 2-quart pan, mix broth with cornstarch. Add cream cheese. Whisk over high heat until mixture is boiling (it will be very thick), 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape over chicken mixture and combine well, adding salt to taste.

3. On a lightly floured board, unroll pizza crust dough. Cut each rectangle crosswise into thirds, for six empanadas, or quarters, for eight pastries. On one end of each piece of dough, mound about 5 tablespoons chicken mixture if making six pastries, about 3 tablespoons for eight. Fold other end of dough over filling to form a rectangle, then fold edges together and pinch to seal.

4. Gently place empanadas, slightly apart, on an oiled 12- by 15-inch baking sheet (you'll need two for eight pastries). In a small bowl, beat egg to blend. Brush generously over each pastry.

5. Bake in a 375° regular or convection oven until empanadas are very richly browned, 22 to 25 minutes (10 to 12 in convection oven). Transfer to a rack and let cool at least 10 minutes. Serve hot or warm.

Nutritional analysis per empanada.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

295 (28% from fat)

Protein:

19g

Fat:

9.1g (sat 4)

Carbohydrate:

35g

Fiber:

1.1g

Sodium:

773mg

Cholesterol:

67mg