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Spinach empanadas

Source of Recipe

by Mercyteapot, from Reader's Digest


List of Ingredients

2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
2½ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
4 ounces bacon
1/4 cup minced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (10 oz) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
8 ounces cottage cheese
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg



Recipe

Prep time: 1 hour
Chilling time: 30 minutes
Baking time: 12 minutes

Step 1: In a large bowl with mixer at medium speed, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Reduce speed to low and gradually beat in flour and 1½ teaspoons of the salt. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and knead lightly about 30 seconds. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate about 30 minutes.

Step 2: Meanwhile, cook bacon until crisp; reserve 1 tablespoon bacon drippings. Crumble cooked bacon into fine pieces; set aside. In a small pan over medium heat in reserved hot bacon drippings, cook onion until tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more. In a bowl, combine bacon, onion mixture, spinach, cottage cheese, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper, and nutmeg.

Step 3: Preheat oven to 450°F. On lightly floured surface with lightly floured rolling pin, roll dough to 1/8-inch thick. Cut into 3-inch circles using a biscuit cutter or glass dipped in flour. Place 1 teaspoon of the spinach filling on one half of a circle. Using your fingertip, moisten edge of circle with a little water. Fold dough over to form a semicircle; press edges with tines of a fork to seal. (Can be made ahead to this point. Place empanadas on a cookie sheet and freeze. When frozen, put empanadas into a plastic bag and seal.) Place raw or frozen empanadas on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden (about 15 minutes if frozen).

Makes about 5 dozen empanadas.

Per empanada: Calories 73, Saturated Fat 3 g, Total Fat 5 g, Protein 2 g, Carbohydrate 5 g, Fiber 0 g, Sodium 115 mg, Cholesterol 15 mg