Empanadas with Sweet Potato, Beans and Goat Cheese

These Empanadas with Sweet Potato, Beans and Goat Cheese came about when I was challenged to make empanadas for a friend. I was a little daunted, so of course I did a lot of research. While empanadas vary widely in terms of what’s in them and how they’re made and cooked (depending on who’s making them), the bottom line is, they’re definitely Dirty Laundry Kitchen food. In terms of their origin, empanadas are all about using up leftovers as filling and having a hot delicious snack- two things I’m passionate about doing. When beans or meats started to get old and dry, people would add other ingredients and moisture along with lots of spices and made a tasty filling that no longer looked beautiful and appetizing. But by stuffing it into a gorgeous pastry and either baking or frying them, they become something new and wonderful unto themselves. Empanadas, the gorgeous little South American pies. I didn’t have any meat to use up when I set out to master empanadas, so I settled on a veggie filling with goat cheese. I had some sweet potatoes in the veggie drawer that had seen better days lying around and the rest was history. The good news was, it turned out that empanadas weren’t nearly as difficult as I worried about and they were oh so good. These Empanadas with Sweet Potato, Beans and Goat Cheese are perfect with a glass of red wine or a special cocktail.

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Sweet Potato Goat Cheese Filling

Empanadas with Sweet Potato, Black Bean and Goat Cheese Filling for a Latin appetizer are savory with a flaky, crust.

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time1 hour hr

Total Time1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Author: Barrett Bridenhagen

Ingredients

• 1 ½ pounds sweet potatoes
• 1 cup sweet onions
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
• 1 tablespoon cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup white wine
• 1 cup black beans
• 1 teaspoon amchur powder
• 4 ounces goat cheese
• cayenne pepper to taste

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400° F. Roast the sweet potatoes until very soft (about 60 minutes).
• When cool enough to handle, peel off skins and discard. Mash the potatoes with a fork.
• Meanwhile, dice the onions. Sauté in olive oil. When softened, add the white wine and cook until it’s completely evaporated. Add the cumin seeds and powder, salt, amchur powder (or lemon juice) and sauté a minute or two more.
• Remove to a large bowl. Add the black beans and the sweet potato. Let cool to room temperature.
• Add the goat cheese. Fold gently. Season to taste with salt and cayenne. If you want to make this a day ahead, it stores well.

Notes

Makes 30 empanadas 3 - 4 inches long.