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Ham and Cheese Empanadas

Ham and Cheese Empanadas are a great make-ahead appetizer, side or snack for any big event. Whether you're the host of the family gathering this weekend or bringing something for the potluck, these buttery, flaky empanadas filled with tender ham cubes and cheese that melted will delight everyone. The best thing about this is you can make it ahead, freeze the uncooked empanadas and then bake them when the guests and family arrive. The pastry crust recipe was inspired by the Memories of Philippine Kitchens Cookbook by Amy Besa and Romy Dorotan. The ham-cheese filling is an Asian In America recipe. Makes about 18 empanadas.
Prep Time1 day
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time1 day 30 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Side Dish, Snacks
Cuisine: American, Asian, Filipino
Keyword: Filipino Ham Cheese Empanadas
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 384kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour for pastry
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled, straight from the refrigerator, cut into small pieces
  • 1 whole large egg chilled, beaten
  • 4 Tablespoons iced water or more as needed, for pastry
  • 1 1/2 cups cubed cooked ham, for filling
  • 2 whole large potatoes peeled, cubed
  • 1 whole medium-sized white or yellow onion, chopped
  • 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper powder
  • 1 whole egg, beaten, for egg wash
  • 2 Tablespoons milk, for egg wash

Instructions

  • To make the pastry dough: Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl. Cut the butter into the flour using a pastry blender until the texture resembles coarse meal with visible bits of butter. Stir the egg into the flour mixture and pulse in a food processor until all ingredients are incorporated. Add ice water, 1/2 tablespoon at a time, stirring after each addition.
  • Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and pat into a disk about 1/2 inch thick. Wrap the disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.
  • To make the filling: In a medium skillet, saute onions till transparent. Add cubed potatoes and cook for about 8 minutes.
  • Add the cubed ham to the potatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from fire and set aside.
  • On a floured surface, roll out the pastry dough to about 1/8 inch thickness.
  • With a round cookie cutter measuring about 4 inches in diameter, cut circles from the pastry dough.
  • Fill half of it with the ham and potato filling. Top with half a teaspoon of grated cheese.
  • Brush egg wash on the inside edges. Fold dough into a half circle and seal with a fork.
  • Place empanadas on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Brush empanadas with egg wash consisting of one beaten egg and 2 tablespoons of milk.
  • In a preheated oven of 375 degrees, bake empanadas for 20 minutes. When done, cool on counter.
  • Cook's Comments: If it is more convenient, use store-bought pastry dough. If it helps, you can use an empanada dough shaper/cutter for this recipe. I got mine from Amazon and it saves me the effort of cutting the dough with a cookie cutter.
  • Cooking Tip: If you don't have time to bake a whole ham, try using ham slices from the supermarket deli. They'll be just as good for this empanada recipe.

Nutrition

Serving: 100grams | Calories: 384kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 61mg | Sodium: 680mg | Potassium: 78mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 681IU | Calcium: 122mg | Iron: 2mg