Spice Islands Butternut Squash Empanadas Recipe

Spice Islands teams up with Taste Buds Kitchen as their Official Spice Partner in a year-long program that includes thousands of cooking classes, workshops and special events nationwide from May 2018 through May 2019.  During the classes instructors guide participants in amazing ways to cook with spices to enhance meals for the whole family. Cooking classes using Spice Islands will inspire people to turn to spices when creating recipes to make them more interesting and flavorful. For more information including the upcoming schedule and to register for Taste Buds Kitchen cooking classes featuring Spice Islands premium spices, visit their website.

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Spice Islands Butternut Squash Empanadas Recipe
* Recipe makes 12.

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornmeal
1 tbsp. Spice Islands® Dried Oregano
2 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. Spice Islands® Paprika
2 tsp. Spice Islands® Salt
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, cold
2 eggs
1/2 cup water (more or less as needed)

Filling

7 oz. butternut squash, roasted and mashed
2 tbsp. frozen corn
1/4 red bell pepper, diced
1/4 onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 oz. cheddar cheese, grated
1/4 vegetable stock
2 tbsp. olive oil
1/4 Spice Islands® Garlic Powder
1 tsp. Spice Islands® Cumin
Pinch Spice Islands® Salt and Pepper

Egg Wash

1 Egg
2 tbsp. water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients for the dough; flour, cornmeal, Spice Islands Oregano, sugar, Spice Islands Paprika and Spice Islands Salt. Cut butter in and mix until if forms pea size pieces. Then add eggs, mixing one at a time. If mixture is dry, add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and mix until it just comes together as a dough that forms a ball and is not sticky to the touch. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator for a minimum of 30 minutes.

While the dough chills, make the filling. Saute onion and red pepper until soft, then add minced garlic until fragrant. Add to a medium mixing bowl with mashed butternut squash, corn, grated cheddar cheese, vegetable stock, olive oil, Spice Islands garlic powder, Spice Islands Cumin and Spice Islands Garlic Powder, Spice Islands Salt and Pepper. Mix thoroughly until combined.

Once dough is chilled, cut into individual portions, about 1.7 oz. each. Roll out the dough portions between 2 pieces of parchment paper about ¼” thick, into 4: circles. Then place a heaping spoonful of butternut squash filling into the middle of each round (be very generous with the filling). Fold dough circle in half, over the filling and seal with fork.

Place on prepared baking sheet and brush each empanada with egg wash (egg and water whisked together). Bake for 15 – 20 minutes until golden brown. Let cool slightly before serving.

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