Cheesy Chicken Empanadas

Continuing onto the Mexican finger food fix I've been in lately, I made these awesome empanadas, courtesy of Kraft Foods. 

It was a little involved so I didn't think of taking "during" pictures.

I happened to have shredded chicken from a rotesserie chicken, so this recipe worked out for me.  The sweet from the pie dough made a nice match with the savory chicken and cheese and spicy chili powder.

Cheesy Chicken Empanadas
from Kraft Recipes

2 c shredded cooked chicken
1 c shredded cheese
1/3 c chipotle flavored mayonaisse
2 tbsp fresh cilantro
1 egg
1 tbsp water
1 pkg of ready-to-use refridgerated pie crusts (get a pkg with 2 crusts)
1 tsp chili powder (I actually used more)

Heat the oven to 375F.

Combine the chicken, cheese, mayonaisse and cilantro.  Then whisk the egg and water together.

Unroll the pir crusts on a lightly floured surface.  Flatten each crust to about 12 inches using a rolling pin.  With a biscuit cutter (I actually used a jar lid), cut out about 4 inch circles in the dough.  You'll have to reflatten the dough at some point.  Place the circles on a lined baking sheet.  Spoon some of the chicken mixture into the center of each circle.  Brush the edge of the circle with the egg wash.  Fold the filled circles in half, pressing them slightly to release any excess air and seal the edges with a fork.  Brush the tops with the remaining egg wash and sprinkle them with chili powder.

Bake for 15 minutes or until they're golden brown.

And this is the Kraft version.  Looks much better.

Stay classy,
Heidi