When you’re looking for a nice bite of soul food that you can easily hold in your hand, then my Soul Food Fried Empanadas is exactly what you want, trust me. It’s the perfect combination of what I enjoy most when it comes to food for the soul, which is collard greens, mac and cheese, and fried or smoked chicken all mixed together and stuffed inside a nice crispy pastry. With the added seasoning of Sylvia’s Great! Greens Seasoning to take that flavor to the next level, this simple dish is a home run!
How to make the best Soul Food Empanadas
Now, when it comes to my Soulfood Empanada’s there are a few things that you need to keep in mind to ensure that they come out perfectly.
- Make sure that the Mac & Cheese is nice and creamy. I like to use left over mac and cheese when making this, so if you happen to have Mac and cheese casserole just remember the cheesier the better. So warm it up and add a little more cheese and just a touch milk to loosen it up and allow it to have a good pull.
- For the meat you can use shredded chicken, turkey, or even ham. When I don’t have any chicken already made, I don’t mind buying a rotisserie chicken and just pulling that apart. Whatever makes your life easier, go for it!
What Empanada Dough should I use?
Okay, I’m just going to keep it real with you guys. Sometimes, I make my dough from scratch. That’s usually when I’m in the mood, and I have time. When it’s not one of those days, I have no problem grabbing a pack of already made empanada dough rounds from the freezer section at my local grocery store. In all honesty, I really can’t tell the difference. So it’s completely up to you.
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Soul Food Fried Empanadas
Ingredients
2c Creamy Mac and Cheese
2c Shredded Rotisserie or Smoked Chicken
2c Cooked Collard Greens
1.5tbs Sylvia’s Great! Greens Seasoning
6in Round Empanada Dough
Instructions
In a large bowl, mix Creamy Mac and Cheese, Shredded Chicken, Cooked Collard Greens, and Sylvia’s Great! Greens Seasoning.
Roll out your empanada dough to about 6 inches.
Place a good helping of your mixture (about a 1/2c) into the center of the dough.
Fold dough in half, and seal the open edges by using a fork to press them close.
Fry each empanada in 375-400 degrees until they are golden brown.
Sprinkle a little bit of Sylvia’s Great! Greens Seasoning on top of empanada.
Let cook for about 5 minutes, then serve.
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