100th Post: Steak and Sweet Potato Empanadas

Wow, a year really goes by fast.  I can't believe I started this blog last February and that one year later I'm on my 100th post.  I want to thank everyone who has read my blog, commented, shared, or otherwise been a part of this journey.  I hope that you continue to enjoy the recipes that are still to come.

Today's recipe really hits both the cheap and easy portions of the blog.  While it may not be entirely traditional it is incredibly versatile.  I used diced sweet potato and beef.  If you don't have that on hand, scour the fridge: taco meat, shredded chicken, roasted veggies, anything with tomato sauce (boom calzones), chicken or tuna salad.  The only other ingredient you need is a package of thin crust pizza dough.  Plus, these are baked instead of fried and still turn a lovely golden, crispy brown.

P.S. It may seem like a lot of steps, but if you have the filling leftover from something you can skip to the stuffing phase which will cut down prep time considerably.

You will need:
1 pound steak, cut into small cubes
1/2 large sweet potato diced into small cubes
~1cup chunky medium salsa
1 container Pillsbury thin crust pizza dough
Cheese if desired
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Powder
Adobo Chile Powder (or regular chile powder)
Cumin
Paprika

You can really use your choice of beef here.  I had some Omaha steaks that weren't being used so I cut those up, but a more economical route would be flank or skirt steak.  You can also use ground beef but you will likely need to drain the grease from it (we'll get there).  Whatever your choice of meat, start by seasoning it liberally with salt, pepper, and at least a teaspoon of garlic powder, chili powder, and paprika and a half teaspoon of cumin.  Set aside.

Start by sauteing your diced sweet potatoes in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add a sprinkle of salt and pepper and cook for 10 minutes. Add a forth to half cup of salsa and continue cooking until desired tenderness.  5-10 more minutes.  (I stopped mine when they were mostly soft with just a little bite).  Move the sweet potatoes into a bowl.

In the same pan add the steak and cook until just browned on all sides.  At this point, if you have a good bit of grease, drain some of it out.  Add the sweet potatoes back in and another half cup of salsa, or a bit more if it seems too dry. Cook until the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes and then remove from heat.

While that cools, prepare the pizza dough.  Preaheat the oven to 400 degrees. Roll it out on a greased foil lined cookie sheet and cut into 8 squares.  To wrap each empanada: I moved the squares to a plate and stretched them slightly, filled each with 2-4 teaspoons of filling and a bit of cheese, crimped the edges, and moved back to the baking sheet.  After the empanadas were done I poked a hole in them with a fork and sprinkled a bit more pepper and paprika on the top.  Cook for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.

Makes 8 empanadas