Empanadas: How to Make 2 Kinds — Ham & Cheese + Beef Picadillo

Empanadas are essential to Latino cuisine, and (lucky us!) one of our favorite homecooks at Familia Kitchen is the queen of empanadas. In this mouthwatering how-to video, Michelle Ezratty Murphy of Arizona shows us how she makes her famosas empanadas in two different and totalmente delicioso flavors. Flavor 1: Jamon con queso or ham and cheese — with premade dough discs (easy!) Flavor 2: Savory ground beef picadillo — filled with her husband Pat’s Puerto Rican family recipe for picadillo (a little harder, but worth the effort, she says). We are in love with both kinds of empanadas here at Familia Kitchen, so gracias Queen Michelle.

We also love that she makes her legendary empanadas with pre-made dough discs from the grocery store frozen aisle. Here’s how Michelle makes her ham and cheese beauties: ”I use frozen dough discs, shredded Oaxaca cheese (or quesadilla cheese is fine), and sliced ham. From the deli counter or any kind you have in your fridge,” she says. For her beef picadillo empanadas, Michelle keeps things old-school and stuffs them with her husband’s traditional Puerto Rican family recipe for picadillo with ground beef, olives, achiote oil and other Boricua-style ingredients. No one can tell she uses pre-made empanada dough. Both types are a huge hit and not one is left uneaten, ever, reports Michelle.

Find more Puerto Rican recipes from Michelle here.