Salsa Verde Aussie Grassfed Ground Beef Empanadas

In partnership with Aussie Grassfed Beef!

If you have hung out in my kitchen you have definitely enjoyed my tomatillo salsa verde! Many say it is my signature dish! I must say, I have won a few contests with A Merry Recipe Salsa Verde because it is perfectly balanced in heat and acid. Why even Rachael Ray has tasted it and loved it!

When I brainstormed game day dishes I thought of Aussie Grassfed Ground Beef. I love the flavor of Aussie grassfed beef plus how versatile it is. A ground beef and salsa verde filling for egg rolls sounded fun and tasty. OH MY goodness the egg rolls were amazing....but alas the photo was not great and we ran out the door as the sun was going down. Not the perfect photo shoot experience.

The next morning, I was eager to eat more Salsa Verde Aussie Grassfed Ground Beef. I asked myself how could make a showy appetizer but with the same filling! Empanadas came to mind and oh my goodness...AGAIN....my family went a bit cra-cra over this tasty snack. I baked 3 batches and they kept eating! Touchdown!

Where to buy Aussie Grassfed Beef: CLICK!

SALSA VERDE AUSSIE GRASSFED GROUND BEEF EMPANADAS

A MERRY RECIPE SALSA VERDE

Ingredients:

12 ounces tomatillos, peeled (about 3 cups)

1 cup cilantro, stems okay

3 garlic cloves

3 green onions

1 jalapeÃ±os or 1/2 Serrano if you like it hot

1 poblano pepper, charred, scrape skin, remove stems and seeds

1 teaspoon salt

Instructions:

Place all ingredients into a food processor and blend until salsa consistency. Occasionally, the salsa needs a little lime juice or agave syrup dependent on the flavor of the tomatillos. I did not use lime nor agave in my recipe this time.

SALSA VERDE AUSSIE GRASSFED GROUND BEEF FILLING

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 cup fresh corn, optional

1/2 medium onion, chopped

1/2 cup poblano pepper, chopped

1 pound Aussie Grassfed Ground Beef

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon ground cumin, if desired, add more

1/2 to 1 cup A Merry Recipe Salsa Verde

4 ounces pepper jack or Monterey Jack Cheese, shredded

3 (14 oz) refrigerated pie crusts, cut with cookie cutter 4 or 5-inch football shapes or desired shape

1 egg plus 1 tablespoon water, whisked

cream cheese for piping

Instructions:

Heat oven to 350*F.

Over medium-high heat, combine canola oil and corn and roast for about 4 minutes. Adjust heat to medium and add the onion and poblano pepper. Sauté until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Adjust heat to medium-high and add ground beef, salt, and cumin. Break up the meat with a spatula, and cook until beef has browned.

Add desired amount of Salsa Verde dependent on fattiness of ground meat. Aussie Grassfed Beef is super lean so I add 1 cup of salsa verde. Stir in cheese until melted. Set filling aside until slightly cooled.

On a lightly floured surface, roll one pie crust into a 14-inch circle. Using a cookie cutter, cut as many footballs as possible. (I cut 9 from each crust). Repeat and cut remaining crusts.

Moisten edge of each foot all with egg wash and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Place 1 heaping tablespoon of filling in the center of each football. Slightly stretch top crust over bottom crust and crimp with a fork around the edges. Brush the top of each empanada with egg wash. Make a horizontal slice on top of the football to vent steam. Bake 20 minutes or until light golden brown. Once slightly cooled pipe cream cheese laces on top of the crust to resemble a football. Serve with additional salsa verde.

Yields: 27 empanadas (Make as many as you need and use the rest of the filling for a different dish...like my Salsa Verde Aussie Grassfed Ground Beef Topping for Scrambled Egg Flatbread!

MAKE-AHEAD TIP:

Freeze or refrigerate unbaked empanadas for 3 days. Bake on the day of the game. Make a fresh batch of salsa verde for game day as the salsa verde does not store well....not even overnight...promise! Fresh is BEST!

The unbaked empanadas can be stored in the freezer for 2 weeks. If you are unable to serve fresh salsa verde then feel free to serve with store bought red salsa.