Recipe: grande beef empanadas

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef (80% to 85% lean)
• 1/4 cup raisins, chopped
• 1/4 cup chile sauce
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1 refrigerated pie crust (1/2 of 15-oz package)
• water
• TOPPINGS
• prepared salsa
• salsa con queso
• chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400°F. Heat large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot. Add ground beef; cook 8 to 10 minutes, breaking into small crumbles and stirring occasionally. Pour off drippings.
2. Stir in raisins, chile sauce, cumin, salt and pepper. Cook and stir 1 minute. Remove from heat.
3. Unfold pie crust; place on baking sheet. Spoon beef mixture evenly over 1/2 of dough, leaving 1-1/2-inch border around edge. Moisten edge of dough with water; fold pastry over filling. Press edges of dough together with fork to seal. Prick center of dough with fork once or twice to form steam vents.
4. Bake in 400°F oven 16 to 18 minutes or until pastry is golden brown. Serve with toppings, if desired.

Cooks Notes: Beef Empanada Appetizers: Increase refrigerated pie crusts to 3 or 1-1/2 (15-ounce) packages. Prepare ground beef filling as above. Roll out each pie crust to a 14-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Cut 10 circles from each crust with a 3-1/2-inch round cookie or biscuit cutter, spacing the cutouts closely. Spoon a generous tablespoon beef filling in center of each circle, leaving 1/4-inch border around edge. Moisten edge of dough with water; fold pastry over filling to form half-circle. Press edges together with fork to seal. Place on baking sheet. Bake in 400°F oven 14 to 16 minutes or until pastry is golden brown. Serve as above. Makes 30 appetizers.

NUTRITION INFORMATION
Nutrition information per serving: 507 calories; 27 g fat (11 g saturated fat; 6 g monounsaturated fat); 86 mg cholesterol; 9 mg sodium; 39 g carbohydrate; 0.6 g fiber; 26 g protein; 5.5 mg niacin; 0.4 mg vitamin B6; 2.4 mcg vitamin B12; 2.9 mg iron; 18.4 mcg selenium; 5.7 mg zinc.

This recipe is an excellent source of protein, niacin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, selenium and zinc; and a good source of iron.

Nutrition information per 1 appetizer: 131 calories; 7 g fat (3 g saturated fat; 1 g monounsaturated fat); 14 mg cholesterol; 173 mg sodium; 12 g carbohydrate; 0.1 g fiber; 4 g protein; 0.07 mg niacin; 0.1 mg vitamin B6; 0.3 mcg vitamin B12; 0.4 mg iron; 2.5 mcg selenium; 0.8 mg zinc.