1/3cupchipotle sauce or 4 chipotles in adobo saucefinely chopped
2/3cuptomato sauce
1cupMexican cheese blend
1package puff pastry or homemade Empanada dough
1eggbeaten
1large avocadopeeled, pit removed
1/2cupMexican Crema
1/4cupfresh cilantrochopped
1teaspoongrated lime zest
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375° and prepare a baking sheet with cooking spray or line with parchment paper.
In a large skillet over medium high heat, cook the onion in olive oil until soft.
Add the chicken and cook until no longer pink.
Season with salt and pepper. Add the chipotle sauce and tomato sauce and simmer for 5 minutes or until the sauce is thicker.
Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
Unfold the puff pastry sheets. Cut 3 inch circles from the dough.
Place spoonfuls of filling into the center of the empanada discs and add some cheese.
Wet all around the edge of the pastry circle. Fold over and seal the edges by crimping with a fork.
Brush empanadas with beaten egg.
Place the empanadas on the cookie sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.
While baking, make the avocado dipping sauce.
Mash the avocado in a bowl and add remaining ingredients, stirring until smooth.
Serve with the empanadas. Enjoy!
Notes
You can also substitute pie crust, however it may not result in the flaky crust that puff pastry is known for.
Spray the baking sheet with nonstick spray or line with parchment paper.
Keep the puff pastry covered with a slightly damp towel as you are working to keep the dough from drying out.
You can use the extra dough after you cut out the empanadas, just roll it back out and cut more circles.
Along with the lime zest, you can also squeeze a little bit of lime juice into the avocado sauce.
You can also serve these with salsa or sour cream - Salsa verde would be tasty!
If you prefer a spicier empanada you can add chili powder or extra chipotle sauce to your filling.
If you want a creamier filling, you could replace half of the Mexican blend cheese with cream cheese. Simply stir it into the empanada filling after it has cooled a bit.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.