Chicken & Broccoli Empanadas

I apologize for not posting in a while! I've been subbing a lot, musical season is off to a great start, and Mike and my family were away for the weekend in Hidden Valley! 

But, I still had time to create my first "Andrea Homemade" recipe! It has been a goal of mine to create a recipe from scratch, and my first was an absolute hit!

I was watching Food Network the other day and I saw the recipe for apple empanadas. I loved the idea of using puff pastry filled with a delicious filling. Because I am constantly trying to find new chicken recipes, I decided to try and come up with my own! The cheesy, gooey filling of these is paired perfectly with a flaky, golden pastry. This is a must-try recipe!

Total Time: 50 minutes + Puff Pastry thawing time
Active Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes

Yield: 16 empanadas* (see note below)

Ingredients:

• 1 rotisserie chicken, shredded
  
• 1 package frozen chopped broccoli
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1/3 cup chicken broth
• 8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese, divided
• 2 boxes puff pastry (2 sheets each)
• 1 egg

Directions:

1. Thaw frozen puff pastry according to box instructions. (I set mine out about an hour, unrolled it on a lightly floured surface, and let it thaw another 15 minutes.)
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
3. Place broccoli in a microwave safe bowl with a lid. Add 2 Tablespoons of water over the frozen broccoli. Cook about 9 minutes. (I always cook my broccoli a few minutes longer than the package instructs. It never seems quite done!)
4. In a medium saucepan, melt butter. Add both soups and mix well. Mix in the chicken broth. Add 6 ounces of cheese and stir until melted. 
5. Drain broccoli. Add broccoli and chicken to the cheese sauce and stir to combine.
6. Roll out the thawed puff pastry on a lightly flour surface. Cut out 4 large circles (4 1/2 in.) in each sheet. Discard the scraps of pastry. On the bottom half of each circle add 2 heaping Tablespoons of filling. Top with a small sprinkle of cheddar cheese. 
7. Crack the egg into a small dish and whisk. Brush the edges of the puff pastries with the egg wash. Fold the pastries over the filling and seal gently. Crimp the edges with the prongs of a fork. Brush the tops with egg and cut 3 small vents in the tops. Sprinkle lightly with the remaining cheese. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
8. Bake for 20 minutes and enjoy!

*Note*

This recipe feeds 8, which I know is a lot! I made it this way so I didn't have to use half cans of soup. However, this recipe can easily be halved to fit your needs! You can also boil 2 medium chicken breasts and shred instead of using an entire rotisserie chicken.


Source:  Slice-of-Heaven