Spinach Ricotta and Corn Empanadas
Spinach Ricotta and Corn Empanadas are a perfect snack or a Side Dish that you can make when you got friends or guests at your place. Or maybe you are bored binging in front of the TV and you need some snack to munch on, try and make these Baked Spinach Empanadas. You will love them!
Spinach and Ricotta Empanadas are an excellent side dish that can be served with some healthy salad or you can enjoy these as a snack with some hot sauce. Have you tried my Spinach Ricotta Stuffed Shells in Alfredo Sauce
In case you want to make it Vegan just replace Whole Milk with Soy Milk. and Use vegan Butter and Vegan Ricotta Cheese.
And, if you want to make it Gluten-Free then use Gluten-Free Flour to make the Empanada Dough. So, with no further ado, let's quickly make Baked Spinach Ricotta Corn Empanadas.
Ingredients you need to Make Spinach Empanadas:
- Ingredients Needed for Empanada Dough: AP Flour, Whole Milk, Melted Butter, Baking Powder, and Salt.
- Ingredients Needed for Empanada Filling: Olive Oil, Onions, Garlic, Spinach, Ricotta, and Corn
- Egg Wash and Olive Oil: To Brush on the Empanadas.
How to Make Spinach Ricotta and Corn Empanadas?
- How to Make Empanada Dough: Make a dough using All Purpose Flour, Milk, Melted Butter, Baking Powder, and Salt. So, simply make a soft dough. Cover it and let it rest for about 15-minutes in the freezer or about 30-minutes in the refrigerator.
- How to Make Empanada Filling: In a pan heat some Olive Oil. As the Oil shimmers add chopped Onions and minced garlic. Sautee them over low heat until the garlic turns light golden brown & fragrant. Now add chopped Spinach. Stir on a low heat for about 2-3 minutes until the Spinach wilts but not loses its color.
- Add Ricotta Cheese along with Salt and Pepper. Stir well to combine. Lastly, add frozen Corn or fresh Corn and mix well.
- Make Empanadas: Now just roll the dough lightly and cut out a circle of about 4 -nches from it. Place the filling in the middle and seal the top edge of the Empanadas. Lastly, use a fork to crimp the edges of Empanadas and keep them in a baking tray.
- Brush Eggwash and Olive Oil: I prefer brushing egg wash and olive oil on my Empanadas. If you are making a vegan version, you can use Soy Milk, Olive Oil, and a pinch of Turmeric to get that bright golden yellow color.
- Bake Spinach Empanadas at 400°F for 20-minutes: If you want you can flip them over gently at about 12-13 minute mark for the other side to get done. And then enjoy.
What to Serve with these Spinach Empanadas?
- Any Dip of your choice: I would recommend this Cheesy Jalapeño Cheddar Spice Dip
- Any Sauce of your Choice: Spicy Chipotle Sauce, Balsalmic Chimchuri sauce, Avocado Sauce.
Other Variations of this recipe:
- Green peas: Along with Corn you can use Green Peas. Green Peas are super amazing when it comes to bringing in more flavors to your Baked Empanadas.
- Carrots: Along with Spinach you can always add some chopped Carrots to your Baked Empanada filling. Carrots bring in crunch and flavor to your Empanadas.
- Other Cheeses: Instead of Ricotta try using Monterey Jack or Mozzarella Cheese. Both are an excellent choice to pair with Spinach Empanadas.
Important Tips to Make Spinach and Ricotta Empanadas Perfectly:
- Chill the Empanada Dough: Chilling your Empanada dough is super important. You can either freeze it or refrigerate it. But do not over freeze it or else you might have a tuff time de-freezing it.
- Do Not Add Too Much filling: While stuffing the filling in your Empanadas, try to add less filling. If you add too much filling it will come out from the sides making it very difficult for you to shape.
Can I Use Frozen Spinach Instead of Fresh Spinach?
Yes, you can Use Frozen Spinach: I see no point in not using frozen spinach for this recipe. Indeed I would love the idea of using frozen spinach while making these Empanadas.
How to Cook Frozen Spinach?
When using frozen spinach, follow these steps and it will make things so easy for you.
- Heat a Pan: First Heat a pan and then add the frozen Spinach block to it. As soon as you place the block of frozen spinach you will see a lot of steam coming out. This is ok.
- Continue Stirring on Medium-Low Heat: Continue stirring your spinach on a low heat until it tenderizes and the frozen block breaks down.
- Strain the Liquid: Keep a colander into a sink. Once your spinach is defrosted pour it into a colander. Squeeze as much water as possible using a spoon or a spatula.
And, now your Frozen Spinach is absolutely ready for use.
Can I Freeze my Empanadas?
Since there are cheese and milk involved I would personally NOT recommend freezing these Empanadas because milk products don't stay fresh for long.
It is best if you eat it in a day. But before eating reheat it at 350F for at least 5-7 minutes.
Other Recipes you can try:
- Parmesan Cauliflower Spinach Pasta
- Cheesy Spinach Dip Puff Bites
- Best Spinach Soup Recipe with Crispy Garlic Croutons
- Indian Spiced Spinach Chicken
If you are making this recipe then please leave a rating below. Also, take a snap and share it on Instagram with #recipemagik and tag @recipemagik.
Spinach Ricotta and Corn Empanadas
Ingredients
Empanada Dough
- 2 Cup All-Purpose Flour
- ⅔ Cup Whole Milk
- ½ Cup Melted Butter 7-8 Tablespoons
- 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
- ½ Teaspoon Salt
Spinach Ricotta Corn Empanada Filling
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 2 Medium-sized Onions finely chopped
- 4 Cloves Garlic minced (about 2-3 Teaspoons)
- 10 Oz Spinach chopped
- 1¼ Cup Ricotta Cheese 300-350 grams
- Salt and Pepper As Per Taste
- ½ cup Frozen Corn
- Eggwash and Olive Oil to Brush on the Empanadas
Instructions
- In a Large Bowl combine Flour, Milk, Melted Butter, Salt, and Baking Powder to make a soft dough. I prefer using my hands to make the dough so that I am in control of the texture of the dough. Once the dough is ready, cover with a lid or a plastic wrap and allow it to rest in the freezer for 15-minutes or in the refrigerator for 30-minutes.
- In a skillet heat some olive oil. As the oil shimmers add chopped onions and minced garlic. Saute this over low heat until the garlic turns light golden brown. Now add Spinach and saute this over a low flame until it wilts but not loses its color. This takes about 2-3 minutes.Finally add Ricotta Cheese, Salt, and Pepper. Mix well using a spatula to combine.Lastly, add corn and mix well.
- Flour the surface, and roll a small portion of the dough. Use a circular bowl and invert it on the rolled dough to cut out a perfectly circular shaped dough.
- Now add the filling in the center and seal the edges. Crimp the edges using a fork. Place them on a baking sheet. Preheat oven to 350F or 180C.
- Finally, brush a mixture of Eggwash and Olive Oil on the Empanadas and Bake them at 350F for 20-minutes. If you want you can gently flip them over at the 12-13 minute mark so that the other side turns golden brown as well. Once done, enjoy.
Video
Notes
- To make Eggwash mix 1 Whole Egg with 1 Tablespoon of Water.
- To know how to make with frozen Corn read the blog post.
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