Que sabor!

Jenny from @lunchboxmafia puts a new twist on a community classic.

As we celebrate Hispanic heritage, I wanted to share one of my family’s favorite recipes, Cuban sandwich empanadas! I surprised my friends with these one night for dinner, and they were a huge hit. All the ingredients, including the seasoning and sauce, are available at Publix.

Ingredients

For the filling:

1 cup slow roasted pork (see instructions)

1 cup diced deli ham

3/4 cup Swiss cheese

1/4 cup mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup diced dill pickles

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon pickle juice

Directions

For the slow roasted pork:

1 pound boneless pork ribs

1 cup citrus mojo sauce (I used the Iberia brand.)

2 tablespoons Sazon Completa seasoning

For the empanadas:

10 store-bought empanada discs. (See the freezer section of international food). Oil to fry or avocado spray to air-fry.

To prepare the slow roasted pork

1. Marinate the boneless ribs with the citrus mojo sauce for at least one hour.

2. Season the pork with Sazón Completa seasoning.

3. Slow cook the pork in a crockpot on the “high” setting for 4 hours.

4. Shred the cooked pork with a fork.

To make the empanadas

1. Combine mayo, mustard and pickle juice.

2. In a bowl, mix the mixture from step 1 with the meat, cheese and pickles until all ingredients are well combined.

3. Place 2 tablespoons of the mixture from Step 2 into the center of an empanada disc.

4. Fold your empanada in half, press the ends closed gently, and crimp the edges with a fork.

5. Fry in canola oil or air-fry. To air-fry: Spray your basket. Place empanadas into the basket in a single layer. Spray the empanadas. Bake at 350 for 5 minutes. Flip and spray the empanadas again. Bake another 5 minutes.

Serve these delicious empanadas alone for a snack, with chips and fruit for lunch, or with black beans and rice for dinner.

Follow me on Instagram @lunchboxmafia for more delicious recipes. Enjoy, Jenny xoxo