Breakfast Empanadas With Bacon and Eggs

Prep: 90 mins

Cook: 30 mins

Total: 2 hrs

Servings: 8 servings

For those of us who tend to eat breakfast on the go, breakfast empanadas are an excellent option. Empanadas can be made ahead on the weekend when there’s more time to cook a large breakfast. Set aside some extra bacon and eggs for the empanadas, which can be baked, cooled, and then frozen. Empanadas reheat well in the microwave on a busy weekday morning.

Breakfast empanadas don’t have to be filled with bacon and eggs. Traditional fillings like chicken and beef are also delicious, or you can make vegetarian empanadas with beans, vegetables, and/or cheese fillings.

Ingredients

• 1/2 recipe empanada dough

• 2 tablespoons butter

• 8 large eggs

• 1/4 cup milk

• 8 pieces bacon

• 1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese

• 8 ounces cream cheese

• 3 scallions, finely chopped

• Salt, to taste

• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

• 1 large egg (for egg wash)

Steps to Make It

1. Prepare the empanada dough and let the dough rest in the refrigerator for at least one hour (overnight is best).

2. Cook the bacon until crispy and drain on paper towels. Crumble the bacon roughly.

3. Whisk the eggs with the milk and season with salt and pepper.

4. Melt the butter over medium heat in a nonstick skillet. Add the chopped scallions and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until soft.

5. Pour in the eggs and cook, stirring, until well scrambled and just cooked. Stir in the cream cheese just before removing eggs from heat. The cheese does not have to be mixed in well.

6. Preheat oven to 375 F.

7. Roll out the empanada dough and cut into 8 6-inch circles of dough. Let circles rest for 5 minutes.

8. Place spoonfuls of the egg mixture in the middle of each dough circle, dividing the mixture evenly between the empanadas. Sprinkle some crumbled bacon and grated pepper jack cheese on top of the egg mixture, dividing the cheese and bacon evenly between the 8 empanadas.

9. Fold and seal the empanadas (see how to make empanadas for step-by-step instructions on shaping empanadas).

10. Place empanadas on a baking sheet. Whisk an egg with a tablespoon of water, and brush empanadas carefully with the egg wash.

11. Bake empanadas for 25 to 30 minutes, or until puffed and golden brown.

12. Remove from oven and let cool. Empanadas can be wrapped well and frozen. Thaw empanadas and reheat in the oven or microwave.