arrachera_empanadas-beef_hand_pies
Even though I’m a food blogger and recipe developer there are nights when I’m staring in my fridge trying to figure out what to make for dinner. It happens to the best of us. Sometimes I get crazy busy and before I know it, its time to make dinner, and I don’t have a plan.

As a Latina and a foodie I have been a huge fan of Chef Marcela and when I heard she had her own line of products I was very intrigued. To be completely honest, I was a little hesitant at first thinking, “How can you possibly package the flavors of Mexico?”

Thanks to Safeway they sent me a lovely care package containing some of her new products. I immediately tore into the tortilla chips, because honestly I can never resist a bag of chips. They were crunchy and flavorful and I ate the entire bag of chips with avocado and tomatillo salsa. Naughty, I know.

The next evening I tore into the salsa verde chips. They were yummy, but not as good as the tortilla chips in my opinion. I like a simple chip and the salsa verde chips had a little too much flavoring for my taste buds. I still ate the entire bag, I’m not gonna lie.

The flour tortillas disappeared in a couple of days with my kiddos. They loved them! My daughter even said they tasted homemade, which is a huge compliment coming from my li’l tortilla connoisseur.

marcela_valladolid-arrachera-tortillas

Finally I got to the good stuff – Ready-to-cook meats! This is genius! It’s like having a carnicería (Mexican meat market) at Safeway. My nearest carnicería is about 30 miles always, so having Safeway nearby with packaged marinated meats is going to be pretty darn convenient.

arrachera-steak

These empanadas are made with arrachera, which is a thinly cut flank steak rubbed with a bright blend of lemon, lime, oregano, rosemary, and thyme. All the hard work was done. All I had to do was open the package and cook it. I added a bit of olive oil to my cast-iron skillet, added the meat, and my kitchen smelled amazing. Once it was cooked I had all these yummy pan drippings that I couldn’t let go to waste, so I added a bit of butter and sautéed onions, mushrooms, and tomatoes to get every last bit of flavor of the marinade.

empanadas-hand_pies-fall_salad

I know I could have easily made tacos and called it a night, but I happen to have refrigerated pie crust and decided to make empanadas instead. The end result was a hearty and flaky pastry, made easy with flavorful arrachera and mushrooms. I also made a fall ensalada and dinner was on the table in less than 45 minutes. Thank you Chef Marcela for making it so easy.

marcela_valladolid-flaquitos

I encourage you to visit Safeway and try out some of Marcela’s products. Warning: I hear the Flaquitos are addicting. It is taking all of my willpower not to tear open this bag.

arrachera empanadas with a blue scalloped bowl of pico de gallo style salsa

Arrachera (Flank Steak) and Mushroom Empanadas

5 (1 rating)
These empanadas are made with Marcela Valladolid Beef Flank Steak for Arrachera, which is a thinly cut flank steak rubbed with a bright blend of lemon, lime, oregano, rosemary, and thyme.

Ingredients

  • Marcela Valladolid Beef Flank Steak for Arrachera
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • ¼ cup chopped onion
  • 1 cup coarsely chopped button mushrooms
  • 1 roma tomato, chopped
  • 1 box refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on box
  • 1 egg, beaten

Instructions 

  • Preheat cast-iron skillet and cook steak according to the directions on the package. After grilling, dice meat and set aside.
  • In the same skillet with leftover drippings, melt the butter over medium flame; add the onion and sauté for about 3 minutes until translucent. Add the mushrooms and toss until all mushrooms are golden brown and caramelized. Add tomatoes and stir for 1 additional minute. Remove from the heat. Add diced meat and set aside.
  • Preheat oven to 400°F.
  • Remove 1 pie crust from pouch; unroll on work surface. With a rolling pin, roll out crust until 18 inches in diameter. With 4-inch round cookie cutter, cut rounds from pie crust.
  • Place a small dollop of filling on one half of each of the dough circles. Wet the bottom edge of the circles with water to help seal the two halves. Fold over the dough to cover filling and seal off the edges with a fork by pressing down along the edges. This also makes for a pretty pattern when baked.
  • Repeat with remaining dough and filling.
  • Brush each empanadas with beaten egg.
  • Spray a large cookie sheet with cooking spray, place the empanadas on the cookie sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes on middle rack in the oven, until golden brown.

Notes

Serve these with a fall ensalada and dinner is on the table in less than 45 minutes.
Calories: 207kcal, Carbohydrates: 12g, Protein: 8g, Fat: 14g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Cholesterol: 49mg, Sodium: 148mg, Potassium: 168mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 225IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 10mg, Iron: 1mg

Disclosure: Safeway sent me Marcela Valladolid products to test along with a Safeway gift card. I was not compensated for this post. All opinions shared about this product are my own.