Hola Goucher, and welcome to the first edition of Goucher Eats, where I go through budget friendly recipes found by sleuthing on the net or submitted by the Goucher Community!
In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, I made empanadas following this simple recipe: https://numstheword.com/easy-beef-empanadas/
It’s definitely not wholly authentic (it uses pie crust instead of an actual dough) but we work with what we’ve got. I got my pie crust from Safeway for 2 bucks. The seasonings were graciously provided by my mother, and the most expensive thing on the menu will probably be the ground beef. Meat in general is pricey, but if you can find a good sale, it’s worth it. Plus, I have leftover beef, so I’ll get several meals from one recipe.
Now, what are empanadas and where do they come from? Empanadas are a type of pastry believed to have originated in Spain during the Middle Ages but have spread to pretty much every Spanish-speaking country (yay imperialism!). The dough is spread over a filling and baked and fried until crispy and golden.
There are 4 main types of empanadas: beef, chicken, ham and cheese, and spinach and cheese. I went with a beef recipe because it’s what I had on hand, but you can really use anything as long as you have it. If you’re vegetarian or don’t want to shell out the big bucks for meat in this economy, beans work just as well.
For once, a 30 minute recipe really took 30 minutes. I used onion powder instead and skipped the peppers (if you want to add them but don’t want an entire pepper to go to waste or to chop things, get a bag of frozen onions and pepper stir fry – works just as good as the real thing). I also didn’t have chili powder, so I made do with cayenne pepper. They taste similar enough for the most part, so don’t buy new if you don’t need to.
Putting the pastries together was a bit tricky. Two things to keep in mind: how much you put in and how you fold the dough over it. I followed a tip by “why I don’t season my steak but my cutting board” Adam Ragusea to wrap the meat in both sides of the dough and crimp the edges together to keep the pastry from bursting while it bakes. It worked well enough, but be careful not to tear the dough while you work. That gets harder to do the more you fill it up.
Now finally the most important part: taste. Let’s get one thing out of the way: it doesn’t beat something truly authentic but it is still delicious. The pie crust is smooth and buttery, with the slightest crunch that’s not too flakey but not underwhelming either. The filling is savory and jam packed with flavor. Each bite leaves me wanting more – it gets the job done and leaves you feeling satisfied after it.
And that is what I believe is the core tenant of dorm cooking. Sure, it might not be the best and you might cut corners here or there to save costs and energy, but so what? If it fills you up and tastes good, that’s all that masters.
This recipe is college student stomach approved. Make these guys as big or as small as you want ‘em, but make sure you save me a piece.
Adios, and see you in the next one!
By Jaiden Johnson ‘27
