Last Updated November 25th, 2020 at 12:34 pm by Lisa
Wondering what to do with your Thanksgiving leftovers? Make EMPANADAS also know as hand pies! Use Thanksgiving leftover turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, gravy, or dressing/stuffing baked into homemade or store-bought pie crust.
These are fast to make, you can decorate them with leaves made from pie crust to make them fancy or keep it simple. Empanadas are worldwide comfort food, and no wonder, these will warm your belly…
Why You Will Love These…
- Empanadas (hand pies) are easy to make. After the big day, simply fill the empanadas, fold them, and bake.
- This Thanksgiving leftovers recipe is versatile. Want a savory empanada? A sweet empanada? A savory-and-sweet empanada? You can do all three… there are no empanada rules! Mix n’ match your leftovers as much as you’d like.
- Dress them up or down as much as you’d like. Not only will this take care of your Thanksgiving leftovers problem, but you can dress them up with cute pastry leaf cut-outs.
- They’re freezable, making them perfect for meal prep. You can also freeze these in airtight containers, and then bake for fast weeknight dinner meals or lunches. Imagine digging into the flavors of Thanksgiving in January!
What Leftovers Can I Use?
You can fit about 2-3 tablespoons of filling per 6 ” round pie crust circle. Be careful to not overfill or the edges are hard to seal closed. Have fun mixing savory and sweet!
- 1 tablespoon turkey or ham – cut into 1 ” pieces
- 1 tablespoon dressing
- 1 tablespoon mashed potatoes
- 1 tablespoon sweet potato casserole
- 1 tablespoon cranberry sauce
- 1 tablespoon roasted veggies
- 1 tablespoon gravy
Do I Need An Empanada Press?
You really don’t NEED an empanada press, but it does the job really fast and they are inexpensive.
PRO TIP: If making your empanadas by hand, simply cut the pie dough into a 6 inch circle, place your filling, fold over the pie crust over your filling, and use a fork to seal the edges closed.
- 2 whole pie crusts
- 3 tablespoons melted butter
How to Make Leftover Empanadas…
Ready to transform your Thanksgiving leftovers? Let’s get started!
Step 1: On a floured board, roll out pie dough a little thinner than the average crust.
Step 2: Cut dough into 6″ circles: use the other side of empanada cutter or a small upside down bowl to cut the dough into circles.
TIP: The pie crusts will make 6 empanadas.
Step 3: Place 2-3 tablespoons of filling (use my suggested filling or create your own based on your Thanksgiving leftovers) on one side of the pie dough.
TIP: Do not overfill your savory hand pies! If they are overfilled, the press won’t close and seal.
Step 4: Close the empanada maker, and seal the edges. Or, fold dough in half with filling, and press the edges closed with the tips of a fork.
Step 5: Place empanadas on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Step 6: Brush with melted butter.
Step 7: Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes pie crust until edges are golden brown and baked. The result…
Pie Crust Leaf Decorations…
Using small scraps of pie crust you can cut out small leaves and place them on top of each empanada. It just takes seconds but makes them so stunning…
Empanadas are a small folded pastry with a filling and are either baked or fried. They look like a turnover or a small hand pie and are common in Southern European, Latin American, and the Philippines cultures. Their name comes from the Spanish verb empanar, and translates as “enbreaded”, meaning wrapped or coated in bread.
Almost all cultures and countries around the world have some version of a pastry or dough with sweet or savory fillings. Some of these you will know as dumplings, pierogis, samosas, turnovers, British or Cornish pasties, Brazilian pastel, Cuban pastelitos, bolanis, pastechis, and empanadillas.
They are made by folding dough over a filling, and can be savory made from meat, cheese, tomato, cheese, corn, chiles, or other ingredients. They can also be a sweet dessert, and made from fruit, chocolate, sweet preserves, sugar, cinnamon etc.
What are Hand Pies?
A hand pie is simply the Southern U.S. term for an empanada. A hand pie is a piece of dough that is filled with a savory (savory hand pie) or sweet (sweet hand pie) filling and folded over and sealed shut… in other words, an empanada!
What Else Can You Make With Turkey Leftovers?
- Casseroles
- Sandwiches
- Chilis or soups
- Frittatas
- Shepherd’s pies
Another Turkey Leftover Recipes:
And if you have a lot of leftovers, this casserole is so easy and delicious…
Thanksgiving Leftover: Empanadas
Ingredients
- 2 pie crusts
- 3 tablespoons melted butter
Thanksgiving Leftover Filling Ideas:
- 1 tablespoon turkey or ham – cut into 1 ” pieces
- 1 tablespoon dressing
- 1 tablespoon mashed potatoes
- 1 tablespoon sweet potatoes
- 1 tablespoon cranberry sauce
- 1 tablespoon roast veggies
- 1 tablespoon gravy
Instructions
- On a floured board, roll out pie dough thinner than the average crust.
- Cut dough into 6" circles: use the other side of empanada cutter or a small upside down bowl to cut the dough into circles.
- One pie crusts will make 6 empanadas.
- Place 2-3 tablespoons of filling on one side of the pie dough. If they are overfilled, the press won't close and seal.
- Close the empanada maker, and seal the edges. Or, fold dough in half with filling, and press the edges closed with the tips of a fork.
- Place empanadas on a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Brush with melted butter.
- Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes pie crust until edges are golden brown and baked.
The best ever! Make them every year…. all sorts of ways. Turkey, ham, and all leftovers. Best part of the holidays!
I do love a Thanksgiving leftover sandwich, but empanadas are awesome! I always freeze a couple too…thanks so much for stopping by and rating the recipe with a great comment. Wishing you the very best this holiday season!
My family and I do several turkey dinners each year, not just on holidays. I ran across this recipe recently and it is just a unique leftover idea! It is usch a simple idea and it was honestly better than our original turkey dinner! My family loved these and we will be making them again and having fun with the different combos.