12 Creative Ways To Use Your Empanada Maker

Empanadas make any meal feel like a party. Whether they're small enough to hold in your hands or big enough to dig into with a fork, they score in every department, from the crispy crust to the succulent filling. All you need is some dough, filling, and an empanada maker. You can find those ingenious devices online, even at Walmart and Target. But, wait. Once you have that attractive, reasonably priced new kitchen tool, is it going to go in that drawer — you know which drawer — with that cute corn silk remover, those meat-shredding claws, and that electric potato peeler that all seemed like such good ideas at the time? No, it's not. The empanada maker can fit into the simplest meals and star in the most complex ones. Give it some dough, and it will get the job done, regardless of what filling you choose.

Also known as an empanada press or cutter, this tool lets you easily fill the dough of your choice, and there are plenty of choices when it comes to empanadas. Not all dough is the same. There's a difference between empanada dough and pie dough, and that is primarily the higher fat content in the empanada dough that contributes to its tenderness. Bread or dumpling doughs also vary, and all work with empanada makers. Here are creative ways to put yours to work, so there will be room in that drawer, maybe for that new self-warming ice cream scoop you've been eyeing.

Potstickers are also called jiaozi, the Mandarin word for dumpling. Yes, dumplings and potstickers are basically the same things — filled dough wrappers that have been steamed, boiled, or fried. Gyoza, a Japanese version, arrived much later. Potstickers offer the flavors of great Asian cuisine in a couple of luscious bites. They usually include ginger-spiked ground pork, although you can use other meats, including chicken. Combine that meat with soy sauce, a little cornstarch, chopped scallions, or chives, and chopped, salted cabbage from which you've squeezed most of the water. Bok choy can sub for cabbage. There's a difference between Napa cabbage and green cabbage, and both work here. Don't forget the umami. Choose chopped shitakes or a variety of mushrooms. Water chestnuts, also chopped, add crunch. Personalize the basic recipe with whatever strikes you — five spice powder, oyster sauce, sriracha, even honey.

Classic potstickers can take on any number of shapes, including folded in half, or if you're feeling fancy, in pleated crescents. This is not the time for an enormous empanada maker. Use the smaller variety and keep your potstickers delicate. They are usually fried on one side and steamed on the other, but if you want to keep it simple, you can also bake them until crispy and golden. Then it's onto the dipping sauce. You can't go wrong with rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, and a little chopped garlic. 

When is a taco, not a taco? When it's stuffed into empanada dough instead of tortillas. Think of all the things you love about tacos. The simplicity. The crunch. The juicy, messy spiciness. You can have all that wrapped in an empanada. Whether made with brisket, beans, or ground beef, your favorite tacos will be a perfect match for your empanada maker. Because you're using dough or even pie crust instead of a fragile tortilla, you can fill your taco empanadas fuller. That's more of the good stuff for you and less falling onto your plate.

Season your meat with purchased taco seasoning or better yet, with homemade taco seasoning you make yourself from onion, garlic, and chili powders, and increase your flavor without the preservatives while you save money. Minced red onion and bell pepper can go into the mixture before or after you saute it. What about some green chiles and/or a tangy pico de gallo or salsa verde? Add a fusion vibe by adding gochujang, a little soy sauce, and fresh ginger. Finally, add the cheese of your choice and bake your way to taco perfection.

They're simple, they're delicious, and you've been eating them since you were a kid: a ham and cheese sandwich. While the French croque monsieur sounds elegant, it's not much more than a grilled ham and cheese. The humble ham and cheese pocket doesn't try to be fancy, doesn't speak French, and is confident enough to star in the simplest meals. It does like to get dressed up, though, and empanada dough is the perfect match.

Start with the ham. You can use the ham streak you've purchased and chopped. Deli ham also works, as does leftover ham. Next, consider which cheese to use. You need one with a flavor that stands up to the ham, one that melts well. Cheddar or American — or a combination of both — will keep to the classic flavor, but you can also experiment with Gruyère or Swiss. Mustard is to ham and cheese what catsup is to french fries. Again, the type you choose — spicy brown, dijon, even that standard squeeze-bottle mustard — determines the overall taste of your finished dish. Pick a mustard the way you would the best type of mustard for deli sandwiches. Stop right there, and you'll have a creation that is close to perfect, or you can dress it up with black olives, horseradish pickles, or thinly sliced jalapeño peppers. 

Spicy beef, onion, and cabbage make this German dish a standout. Think of bierocks as big German hamburgers. Sometimes the simplest foods are the most delicious, and that's what you have with bierocks, which you can make with as many or as few ingredients as you choose. The dish came to the United States by way of Germans living in Russia and then to the Midwest. In Nebraska, they are known as runzas. Runza sandwiches are basically bierock filling served in rolls. Bierocks are the most comforting of comfort foods with their soft exterior and warm, meaty filling.

Sauté chopped onions and garlic along with ground beef. Spice the filling with caraway seeds, cumin, smoked paprika, black pepper, or cayenne. These are purist bierocks, although some people swear by adding dill pickles, pickle juice, and/or mustard. You can choose whether to stir in shredded cabbage or to go for sauerkraut. Cheese is an optional but delicious touch. Choose Gruyère, Jarlsberg, or whatever you have on hand.

Any food with the word "pie" in it is worth sampling, and the pierogi will make you glad you did. In Polish, "pierogi," is the plural form of "pieróg," which means dumpling. Pierogi and bierocks are closely related. Originally from Eastern Europe, pierogi are frequently prepared with mashed potatoes and cheese, boiled, and then fried and topped with a butter sauce. Like bierocks, they're often prepared with sauerkraut, as well. Sour cream in the mixture or as a topping after you cook them will add richness, as will caramelized onions. You don't have to go vegetarian with these morsels though. Add sausage of any kind, a mixture of bacon and mushrooms, or even chopped beef brisket. Your choice of cheese can give the most basic pierogi your personal touch. Ricotta or mozzarella gives it the texture and flavor of lasagna. Cheddar gives it an unmistakable tang. A simple topping of cheese or crumbled bacon is all you need before serving, or you can experiment with plain Greek yogurt for creaminess or fried onions for crunch.

For dessert pierogi, combine blueberries and ricotta. Accompaniments include caramel, chocolate sauce, or fruit preserves. Like most empanadas, these are just as good frozen and reheated, and just knowing you have a bag of pierogies in the freezer is going to make meal planning less daunting.

Empanadas don't always have to be savory, and these delicacies from Guatemala are an excellent example of that. A fragrant pudding is studded with raisins and encased in empanada dough. In the traditional recipe, cornmeal is added to the flour when making the dough, and the filling is accented with vanilla and cinnamon. These treats can be served as full-sized empanadas, perfect for a drizzle of fruit or caramel sauce or a dusting of powdered sugar, and they also make perfect mini hand pies or empanaditas to accompany your coffee in the morning or a glass of red wine at night.

You can bake a variation of these using dulce de leche for the filling. The phrase translates to "sweet milk," and the mixture tastes like a rich, creamy caramel. Dulce de leche is available in jars, or you can make your own, which is as easy as boiling a can of sweetened condensed milk. Cream cheese added to the dough will increase richness. Bavarian cream, which is part pudding, part whipping cream, is another variation, and it's perfect when you want a dessert that is both elegant and something out of the ordinary.