This delicious recipe is terrific for stretching the number of meals you can get out of a pot roast. You can also fill these little pockets with leftover stew, pulled pork, or pulled chicken.

Makes about thirty 4” pockets

  • Cold leftover pot roast
  • Gravy from the pot roast, or BBQ sauce

Empanada Dough

  • 3 cups flour
  • 1 ½ tsp salt
  • ½ cup cold butter
  • ½ cup frozen or cold shortening or lard
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • About 1 – 1 1/2 cups ice water
  • 1 egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine flour and salt; mix well. Using a box grater, grate in the butter and shortening. Sweep up some of the flour with the fat as you grate.

Using the palms of your hands, gather up some of the flour-fat mixture between your palms and rub your hands together with the mixture in a downward motion once. Repeat 10 times gathering up the flour-fat mixture each time. Using a fork, mix in 1 beaten egg and about ¾ cup ice water. Continue to add water in small amounts, until the mixture feels slightly moist and begins to stick together. Divide into 2 balls.

On a floured surface, using a floured rolling pin, roll out one ball on a floured work surface until quite thin. Cut into 4” circles.

In a medium bowl, shred the leftover pot roast. Add some gravy or BBQ sauce to moisten the meat. Spoon about 1 tbsp of the filling into the centre of each pastry circle. Fold over and pinch the edges to seal in the filling. Place on the cookie sheet. When the sheet is full, brush the pastry with the beaten egg. Make a small slit in the top of the empanada. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool. Serve with ketchup, salsa or chili sauce.