Wow, these are truly delish. Like, insanely delish. If you love Cuban sandwiches like I do, you're probably thinking "how can you possibly make a Cuban sandwich even more delicious than it already is?" Well, you can stick it into an empanada shell. The results? EPIC. These funky Cubanadas feature all the trimmings associated with Cuban sandwiches. Swiss cheese, sweet ham, roasted pork, pickles, and a mustard/mayo dipping sauce for good measure. You've got it all. Crunchy, sweet, salty, garlicky, cheesy...I don't know about you, but I can't ask for much more in a single food. Make extra. Trust me.
As a special note, check out this amazing device that takes the thumb cramps out of empanada making. The Empanada Fork is a godsend to empanada lovers everywhere, and is the creation of fellow New Jersey native, Hipatia Lopez!
She, like many of us with families who love all things Latin, spent countless days and nights making empanadas for her family. She figured, there must be a better way to close these things up! And BAM! The empanada fork was born. Get yours today at the Empanada Fork website, it not only serves as an empanada sealer, but it's a great food masher too!
1 packet small empanada discs, defrosted (Goya brand)
5 slices of Virginia or Honey ham, sliced in 1/2
5 slices Swiss cheese, cut in half
10 thin slices of dill pickle, patted dry
1 cup pernil (roasted pork)
Canola oil, for frying
Dipping Sauce
1/3 cup canola mayo
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
Start by laying a piece of Swiss onto the empanada disc. Tear it up into pieces so that it fits inside the disc. You want a leave a border around the edges of the disc, so that you can seal it later. Add half a slice of ham, a bit of roast pork, and few slivers of pickle.