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Sausage Peppers and Onion Empanadas with Pale Ale Beer Cheese Sauce
Sausage, Peppers & Onion Empanadas with Pale Ale Beer Sauce is a crowd-pleasing recipe! The small, golden-brown pockets of pastry are stuffed with a savory sausage and pepper mixture and served with a rich, savory beer cheese sauce. A delicious dinner for the family or a tasty way to spice up your party platters!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Yield: 18 – 20 empanada discs and 2-quarts of beer cheese sauce
Serves: 6 – 8
Ingredients
Empanadas:
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 pounds chicken Italian sausage, casing removed
- 2 sweet Vidalia onions, small diced
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon of salt
- 1 red bell pepper, small diced
- 1 yellow bell pepper, small diced
- 1 poblano pepper, small diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh oregano, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, minced
- 1 (12-ounce) 3 Daughter’s Brewing St. Pete Beach Blonde Ale
- 1 (12 - 16-ounce) package smoked chicken sausage, chopped fine
- 2 boxes (14.1-ounce) refrigerated pie crust
- 1 large egg whisked together with 1 tablespoon water
Beer Cheese Sauce:
- 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 (8-ounce) block cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 (8-ounce) package Frigo® Fresh Mozzarella, rough chop
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
Directions
Place 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, chicken Italian sausage, and Vidalia onions over medium heat. Cook until sausage is brown on all sides and broken into crumbles and the onion is soft and translucent, about 10 minutes.
Stir in the bell and poblano peppers, garlic, salt, pepper, oregano, and minced thyme. Stir in the 3 Daughter’s Brewing St. Pete Beach Blonde Ale and simmer 5 minutes or until the peppers are tender.
Place half of the pepper mixture into a 2-quart saucier and add 4 tablespoons of butter, the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, fresh mozzarella cheese, and smoked paprika. Whisk together and turn to low allowing mixture to simmer until melted together. Taste, adjust salt and pepper to preference, turn the burner off, and allow Beer Sauce to sit on the warm burner until ready to serve.
In a 4-quart sauce-pot, stir in the other half of the sausage mixture and turn to low. Allow it to simmer until the ale is evaporated and the sausage and pepper mixture is coated with a syrupy sauce, about 10-15 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375°F, line two large Stainless Steel Cookie Sheet with parchment paper and prepare the empanada dough.
Roll out pie crusts on a clean, floured work surface. Using a cookie cutter or bowl about 6-inches in diameter, press circles into pie crust. Gather the leftover dough, roll it out, and continue cutting circles until all dough is used. Makes about 18 – 20 (6-inch) empanada discs.
To assemble the empanadas, lay the pie crust circles on a prepared cookie sheet. Place 2 large tablespoons of filling in the middle of each circle. Fold pie crust circle in half, keeping the filling inside, and press edges down with a fork.
Arrange empanadas on the cookie sheets, brush tops with egg and water mixture, and bake for 15 – 20 minutes or until tops are golden.
Allow empanadas to cool slightly and serve with the warm Beer Cheese Sauce.
