Empanadas with Chorizo & Potato

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add potato and water. Cover and cook until the water is evaporated and the potato begins to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Add onion and oil and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 2 minutes. Add tomato and scallions; cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add cilantro and garlic; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

3. Push the vegetables to the sides and add chorizo to the center of the pan. Cook, crumbling with a wooden spoon, until brown, about 3 minutes. Stir the vegetables and chorizo together, and add vinegar and salt. Cook, stirring, until the liquid has evaporated, about 1 minute.

4. Roll each pie crust into a 12-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Cut out eight 5-inch circles and roll each one out to a 6-inch circle. Mound about 1/4 cup of the filling onto the center of each circle. Fold the dough in half and crimp or pleat the edges. Place on a large rimmed baking sheet and coat both sides of each empanada with cooking spray.

5. Bake the empanadas, flipping once halfway, until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Serve with hot sauce or salsa for dipping, if desired.

Tips

To make ahead: Refrigerate filling (Steps 2-3) for up to 2 days.

Tip: Chorizo is a spicy pork sausage that you can find two ways: cured and smoked (perfect for slicing and eating as is) or raw. Use raw or "fresh" (aka Mexican-style) in this recipe. It's available in links or bulk in well-stocked grocery stores and Latin markets.