Lilly Higgins: These empanadas are perfect for an easy dinner, or to go with festive drinks

The empanada is a traditional stuffed pastry, popular throughout the Iberian Peninsula and in some countries in South America, notably Argentina. They are a great way to use up leftovers. An authentic empanada is made using a special pastry or a bread-like dough. Instead, I’ve gone for the super easy midweek option and used good quality ready made puff pastry. I’ve also made it a larger, more substantial crescent shaped pastry for dinnertime, rather than a snack. Like their cousin, the Cornish pasty, they are very portable, making them a great alternative to the usual lunchbox sandwich.

Needless to say, this recipe comes in particularly handy this time of year when we are pre-empting having leftover turkey and will be looking for new and exciting ways to transform it once the St Stephen’s Day sandwiches are made. Turkey just needs a little mayonnaise, black pepper and a swirl of cranberry sauce to make the most perfect sandwiches. Of course, ham, herb stuffing and a drizzle of gravy is always welcome too.

Puff pastry is fantastic to have in the fridge over the busy festive season, whether it’s for whipping up an impromptu batch of mince pies, or for making a savoury pie. Here, I’m using cubed roast sweet potato, its sweetness is great with the chorizo. Really, any cooked vegetables can be used. Even the humble potato is perfect, it’ll soak up the delicious flavours from the chorizo.

A little snipped rosemary brings a seasonal perfume that really grounds the sweet and spicy filling. These are perfect for an easy dinner, or to serve with drinks over the festive season.

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Recipe: Chicken and chorizo empanada

Lilly’s Kitchen Tips:

1. Cut leftover chicken or turkey into bite-size pieces and freeze right away for use later on, adding any cooking juices or gravy from the roasting tin.
2. Leftover vegetables are ideal pie fillers. Roast squash, sweet potatoes, onions and peppers, or simply peas and corn can all be used.
3. Jars of caramelised onion, tomato relish and cranberry sauce are all great to have at this time of year for adding to pies like these, sandwiches or serving on cheese boards.