What an unbelievable week it has been! One day, it's warm outside, and the next day, it's freezing with snow. Today, we woke up to a beautiful snowstorm that later turned into ice, and I guess, by the end of the day, it will be raining. We love all seasons and are starting to get excited about Spring being right around the corner, and we can't wait to start our garden. So, why not enjoy the day, have some Cheesy Chicken Empanadas, and watch the weather change? As they say in Ohio, if you don’t like the weather, wait a few minutes, and it will change. . .Shhhhh, don't tell the weather person I think they say that everywhere!

The cool thing about an air fryer is you can use it year-round. I mean don't get me wrong, we spend the majority of our time outside in the summer because grilling is so much fun. But how cool is it if you want french fries with that burger on the grill? No need to start the oven to make the fries if you have an air fryer.

Over the past few weeks, we've been trying to cook the majority of our meals in the air fryer. It's amazing what can be made in an air fryer and how effortless it is to use.

Cheesy Chicken Empanadas

Ok, I love all kinds of foods (after all, I'm not on a diet because I ate too much broccoli!) and love to experiment with making new recipes. But there are some things I just get nervous to even try at home, and I use that as an excuse to go out for dinner/lunch.

The other day, we went out for a fun lunch. We heard about this great restaurant in the area that made Empanadas. So yes, we had to try this place. I mean, it is our responsibility not to pass up the chance to go out!!! One of our lunches was fantastic, but needless to say, my Empanada was a little disappointing. It's OK because the beer was good, and the atmosphere was fun!!! We still had the need for an Empanada. And since we've been playing with the air fryer, we wanted to put together something different. I'm not big on frying with oil, mainly because of the cleanup. Yes, I'm lazy. So yes, we have another reason to love the air fryer!!!

How to make Empanadas

Cheesy Chicken Empanadas are a great way to address all those cravings for fried foods while cutting the calories. We used 99% fat-free Ground Chicken instead of ground Beef. Also, we used our homemade taco seasoning as the base and added a clove of garlic. Using fresh spices takes the chicken to a different level, and even the biggest beef lover will not be disappointed.

Cooking the Cheesy Chicken Empanadas

This is a quick and easy recipe, the hardest part was folding dough can be a bit tricky. To start, cook ground chicken or turkey in a frying pan over medium heat. Once the meat has begun to cook, add the seasonings. Once the meat is fully cooked, add water and let it cool for a few minutes. Then, place the meat and cheese in the dough and put them in the air fryer. It's that simple!

Ok I'm not very good when it comes to working with dough, so my empanadas didn't look as pretty as they could have. However, I still made them with love. Besides, I always figure that if I can make something like this and it has an odd shape, it gives everyone a good laugh.

TIPS:

Leave the dough in the refrigerator until it's ready to be used.
To reduce calories, use 99% fat-free ground chicken or turkey.
Make the empanadas ahead of time, covering them and storing them in the fridge until ready to use.
Make sure to measure the cheese. There are a lot of calories in cheese and by measuring it you will still have a nice cheesey empanada.
For a more flavorful and cost-effective option, we make Homemade taco seasoning instead of buying packets. By making it at home, we have full control over the ingredients and can customize it with more or less spice.