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ham and swiss, deep fried sandwiches, grainy mustard, dijon mustard, horseradish

Ham and Swiss Fried Sandwich Pockets | Make Ahead Mondays

Rebecca Lindamood
Crunchy on the outside, filled with melted cheese, chopped ham, and a creamy grainy Dijon mustard and horseradish dressing, these deep-fried sandwich pockets (or empanadas) are sure to be a hit at your game day party. Great for lunches and picnics, too!

Ingredients
  

  • 1 1/2 cups diced ham
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
  • 2 tablespoons grainy Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
  • 20 empanada wrappers
  • canola or brushing before baking, vegetable, or peanut oil for deep or shallow frying

Instructions
 

  • In a mixing bowl, use a spoon to stir the ham, Swiss cheese, mustard, mayonnaise, and horseradish until evenly combined. Working with one wrapper at a time, place about 1 1/2-2 tablespoons of the filling in the center of a wrapper. Bring the edges up together and crimp them to seal it completely. If you'd like you can crimp it decoratively, just be sure they're well sealed. Set on a parchment lined pan or platter in a single layer. Repeat until filling and/or wrappers are used up.

To Freeze for Later:

  • You can put the pan in the freezer until the pockets are frozen through. When they are solid, transfer to a zipper top bag for up to 3 months to cook at a later time.

To Deep Fry:

  • Pour oil into a heavy-bottomed, high-sided pan to 1/3-1/2 full, but no higher. Heat oil to 350°F. Fry the pockets in batches, taking care not to over crowd the pan, for 4-6 minutes, turning about halfway through the cooking time, or until golden brown and hot all the way through with fully melted cheese. If cooking from frozen, you may need to increase that time by a minute or two. Drain on a paper towel plate. Serve warm or room temperature with a variety of dips, if desired.

To Shallow-Fry:

  • Pour about 1-inch of oil into a heavy-bottomed, high-sided skillet. Apply medium heat until the oil is shimmery and fizzles when the tip of a pocket is dipped in it. Carefully lower the pockets into the oil in batches, taking care not to overcrowd the pan. Cook for 4-6 minutes, turning about halfway through the cooking time, or until golden brown and hot all the way through with fully melted cheese. If cooking from frozen, you may need to increase that time by a minute or two. Drain on a paper towel plate. Serve warm or room temperature with a variety of dips, if desired.

To Bake:

  • Preheat oven to 375°. Brush the tops and bottoms of the sandwich pockets with oil. Place on a parchment lined pan. Bake until the pockets puff, are golden brown, and the filling is hot all the way through, about 20 minutes. If you are baking from frozen, you may need to increase that cooking time by up to 5 minutes. Serve warm or room temperature with a variety of dips, if desired.

Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.

did you make this recipe?

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