Most cultures have some sort of traditional "pocket" or meat pie food. It's quite simple -- they're very portable, easy to make, and can be a great way to use up leftovers. And, of course, they don't have to be meaty.
Empanadas are the traditional Latin version of the hot pocket (Hot Pockets, natch, are the traditional American version). When I was little, my grandmother, who lived for years in South America, used to make a version with meat, golden raisins, olives, and hard-boiled egg. She would sometimes come to visit us without my grandfather, and cook weeks' worth of meals for him to heat up, including a freezer full of empanadas. When we went to Argentina and Brazil earlier this month, we tried as many versions as we could.
Empanadas come in many shapes, big and small, and can be baked, fried, or grilled. They can be filled with any sort of meat, cheese, vegetable, or sweet. There are endless variations of recipes that you can find online, but I am partial to my grandmother's version, which is very close to a traditional Argentine empanada.
On Friday we hosted a wee empanada-making party. I made a big hunk of dough and the meat filling ahead of time, and we had provisions for a cheese-spinach filling and a membrillo-ricotta one.
(I'll say right now that I am not much of a cook. I'm a discerning and learned eater, for sure -- and I am lucky to be married to a very ambitious, and natural, cook. I have an unnatural fear of dough, though this might be because my house is curiously missing a proper set of measuring spoons. My success at these empanadas proves that anyone -- really, anyone -- can make these.)