This is another recipe that developed by a couple texts between my BFF and myself. I needed a Meatless Monday meal but couldn’t think of anything new or different to try, and I just wasn’t feeling like any of my old recipes. So, I texted my friend for inspiration, and she left it simple, saying “make a veggie hand pie.”
Well, ironically, or maybe not so ironically because she and I always seem to be on the same bandwidth, I had been thinking of making Spanish inspired hand pies lately with chorizo and manchego, but I had kept putting it off. With her suggestion to make veggie hand pies, I thought, why not make it Mexican instead and just skip the meat? So that’s what I did and that’s where these babies came from!
And let me tell you, WOW. I am so glad I made this dish. It is fricking delicious. You might not think peppers, corn, jalapeños, garlic, onions, and black beans would be anything AMAZING, but, well, this is AMAZING! I don’t know… maybe it’s the seasoning blend. Maybe it’s the manchego cheese. I think it’s a combination of it all.
There was this restaurant near my last apartment that served tostada appetizers stuffed with chicken, black beans, and cheese that this dish reminded me of so much. The flavors were similar. But, rather than a traditional Mexican exterior of a tortilla or corn wrap, I used puff pastry to make mini hand pies. Before each bite, I dolloped a bit of avocado crema and vegan sour cream onto the hand pie, which made each bite divine.
I easily could have eaten more than I needed to eat. I was seriously tempted to go back for seconds and thirds, but restrained myself for the sake of my weight loss goals! And what’s great about this dish is that if you have any of the stuffing mix leftover, it makes for an awesome chip salsa!
Now, unfortunately, I’ve mentioned how my son is anti black beans, so he opted for leftovers. I couldn’t convince him to even try a bite, even though I don’t feel the taste or texture of the black beans were overwhelming. So, I can’t tell you if this is “kid approved,” but I honestly can’t imagine kids not loving this!
Can you use a different cheese than manchego? Absolutely! The flavor will obviously be different. And if you haven’t tried manchego before, I highly recommend it. I’m seriously addicted to it right now. But, if you want to swap out the manchego for a Mexican cheese blend, go for it! Just remember that the flavor profile won’t be quite as good!
I personally don’t feel this dish is spicy, but if you have any concerns, de-seed the jalapeños and cut the cayenne pepper in half. But I recommend trying it as written 😉.
These hand pies are seriously so delicious that I’m planning on making them again in the next couple of weeks. Actually, to be honest, I’m planning on making a double batch to freeze some of them. AND, if you want to freeze some of these, I recommend not cooking them beforehand. To freeze, spread them out on a baking sheet or plate, whatever will fit in your freezer. Place them in the freezer and let them freeze before placing them in gallon ziplock bags. When you’re ready to make a batch, defrost the desired amount and bake them as directed. Easy peasy!
Let me know if you’ve made these by tagging me on Instagram! Enjoy!
Vegetarian Mexican Hand Pies with Avocado Crema
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 to 6 servings 1x
- Category: Mexican
- Cuisine: Dinner
Ingredients
Hand Pies
1 – 15.5 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup frozen corn
⅓ cup red onion, chopped
1 jalapeño, minced ~ deseeded if desired
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 TB ground cumin
½ TB chili powder
1 tsp paprika
½ tsp ground turmeric
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
1 TB olive oil
2 to 3 TBs fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
3 oz manchego cheese, grated
2 puff pastry sheets, defrosted to room temperature
1 egg
Avocado Crema
2 avocados, skin and pits removed
handful fresh cilantro
1 lime zested & juiced
6 garlic cloves
½ cup cotija
pinch salt & pepper
Instructions
Make the Hand Pies
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Prepare two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the bell pepper, corn, and onions and sauté, stirring often, until the pepper and onions just start to soften ~ about 5 minutes. Lightly season with salt. Add the jalapeño and garlic and sauté until fragrant ~ about 1 minute.
In a small bowl, mix together the cumin, chili powder, paprika, turmeric, and cayenne pepper. Add the black beans to the saucepan and sprinkle the mix with the seasoning. Stir to thoroughly combine. Remove the pan from the heat and sprinkle the cilantro over the top.
Roll the puff pastry out to about 15” x 15” on a lightly floured surface. Cut each sheet in half and then cut into four strips (you’ll have a total of 16 rectangles). Take about 1 tablespoon of manchego cheese and place it on one half of each strip. Top with about 2 tablespoons of the vegetable mix. Fold the empty half over the vegetable mix and use a fork to pinch along the sides.
Evenly spread the pies across two baking sheets. Whisk together the egg in a small bowl and brush the tops of each pie. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.
Make the Avocado Crema
Add the avocados, cilantro, lime zest and juice, garlic, cotija, and a generous pinch of salt and pepper to a food processor. Blend until smooth and thoroughly combined.
Serve the hand pies with the avocado crema and sour cream. Enjoy!
Keywords: Mexican hand pies, vegetarian hand pies, vegetarian Mexican hand pies, tostadas, black bean hand pies, Mexican fusion, Mexican black bean hand pies
