Super Bowl Cooking with Jack Daniel's Meats...Featuring Colossal Fiesta Pulled Pork Empanada #gamedayeats #appetizer #easydoesit

Photo by Jack Daniel's Meats

The Super Bowl is coming up this Sunday...and televisions across the U.S. will be tuned in. Some watch for the big game...others for the fun Super Bowl commercials. All that cheering calls for lots of tasty food and cold beverages! Today, I'm teaming with Jack Daniel's Meats to share a super fun recipe that's perfect for game day entertaining. I used their Old No. 7 BBQ Pulled Pork to create my Colossal Fiesta Pulled Pork Empanada. It's totally simple to make! Tons of cheese, sweetly savory Jack Daniel's BBQ pulled pork, pico de gallo, and avocado are wrapped inside buttery ready-to-use pie crust. Just before popping into the oven, the giant empanada is brushed with seasoned melted butter and baked to flaky perfection. Totally easy...and so delish!

Photo by Jack Daniel's Meats

If you haven't tried delicious cooked and ready-to-eat Jack Daniel's Meats, definitely check them out! A range of products that includes, pulled pork, pulled chicken, sliced brisket, ribs, and more are cooked in BBQ sauces made with Jack Daniel's whiskey: original Old No. 7 sauce or Tennessee Honey flavors. Jack Daniel's Meats products are found in the refrigerated section of grocery stores across the country. They can be stored in the fridge or frozen for later use. Simply heat in the microwave, and they're ready to use in sandwiches, appetizers, etc. The taste is great, and they save me a TON of time in the kitchen!

By using refrigerated pie dough and ready-to-heat Jack Daniel's Meats BBQ pulled pork, my empanada is ready for the oven in about 10 minutes -- then it bakes up flaky in golden brown in about 20 minutes. Slices of the empanada can be enjoyed as is...or topped with sour cream and more cheese, pico, and avocado!

Colossal Fiesta Pulled Pork Empanada

a Weekend Gourmet original

Ingredients (makes 4-6 appetizer servings):

• 1 package Jack Daniel's Meats Old No. 7 BBQ Pulled Pork, heated per package directions
• 1.5 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1/3 cup ready-to-use pico de gallo
• 1/2 avocado cut into chunks
• 1 ready-to-use refrigerated pie crust
• 2 tbs. butter melted with 1 tsp. garlic powder and 1 tbs. chili powder
• For topping: sour cream and additional pico de gallo, cheese, and avocado

Directions:

Step 1: Preheat oven to 375°. Place a sheet of parchment on a large rimmed baking sheet. Unroll the circle of pie dough onto the parchment. Layer the Mexican cheese blend, Jack Daniel's Meats Old No. 7 BBQ pulled pork, Monterey Jack cheese, pico de gallo, and avocado on the bottom half of the pie dough...leaving about a half-inch rim at the bottom edge of the crust.

Step 2: Fold the top half of the pie dough over the bottom to enclose the filling. Use the tines of a fork to completely seal the edges of the empanada. Melt the butter and seasonings in a microwave-safe cup. Brush the seasoned melted butter on top of the empanada. 

Step 3: Bake the empanada for 20-25 minutes, until flaky and golden brown. For even browning, be sure to rotate the baking sheet in the oven halfway through the baking time. Let the baked empanada cool for 5 minutes before cutting into wedges. Each person can choose their toppings -- sour cream and additional avocado, pico, and cheese.

That's it...simple ingredients that pack a huge flavor punch! The buttery seasoned crust, sweet-savory tender pulled pork, double dose of melted cheese, and spicy punch of pico de gallo are perfect partners. To save time, this appetizer can easily be assembled the morning of the big game, then covered and refrigerated until you're ready to bake. I hope you'll give this Colossal Fiesta Pulled Pork Empanada a try for your game day spread this Sunday...it's a definite touchdown of a recipe!

Disclosure: Jack Daniel's Meats provided me with a sampler of their products to facilitate recipe development for this feature. All opinions shared are solely my own.

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