Kids’ Chicken Empanadas with Magic Sauce
+ Snack Pretzel Bites with Cheddar Sauce
Empanadas (meat pies) are perfectly portable for lunchboxes, and great fuel for zooming out into the backyard. These heat-and-eat hand pies are filled with gently seasoned chicken and vegetables, and baked to golden perfection. You’ll just whip up a ketchup and mayo “magic sauce” for dipping, and serve with sliced apple, grapes, and grape tomatoes. But just you wait, it’ll be snacktime in no time—so we’ve included kid-pleasing chewy-soft pretzel bites with our chefs’ shortcut to a velvety cheese sauce for dipping. Yup, we’re thinking outside the lunchbox!
This recipe is designed to provide lunch and snack components for multiple days. For each lunch and snack meal, 3 servings and 6 servings are provided for a 2 person and 4 person box respectively. Nutrition information under the Nutrition Values section below is for the lunch portion. The following nutrition information is for 1 serving of the snack meal: Calories: 320, Fat: 18g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Cholesterol: 45 mg, Sodium: 610 mg, Carbohydrates: 31g, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Protein: 9g.
Download the nutrition labels to see final nutrition information for both lunch and snack components.
The quantities provided above are averages only.
Produced in a facility that processes eggs, milk, fish, peanuts, sesame, shellfish, soy, tree nuts, and wheat.
Ingredients
1 unit
Apple
2.25 ounce
Red Grapes
1 unit
Ketchup
2 tablespoon
Mayonnaise
(Contains Eggs)
7.5 ounce
Maspanadas Chicken Empanadas
(Contains Wheat)
4 ounce
Grape Tomatoes
6 ounce
Pretzel Bites
(Contains Wheat)
4 ounce
Cream Sauce Base
(Contains Milk)
½ cup
Cheddar Cheese
(Contains Milk)
Not included in your delivery
Salt
Pepper
Nutrition Values
Utensils
Instructions
• Wash and dry produce. • Halve, core, and thinly slice apple. Halve grapes if desired. • In a small bowl, whisk together ketchup and mayonnaise until combined.
• Place empanadas in a single layer on a microwave-safe plate (you may need to work in batches for 6 servings). Cover with a damp paper towel. Microwave until warmed through, 60-90 seconds. • AIR FRYER ALTERNATIVE: Coat an air fryer basket with cooking spray; arrange empanadas in basket. Coat tops with cooking spray. Air fry at 375 degrees until golden brown, turning halfway through, 10-12 minutes. Work in batches if necessary.
• To serve: Divide empanadas and magic sauce between plates. Serve with apple slices, grapes, and tomatoes on the side. • To stash: Let empanadas cool completely. Refrigerate empanadas, magic sauce, apple slices, grapes, and tomatoes in separate containers and pack as desired!
• Spray tops of pretzel bites with water, then sprinkle with salt. TIP: If desired, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake salted pretzel bites until warmed, 3 minutes. • In a small pot, heat cream sauce base over medium-low heat until it reaches a low simmer; cook, whisking, until sauce begins to thicken, 1 minute. • Reduce heat to low. Gradually whisk in cheddar and cook, whisking constantly, until cheese melts and sauce has thickened, 30 seconds. Season with salt and pepper to taste. • Serve pretzel bites with cheddar sauce on the side for dipping.
Chicken and Vegetable Empanadas are fully cooked when internal temperature reaches 165°.