It’s The Kids Cook Monday and Bug and I made Spinach Empanadas.These empanadas are incredible, even the neighbors said so, so  you know I’m not just biased. Bug, our nearly 3-year-old was able to be a huge help. Here’s how we split up the work.

Spinach Empanadas

Ingredients

1 cup cream cheese
4 ounces butter
1 ¼ cups gluten-free flour
¼ teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
⅓ cups diced onion
4 teaspoons minced garlic
8 ounces sliced mushrooms
15 ounces drain Spinach, Frozen
1 cup cottage cheese
⅛ teaspoons pepper
1 egg

The Kiddo’s Tasks:

• Peel the packaging off of the butter and cream cheese and set it out on a plate to bring it to room temperature
• Toss the cream cheese and butter into the stand mixer bowl
• Pour the flour into the mixer bowl
• Help squish the dough into a disk and place it in a plastic bag to chill in the fridge
• Take turns with Mommy rolling out the dough
• Help select the container lid that’s the perfect size to cut the circles in the dough
• Take turns with Mommy cutting circles out of the dough with the container lid
• Peel the packaging off the spinach when it’s thawed
• Squish the spinach over the colander to squeeze out the water
• Set the spinach in the colander (and try in vain not to squish it more) to drain out the rest of the water
• Mix the ricotta cheese and spinach into the cooked red onion, garlic and mushrooms
• Crimp the empanada edges
• Spray baking/cookie sheets with oil or non-stick spray
• Eat the empanadas and say “yummy, yummy”

The Mommy’s (or Daddy’s) Tasks:

• Run the stand mixer for the dough
• Set the timer for the dough’s refrigeration time (3 hours)
• Do a little dance with Bug when the timer goes off
• Help roll out the dough
• Help select the container lid nearest to 5 inches diameter to cut the dough circles out (and wash the container lid before and after cutting…we had company coming over to eat with us, after all)
• Help cut circles in the dough
• Preheat oven
• Saute the onions, garlic and marinated mushrooms.
• Place sauteed veggies in a bowl to cool and check temperature while Bug waits to put in remaining ingredients
• Fold the empanadas and let Bug do the fork crimping (make it look prettier if necessary)
• Brush egg wash over empanadas
• Bake the empanadas
• Eat the empanadas and say “mmm” a lot