Empanadas could be the key to world peace. I’m convinced of it. A pastry disc, stuffed with meat, veggies and cheese, and then fried or baked. Take these to the next multi-party talks with North Korea or Iran, and I assure you that things will be better.

I don’t remember my first empanada but I do recall the excellent offerings at El Porteño in San Francisco. I’ve taken stabs at them here at Al Dente HQ. They key is the right blend of meat, veg and cheese that complement each other. What I’ve concluded during my short but distinguished empanada eating tenure is this: Unless you stuff the empanada with the contents of your dryer’s lint trap and whatever is collected in your belly button, you are not going to go wrong.

WHAT WORKED: Poblano peppers, being the most awesome of all the peppers, are hardy enough to act as the primary ingredient. They are thick walled, meaty, and not so hot that you can’t tolerate it.

WHAT DIDN’T: Me. I have a tendency to overstuff my first couple of empanadas. It’s all about getting into the rhythm of using just enough.

EASE OF PREPARATION: Medium-hard. It’s a tedious process to stuff and close these guys.

BEST FOR: There’s never not a good time for an empanada.

SERVE WITH: Cold tecates or some crema. I made a sour cream-lime juice dressing for the side.

Cheese and Poblano Empanadas

Adapted from Laylita’s original

8 poblano peppers

1 cup shredded Oaxaca cheese (NOTE: I couldn’t find this around here so I used Laylita’s suggestion of Monterrey jack)

1/2 to 3/4 cup crumbled goat cheese

20 Goya Foods frozen empanada discs, defrosted (or your own recipe for homemade)

1 egg, whisked

Rinse the poblano peppers and lay on a foil-lined baking sheet. With the oven rack at either the highest or second-highest position in the oven, broil the peppers until they blacken and blister on all sides. Remove the peppers then preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Remove the peppers from the oven and add to a large mixing bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand 10 minutes. Peel away the loosened skins, then remove the stems. Slit the pepper along the side to remove the seeds then cut into 1/2-inch to 1-inch pieces. Set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the cheeses, mixing gently by hand. Set that aside.

Line two baking sheets with foil. Set your first disc down on the baking sheet. Add a soup-spoonful of peppers to the disc, followed by a three-fingered pinch of cheese. Use your fingers to evenly distribute the cheese. Fold the disc over to make a semi-circle and ensure that the stuffing doesn’t hang out. Adjust your measure of cheese and pepper, and repeat until all of the empanadas are filled.

Fold the disc over to close the empanada. Use a small fork to pinch the edges of the disc to seal it. Repeat until all of your empanadas are closed, then brush each one with a small amount of egg to cover the outside.

Bake 20 minutes or until golden brown.