Upper Township Woman Wins Johnson’s 70th Anniversary Cook-Off

OCEAN CITY – Debbie Huber of Petersburg, N.J. won the 70th Anniversary Johnson’s Family Recipe Cook-off on Sept. 19 with her appetizer entry of Turkey & Goat Cheese Empanadas with Chipotle Cherry Sauce. Below is her winning recipe:
Turkey & Goat Cheese Empanadas with Chipotle Cherry Sauce
1/2 cup dried tart cherries, chopped
2/3 cup water
3/4 lb. ground turkey
3 T. packaged taco seasoning mix
1/2 cup pre-packaged crumbled goat cheese
1 box refrigerated pie crusts (2 crusts)
2/3 cup Smucker’s Orchard’s Finest Michigan Red Tart Cherry Preserves
1 Chipotle Chili Pepper in Adobe Sauce, seeded then finely chopped, PLUS 1/4 teaspoon reserved sauce
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Place cherries into small, microwaveable bowl and cover with 2/3 cup water. Cover lightly and microwave on high for 3 minutes. Let rest in bowl.
Spray a large skillet with no-stick cooking spray. Brown ground turkey on medium high, stirring frequently to make crumbly and to cook evenly. Add the taco seasoning mix and stir well; let cool slightly.
While meat is cooling, unroll pie crusts. Using a 3-inch cookie cutter, cut approximately 24 circles. Place the cut circles on an ungreased cookie sheet.
Drain the water from the dried cherries and add the cherries to the turkey along with the crumbled goat cheese. Place approximately 1 rounded Tablespoon of the turkey mixture on half of each crust circle, leaving space to seal at the edges. Gently fold the other side of each crust in half over the filling, sealing the edges with a little water and crimping with a fork.
Place in the preheated oven and bake for approximately 12 minutes or until lightly browned.
While the empanadas are baking, prepare the Cherry Chipotle Sauce. Combine the cherry preserves and the chipotle chili with the reserved adobo sauce, stirring well to combine. Microwave for one minute or until warmed and easy to stir. Stir well.