Empanadas as Latin American Sandwiches

• If you think of empanadas as Spanish or Latin American versions of American sandwiches, then you'll discover plenty of options for rounding out a meal. Serve roasted sweet potato or white potato wedges or crunchy chips for a vegetable course. Or serve the empanadas alongside a mug or cup of tomato soup with a few carrot sticks on the side for a Latin American-style comfort meal. Or think deli style and serve the empanadas with a dill pickle spear and a serving of coleslaw.

Spanish Specialities

• Let the flavors of Spain provide inspiration for dinner accompaniments to sausage empanadas. For example, garnish a green salad with Spanish olives, grated Spanish sheep cheese, called manchego, and a sherry vinaigrette dressing. Spice up sauteed vegetables with smoked paprika or sumac, a Moroccan spice with flavors of citrus. Or serve Spanish rice studded with toasted almonds or hazelnuts, roasted red peppers and parsley.

Mexican Standbys

• Serve empanadas instead of enchiladas or tamales at your next Mexican dinner. Serve a green salad with orange, avocado and red onion slices for a fresh counterpoint to the empanadas. In winter, serve roasted winter squash sprinkled with chili powder, and switch to zucchini in the summer. For a more filling meal when the weather is cold, add a pot of spicy pinto or black beans to the meal, with red tomato salsa or green chili salsa verde stirred in.

A Balancing Act

• Because sausage empanadas are spicy and hot, cooling side dishes give your palate some relief. A salad with a dairy-based dressing, such cucumbers with dill and sour cream, would do the trick, as would a fruit salad with a light and slightly sweet sour cream dressing. A bit of lemon or lime juice brightens up either salad and balances the saltiness and richness of the sausage empanadas.