PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Amy Rivera Nassar is on a mission to educate Philadelphians on this savory little piece of her Puerto Rican culture with pastelillos (Puerto Rican meat pies). It's a hot pocket that looks like a bigger version of an empanada but with thinner dough.
They're deep-fried and traditionally stuffed with chicken, ground beef or pizza flavors (cheese and tomato sauce), though Amy experiments with all kinds of fillings.
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Pastelillos are a favorite comfort food snack, appetizer or side dish that Nassar says you'll find everywhere on the island and in bodegas all around North Philadelphia where she was born and raised, the only child of 5 in her family not born on the island.
Now a married mother of two, she started Amy's Pastelillos as a side project in 2018 but says business really took off during the pandemic, as she offered them both cooked and frozen, make-at-home style.
You can find her popping up in cafes and markets around the city including the new plant-based Lightbox Cafe that just opened in Queen Village, where Amy is offering vegan pastelillos.
Amy's Pastelillos| Instagram
Lightbox Philly | Facebook | Instagram
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