Description
Cheesy Taco Sticks are a delicious and easy-to-make snack or appetizer, featuring seasoned ground beef and melted cheese wrapped in crispy pizza dough. Perfect for parties, game days, or a fun family meal, these flavorful bites combine the zest of taco seasoning with gooey colby jack and cheddar cheese sticks, baked to golden perfection.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat Filling
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1 packet taco seasoning mix, or homemade taco seasoning
Dough and Cheese
- 1 tube Pillsbury Pizza Dough
- 5 colby jack and cheddar cheese sticks, halved
Topping
- 4 tbsp butter, melted
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried parsley
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure it reaches the right temperature by the time your taco sticks are ready to bake.
- Prepare Baking Sheet: Lightly coat a large baking sheet with non-stick spray to prevent the sticks from sticking and set it aside.
- Cook Ground Beef: In a skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon until fully browned and crumbled. Drain any excess fat from the skillet. Return the skillet to the stove and mix in the taco seasoning mix, skipping any water. Stir until the beef is evenly coated with the seasoning. Remove from heat and allow the meat to cool to room temperature.
- Prepare Dough: Roll out the pizza dough into a flat rectangle. Cut the dough lengthwise in half, then make 4 cuts up and down to create 10 small rectangular pieces.
- Assemble Taco Sticks: Place about a tablespoon or more of the seasoned taco meat in the center of each dough rectangle. Top each with a halved cheese stick. Carefully roll up each piece to enclose the filling, pinching all seams tightly to seal the sticks properly.
- Brush with Butter Mixture: In a small bowl, combine the melted butter, garlic powder, and dried parsley. Brush this flavorful mixture generously onto the tops of each cheesy taco stick.
- Bake: Place the prepared sticks on the baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and the cheese inside is melted.
- Serve: Remove the cheesy taco sticks from the oven and serve them hot with your favorite taco toppings or dips for an extra burst of flavor.
Notes
- You can use leftover taco meat in this recipe. However, if you make the full 1 lb. of ground beef, you will likely have extra taco meat. It can be frozen and saved for later use.
- Be sure to pinch all seams of the dough tightly to prevent cheese and meat from leaking during baking.
- For a spicier kick, add some chopped jalapeños or sprinkle cayenne pepper into the taco meat.
- Serve with sour cream, guacamole, or salsa for dipping.
