Try this Cheesy Taco Sticks recipe, or contribute your own.
- Carbohydrate 3.10530170000146 g
- Cholesterol 43.0455311652324 mg
- Fat 11.411221051974 g
- Fiber 1.00228395980835 g
- Protein 8.53876965832069 g
- Saturated Fat 5.57634234367013 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (56g)
- Sodium 474.633936434018 mg
- Sugar 2.10301774019311 g
- Trans Fat 1.29703831852818 g
- Calories 149 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Lightly coat a large baking sheet with non-stick spray and set aside.
- Cook the ground beef in a skillet, breaking up with a wooden spoon until fully browned and crumbled. Drain any fat and return skillet to stove top. Mix in the taco seasoning packet (but no water), and stir until fully coated. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.*
- Spread the pizza dough out until it's flat and cut in half lengthwise and then 4 cuts up and down, creating a total of 10 small rectangles. Place about a tablespoon or more of the taco meat in the center of each pizza dough, top with a halved cheese stick and then carefully roll up the pizza stick, making sure to pinch all seams closed.
- Combine the melted butter, garlic powder and parsley in a small bowl and brush it on the tops of the cheesy taco sticks. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown on top. Serve hot with your favorite taco toppings!
Cooling the cooked ground beef down to room temperature before assembling prevents the butterfat in the cheese sticks from melting prematurely inside the raw dough. When working in a compact kitchen with limited counter space, spreading the cooked meat across a metal baking sheet speeds up this cooling phase significantly without requiring extra appliances. The structural integrity of these rolled snacks relies heavily on managing moisture levels and dough temperature.
- Drain excess fat thoroughly from the skillet after browning the beef to keep the pizza dough from becoming soggy during the 425 degrees Fahrenheit bake.
- Pinch the seams of the dough rectangles firmly with damp fingertips to create a tight seal that traps the melted colby jack and cheddar inside.
- Apply the melted butter, garlic powder, and parsley wash evenly across the surfaces just before sliding the baking sheet into the oven to encourage proper browning.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, watching closely for a deep golden crust that signals the dough is cooked through.
Standard baking sheets fit easily into apartment-sized ovens, though rotating the pan halfway through the bake time compensates for uneven heating elements. Properly sealed edges ensure that the filling remains enclosed while the exterior develops its characteristic crispness.
