Mini Taco Salad Appetizer Food

MINI TACO SALAD APPETIZER

Steps:

• Brown meat in medium skillet; drain. Stir in taco seasoning mix and water; simmer 10 min., stirring occasionally.
• Arrange chips in single layer on platter; fill with lettuce, meat mixture, salsa and cheese.

MINI TACO BITES

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Preheat oven to 350 F. Make pico de gallo: combine tomato, onion, jalapeño, garlic, cilantro, and lime juice. Season with salt and pepper and stir.
• Use a 3-inch cookie cutter to cut out 4 small taco shells from each tortilla. Save the scraps and toast them for a crispy garnish for salads or soups . Warm the tortillas for 10 to 20 seconds, covered, in a microwave, or wrap in foil and heat in a warm oven until pliable.
• Brush both sides of each tiny tortilla using 2 teaspoons of oil and sprinkle with salt, keeping them covered and warm in between. Press into openings of a mini muffin tin. Repeat with 11 more little tortillas, lightly reheating if needed to keep them pliable.
• Repeat with a second mini muffin tin or repeat after cooking first batch of mini taco shells, for a total of 24.
• Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned.
• Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 teaspoon of oil followed by ground beef . Cook, breaking up into small pieces, until no longer pink. Use a spoon to scoop out any excess oil.
• Add picante sauce, chili powder, and cumin. Season with salt and pepper and stir. Simmer for about 5 to 10 minutes, or until no longer watery. Taste for seasoning.
• Add a heaping spoonful of beef mixture to each tortilla shell, followed by a dollop of crema, a scoop of homemade pico de gallo, and a sprig of cilantro.

TINY TACOS

Steps:

• Add oil, onion, and ground beef to a cast iron skillet set over medium-high heat. Add salt, chili powder, cumin, chipotle, garlic powder, black pepper, oregano, and cayenne. Break beef apart with a spatula to mix in spices; cook until browned and crumbled into very small pieces, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Stir in tomato paste and water and return to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until most of the liquid has reduced, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in jalapeno peppers and cook for 1 minute. Turn off the heat, taste, and adjust seasoning.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Stack up 2 or 3 corn tortillas at a time and use a 2-inch round pastry cutter to cut 4 small circles out of each stack, making 60 total. Place circles in a single layer, 1/2 inch apart, on sheet pans.
• Mix Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheeses together. Top each tortilla circle with cheese, using the pastry cutter to keep it from spilling onto the pan. Repeat with remaining tortillas and cheese. Top each with about 1 teaspoon taco beef and another teaspoon cheese.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cheese melts, about 3 minutes.
• Remove from the oven. Carefully fold each tortilla in half, being careful not to press out the filling. Allow to cool for a few minutes, then chill in the refrigerator until firm, about 20 minutes.
• Heat vegetable oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches and adding more oil as necessary, pan-fry tacos until crispy and heated through and the edges are a bit caramelized, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.

MINI PHYLLO TACOS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a small skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink, breaking into crumbles; drain. Stir in taco seasoning and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in 1/2 cup cheese blend. , Place tart shells in an ungreased 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Fill with taco mixture. , Bake 6 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese blend; bake until cheese is melted, 2-3 minutes longer. Freeze option: Freeze cooled taco cups in a freezer container, separating layers with waxed paper. To use, reheat on a baking sheet in a preheated 350° oven until crisp and heated through.

MINI TACO SALAD APPETIZERS

Steps:

• Brown meat in medium skillet on medium heat; drain.
• Stir in 1/3 cup salsa; simmer on medium-low heat 10 min., stirring occasionally.
• Place chips in single layer on platter; fill with lettuce and meat mixture. Top with remaining salsa and cheese.