Cooking Cheesy Beef Taco Crescent Cups with Kids

I was asked by Carusele to participate in the #LaurasLean campaign, sponsored by Laura’s Lean. Although I have been compensated, all opinions are my own.

If your child is home from school, one the best things you can do with them is get in the kitchen and get cooking. Kids can learn so much while cooking. They can practice simple math concepts, along with their reading skills as they help to read a recipe. Also, you will create some wonderful memories with your child as you cook together. Plus, there is the added bonus of eating a delicious meal at the end of the experience. Today we will be Cooking Cheesy Beef Taco Crescent Cups with Kids.

Cooking with kids can be a fun experience, but be sure to properly supervise them and go over safety rules, considering their age and personality.

WHAT INGREDIENTS DO I NEED FOR CHEESY TACO CRESCENT CUPS?

• 92% Laura’s Lean Ground Beef
• Crescent roll dough
• Enchilada sauce
• Black beans
• Corn
• Taco seasoning
• Diced tomatoes
• Shredded Mexican or cheddar cheese mix

I used 1 pound of 92% Laura’s Lean Ground Beef to make these beef taco crescent cups with my kids. Whenever I am making a dish with ground beef, I like to use a quality beef like Laura’s Lean, because it really makes such a difference in how the meal tastes. In the past we have used Laura’s Lean Ground Beef to make Baked Bacon Cheeseburger Sliders and 4 Ingredient Easy Meatballs.

What makes Laura’s Lean different from other “natural” beef? The fact that it is a “Never Ever” offering, which means the protein is sourced from suppliers that raise their cattle without ever using added hormones or antibiotics and are always vegetarian fed. When you choose Laura’s Lean, you’re choosing the balance of taste and nutrition for you and your family and that’s something you can feel good about.

Laura’s Lean 96% Ground Beef is certified through the American Heart Association heart check program and meets USDA standards for “Extra Lean”. Laura’s Lean claim must meet strict USDA standards to qualify as lean.

This recipe will make 12 taco crescent cups. Since most tubes of crescent dough come with 8 crescents, you will need two tubes for this recipe. My kids love opening the tubes of crescent rolls as they love the pop that it makes when it opens.

Lay the crescent roll dough on a flat surface and have your child seal the seams with their fingers to make one larger piece of dough.

Next, have your child slice the dough into 8 squares using a pizza cutter.

Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray and form each square of crescent dough into a cup in the tin. Set the muffin tin aside when done.

Now it’s time to cook your Laura’s Lean ground beef. Did you know that each 4oz serving of Laura’s Lean contains less than 10g of fat, 4.5g or less of saturated fat and less than 95mg of cholesterol per 100g serving? That is why when I can’t shop in person and can only do so online, I always make sure to ask for Laura’s Lean. Laura’s Lean 92% ground beef, 96% ground beef and 92% beef patties are sold at retail stores nationwide.

Place ground beef into a heated skillet.

Break up the beef with a spatula and cook until browned. If you have an older child, they can help with this step with supervision. Before letting your child use the stove, be sure you have gone over safety instructions with them.

Once the ground beef has browned, drain the pan. Then it is time to add some of the other ingredients. Pour in the enchilada sauce and add the taco seasoning mix.

Then add in the corn and cook for a few minutes over medium heat.

Once the beef, corn, sauce and seasoning has cooked through a bit, remove the mixture from the pan and place in a bowl. Add the beans and diced tomatoes to the bowl and mix carefully.

Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, scoop up the beef mixture and pour into the crescent cups.

Each cup will get 1/4 cup of the mixture.

Sprinkle the top of each beef taco crescent cup with shredded Mexican cheese.

Bake in a 375 degree oven for 16-20 minutes.

Remove from the oven and enjoy! You could serve these with a side salad, but they are really filling on their own.

My kids loved how these cheesy beef taco crescent cups have all their favorite flavors in a crispy and flaky crescent roll.

My daughter was so proud of the meal that she helped create! I hope you enjoyed this recipe and that helps you and your child spend some quality time together. Remember, you don’t ever need to sacrifice taste for nutrition since Laura’s Lean Beef is a premium, better-for-you beef. So trade up and try Laura’s Lean beef when you are cooking cheesy beef taco crescent cups with your kids.

5 from 6 votes

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Cooking Cheesy Beef Taco Crescent Cups with Kids

Course Dinner

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword beef taco crescent cups

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Servings 6

Calories 236 kcal

Ingredients

• 2 tubes crescent rolls you will have leftover dough
• 1 lb 92% Laura’s Lean Ground Beef
• 1/2 cup enchilada sauce
• 1 oz taco seasoning
• 1/2 cup corn
• 1/2 cup black beans
• 1/2 cup diced tomatoes
• 3/4 cup shredded Mexican cheese mix
• cooking spray

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Spray a 12 count muffin tin with cooking spray.

3. Open a tube of crescent rolls and lay the dough on a flat surface. Seal the seams with your fingers to make one larger piece of dough. This will make 8 squares so you will need to use a second tube of dough and repeat the process to get 4 additional squares of dough.

4. Slice the dough into 8 squares using a pizza cutter.

5. Form each square of crescent dough into a cup in the tin. Set the muffin tin aside when done.

6. Place ground beef into a heated skillet. Break up the beef with a spatula and cook over medium heat until no longer pink.

7. Once the beef has browned, drain the pan and add in the enchilada sauce, taco seasoning mix and corn. Cook for a few minutes over medium heat, stirring to combine.

8. Remove the mixture from the pan and place in a bowl. Add the beans and diced tomatoes to the bowl and mix carefully.

9. Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, scoop up the beef mixture and pour into the crescent cups.

10. Sprinkle the top of each beef taco crescent cup with shredded Mexican cheese.

11. Bake in 375 degree oven for 16-20 minutes. If the edges are browning too fast, place foil over the pan. Remove from oven and let cool a bit before removing from muffin pan.

Nutrition Facts

Cooking Cheesy Beef Taco Crescent Cups with Kids

Amount Per Serving

Calories 236 Calories from Fat 108

% Daily Value*

Fat 12g18%

Saturated Fat 6g38%

Cholesterol 62mg21%

Sodium 707mg31%

Potassium 371mg11%

Carbohydrates 12g4%

Fiber 3g13%

Sugar 3g3%

Protein 21g42%

Vitamin A 726IU15%

Vitamin C 5mg6%

Calcium 111mg11%

Iron 3mg17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

This nutritional information is approximate and was calculated using online calculators. Your nutritional information may vary depending on numerous factors.