Mini Muffin Tin Taco Bites

Bite size taco cups made in mini muffin tins. These Mini Muffin Tin Taco Bites are perfect for the kids for lunch, dinner, or snacking. They also make great appetizers for parties.

This post is sponsored by Gay Lea! I am proud to be a brand ambassador for them. All opinions are my own. Thanks to all the companies, and readers, who help support Cravings of a Lunatic.

Long time, no post. I know, I know. You probably thought I vanished into thin air. Life has been crazy busy lately. My daughter was out of town taking a first responders course so I was puppy sitting Miss Ellie for her.

Then my computer decided to stage a mutiny and I could not upload any photos. I could not download any photos. Plus all the photos in my photo library vanished. I almost had heart failure over that last one.

I spent 2 days trying to fix it myself before I gave up and called Apple Care. Luckily after hours of investigating and chatting online, we figured out the problems and fixed them. Thankfully my photos were okay.

Luckily I have clients such as Gay Lea who are very understanding when life goes awry. I was finally able to upload my photos so I could share this month’s theme: Kids in the Kitchen. March Break has arrived, people.

My kids are huge taco fiends. I suspect they get it from their mother. I also happen to be a huge taco fanatic. So it seemed fitting to make tacos for this month’s theme. I mean what kid doesn’t enjoy a great taco?

These ones are miniature tacos and when I say mini I really mean it. I made the shells in mini muffin tins. Not regular size muffin tins. Nope. Not good enough for this gal. I wanted teeny-tiny, itty-bitty taco bites.

Essentially these are One Bite Tacos. If you have a big appetite you could even call them Half-a-Bite Tacos. Whatever floats your boat. Call them whatever you like. One Bite Tacos, Half-a-Bite Tacos, or Mini Taco Heaven.

I’m down with whatever name you choose as long as you whip up lots and invite me over. I love a good taco. Or ten. Or twenty. There’s something about them that just brings happiness to the masses, including kiddos.

What I love about these mini tacos is kids can do them up any way they like. You can set out all the fixings in little bowls or mason jars and just let the kids go to town. They can customize to their heart’s content.

Mini tacos are beyond awesome for lunches too. You could say these tacos are “not too cool for school”. They are just cool enough. Tacos are perfect as leftovers and taste fabulous cold. No joke. I could eat a million of them.

These are super easy to make. You use biscuit cutters to cut the tortillas to fit inside the mini muffin tins. I used Gay Lea Spreadables Butter to make the tortillas soft enough to stuff in the mini muffin tins.

I also used Ivanhoe Old Sharpe for the cheese to top the tacos. I absolutely LOVE aged cheddar for tacos. Just make sure it’s really cold when shredding it. If it’s not super cold it becomes spreadable instead of shreddable.

This recipe is perfect for March Break. Keep your kids happy and occupied. Recipes like this get them involved in the cooking process and that is ALWAYS a good thing. Not only is it fun but it teaches them essential life skills.

When you start these make sure you set out a good cutting board to cut the tortillas with biscuit cutters. It’s super easy to use them. Just lay out each tortilla, then press the biscuit cutter down and give it a twist. Bam, little tortillas.

Once they are cut into tiny rounds you melt the butter and use a barbecue brush or silicone brush to spread butter on both sides of each round. This will soften them up to slide them into the muffin tins easily. Use something tiny to press them inside.

Then just cut cook up your ground beef and chop up all your toppings. Place them all in bowls or wide mouth mason jars to serve everything. The kids can make their own custom teeny-tiny tacos. Plus a mess. Just lay a tarp down. Done.

You can even serve them in muffin tins. Cool ones, NOT ones right out of the oven. C’mon, people, use your noggins. A nice cool muffin tin makes a great serving vessel for all the tiny ingredients. It looks cute and it’s super useful.

Enjoy March Break and any other day you’re lucky enough to spend with your hooligans. My kids are grown up and in their 20’s now. I miss the good old days when they were little and everything was an absolute adventure. I loved those days.

Adventures still abound when your kids are older. The adventures jus change a little bit. One thing that never changes is how much kids LOVE tacos. Go pick up some Gay Lea products and whip up some mini muffin tin taco bites with kiddos.

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Mini Muffin Tin Taco Bites

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

15 mins

Total Time

30 mins

 

Bite size taco cups made in mini muffin tins. These Mini Muffin Tin Taco Bites are perfect for the kids for lunch, dinner, or snacking. They also make great appetizers for parties.

Course: Main or Appetizer

Cuisine: Mexican

Author: Kim Beaulieu

Ingredients

• 1 package of medium or large tortillas cut into smaller rounds
• 3- 4 tablespoons Gay Lea Spreadables Butter
• 1 pound of cooked ground beef
• 1 package of taco seasoning or make your own
• 1 cup water
• Toppings:
• 1 head lettuce chopped finely
• 1 to mato chopped finely
• 1 sweet onion chopped finely
• 1 package Gay Lea Old Sharpe Cheese
• Optional:
• Sour cream
• Salsa
• Green onions
• Peppers

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Spray mini muffin tin with non-stick spray.
2. Cut tortillas into small rounds with biscuit cutters. Save the leftover pieces of tortilla, place them in a ziploc bag and stash them in the freezer. Leftover pieces are great for things like tortilla soup.
3. Place butter in a microwave safe bowl, place in microwave for about 20 seconds. Spread the butter on both sides of each tiny tortilla. Gently shape and press each tortilla into the muffin tins. You can use a small cup, measuring cup, or even the end of a honey dripper to help push each tortilla into the tins. Place in the oven and bake for about 5 to 8 minutes, depending on how light or dark you like your shells. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
4. Cook the ground beef in a skillet over medium heat on the stovetop. Use a wooden spoon to break up the meat as you cook, continue cooking until the meat is browned and the juices run clear. Add taco season and 1 cup of water, allow to come to a boil while stirring occasionally over medium-high heat, then reduce to simmer. Allow to simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the mixture is perfectly thick and not runny. Transfer taco meat to a serving vessel.
5. Chop up all the toppings and place them all in serving dishes.
6. Shred the cheese and place in a serving vessel. Call it a vessel, the kids will howl with laughter.
7. Place everything on the table and let the kids go to town making their mini muffin tin taco bites.
8. Serve with a big old taco loving smile!

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Toodles! xx