Spooky Spider Taco Ring
Surprise family and friends this Halloween with this Spooky Spider Taco Ring. It combines classic taco flavors with flaky crescent roll dough for an eye-catching appearance. Spooky Spider Taco Ring is sure to be a hit with kids, young and old.
Servings: 8 Servings
Calories: 266kcal
Equipment
- Pizza stone or half-sheet pan
- Parchment paper or silicone mat
Ingredients
Taco Meat that I Used (See Tip 1)
- 1 pound (16 ounces) ground beef (93% lean)
- 1 (1 ounce) package taco seasoning
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 10 ounce can Original Rotel diced tomatoes with green chilies
- ½ cup water
- 1 cup (4 ounces) Velveeta Cheese, cubed
- 1 Tablespoon corn meal for thickening (optional)
Spooky Spider Taco Ring
- Your favorite taco meat made with one pound of ground beef or use the recipe above
- ¼ cup (1 ounce) shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese
- ¼ cup (1 ounce) shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
- 3 8-ounce cans of refrigerated Crescent Roll Dough
- 2 ½ cups shredded lettuce
- ½ cup light sour cream
- ⅓ cup diced tomatoes
- 2 sliced black olives (for the eyes)
Instructions
Taco Meat that I Used
- Brown and crumble ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat until no longer pink. Drain in a colander and rinse under hot water to remove as much of the fat as possible. (See Tip 2)
- Return cooked ground beef to the same skillet. Add taco seasoning, chili powder, cumin, oregano, Rotel tomatoes, and water. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally over medium heat. Lower heat; cover and cook for 30 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated.
- Remove the cover. Add Velveeta cheese. Replace the cover for several minutes until the cheese has melted. Stir to combine. If desired, add corn meal to thicken the taco meat. Allow to come to room temperature. May be prepared in advance. Cover and refrigerate for a day or two.
Spooky Spider Taco Ring
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Combine taco meat with ¼ cup of shredded cheese and ¼ cup of Monterey Jack cheese.
- Open two cans of crescent roll dough; separate into 16 triangles. Place a 5-inch inverted bowl in the center of a parchment-lined pizza stone or silicone-lined baking sheet. Arrange the overlapping triangles with long ends against the bowl and pointed ends facing out. The ring should look like a sun. (See Tip 3)
- Remove the bowl. Place the taco/cheese mixture around the center of the ring using a jumbo scoop or spoon. Bring each dough triangle up over the filling, tucking the dough under to secure it. Repeat around the ring until the entire filling is enclosed. Bake in preheated 375°F oven for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown.
- While the taco ring is baking, make the spider legs. Open the remaining can of crescent roll dough. Separate into eight triangles. Fold the tip of each triangle down about one inch. Then, starting at a long end, roll into a 7-inch log. Form each log into a V-shape and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 375°F for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven.
- Allow the taco ring and spider legs to cool for about 30 minutes. Then fill the center of the taco ring with shredded lettuce. Pipe the sour cream at one end of the center over the lettuce and smooth with an offset spatula or spoon. Spoon the diced tomatoes next to the sour cream. Place the two black olive slices on the sour cream for the spider's eyes.
- Using a small paring knife, make small holes about halfway from the edge of the taco ring to the center between the crescent roll dough. Place one end of the spider's leg into the hole with the other end facing out. Repeat with remaining legs.
- Yield: 8 servings. (See Tip 4)
Video
Notes
- I'm including the recipe for the taco meat I used for anyone interested. Alternatively, you can use your favorite taco meat made with one pound of ground beef or ground turkey.
- Some object to my rinsing the cooked ground beef because it removes flavor. If you're one of those, then ignore that step. I've consistently found that the real flavor comes from the ingredients added to the cooked ground beef.
- I used my LeCreuset pizza stone for the taco ring to avoid transferring it to a cutting board later. I put some butter on the pizza stone and laid a piece of parchment paper cut in half over it. I used butter to help hold the parchment paper in place. I cut the parchment paper in half to make removing it easier once the taco ring was cooked. The one disadvantage of using the pizza stone was that it took longer to cool. In the past, I've used a half-sheet pan lined with a silicone mat, which works well.
- This dish is best eaten when made, because the filling used for the spider's face, doesn't reheat well.
Nutrition
Calories: 266kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 59mg | Sodium: 686mg | Potassium: 675mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1463IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 296mg | Iron: 3mg
