Recipe of the week: Bear's Crunchy Taco Cups

[Bear Bibeault]

Bear’s Crunchy Taco Cups

1 medium onion, fine dice
1 lb ground beef
1/4 t celery salt
1/4 t cayenne pepper
1/2 t Adobo seasoning ¹
1/2 pouch Sazon seasoning ²
1 can Ro-tel diced tomatoes and green chiles ³
24 wonton wrappers
1 can refried beans (or home-made)
grated cheese
sour cream
cilantro, minced

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF.

2. Sauté onions in skillet until starting to brown. Add ground beef and spices. Cook until browned.

3. Add Ro-tel to beef and stir well. Heat through and remove from heat.

4. Heat refried beans.

5. Line the 12 wells of a standard cupcake pan with one wonton wrapper each.

6. Put a teaspoon or so of the refried beans in each wrapper.

7. Place another wrapper on top of beans and flatten out the bottom to spread beans evenly. Place the top wrapper at a 45º angle to the bottom wrapper.

8. Heap beef mixture into each cup until full. Top each with grated cheese.

9. Cook in oven until crunchy and cheese is melted; about 10 to 12 minutes.

10. Top each cup with a dollop of sour cream, and a sprinkling of cilantro.

Makes 12 taco cups.

¹ ² If you can’t find Adobo or Sazon, substitute some “taco seasonings” or any spice mixture of your tastes.

³ If you can't find a tomato/chile blend, make your own with diced tomatoes and chiles.

[Randy Maddocks]

Seriously Bear, you should start your own cooking show on the food network. I, for one, would tune in.    

[Bear Bibeault]

Thanks, Randy!

What I've always wanted to do -- and would love to find the time to do so -- is to make cooking videos that I could publish on YouTube or Vimeo or even here...

[Randy Maddocks]

Bear Bibeault wrote:What I've always wanted to do -- and would love to find the time to do so -- is to make cooking videos that I could publish on YouTube or Vimeo or even here...

And no doubt you would quickly build up a significant fan base...

[Tim Cooke]

I would love to see that Bear. You could have your own forum and everything! Oh it'd be so much fun!

[Tim Cooke]

If I were to make these I'd need to modify it slightly. My wife hates cilantro, or coriander as we call it over here.

[Bear Bibeault]

Tim Cooke wrote:If I were to make these I'd need to modify it slightly. My wife hates cilantro, or coriander as we call it over here.

It's just garnish, so easily omitted.

I've also made these with chopped chicken instead of ground beef.

[Paul Clapham]

Tim Cooke wrote:If I were to make these I'd need to modify it slightly. My wife hates cilantro, or coriander as we call it over here.

Is she one of those people who think it tastes like soap?

(I'm one of those people but it doesn't stop me from eating it.)

[Ron McLeod]

I made a batch of these for dinner tonight - delicious!

They are more filling than they might appear - two of these plus rice and/or salad is perfect.

Any suggestions on how to make the bottom shell a bit crispier?  Maybe cook them for a few minutes before adding the refried beans?

[Bear Bibeault]

Ron McLeod wrote:Maybe cook them for a few minutes before adding the refried beans?

That might do it. Also the muffin pan can make a difference: dark pan == crispier.

[Tim Cooke]

I'm liking the avocado stand-in for the cilantro. I shall have to try out these tasty looking morsels.

[Tony Docherty]

Wow Bear those look delicious. Is there no end to your talents.

Ron McLeod wrote:Any suggestions on how to make the bottom shell a bit crispier?

Some ovens have a 'Pizza' setting that I believe just heats the oven from the bottom which should do the trick. Alternatively sitting them on a heavy cast iron pan or pizza stone in the oven should help crisp up the bottom.

[Bear Bibeault]

Tony Docherty wrote:sitting them on a heavy cast iron pan or pizza stone in the oven should help crisp up the bottom.

Excellent idea.