Fun Party Idea: Taco Ring Recipe!

When we get together with my family, it seems like we wait around forever for the food to come.  With over 19 great-grandchildren alone, there are fingers in the food long before the table is set! The first time I tried a taco ring recipe, I was blown away by how simple it was. But it looked amazing too! People were always asking how I did it?

To help appease the appetites of the hungry masses this year, I put together an easy Taco Ring recipe, made from basic ingredients.  It was easy to make it at home in the few minutes before I left for Grandma's House, and heat it a bit before putting it on the appetizer table.

​Easy Taco Ring Recipe

To make this dish, you'll need the following ingredients:

• 2 Tubes Crescent Rolls
• 2 Packages Taco Seasoning 
• 2 Pounds Ground Beef
• 2 Cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese
• Taco "Fixins", including Shredded Lettuce, Chopped Tomatoes, Guacamole, Sour Cream, Olives, etc.

Start by browning your hamburger and seasoning it with the taco seasoning mix according to the directions on the mix package.

While the meat is cooling, start creating your "ring" with the crescent rolls.  Pull apart each perforated "triangle" sheet from the crescent roll dough, and lay them out in a circle on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  To create the ring, place the points out and overlap each triangle slightly at the wide base (toward the middle.)

Portion out the taco meat along the widest part of the dough "ring", making sure it stays contained to the dough and doesn't spill out.  Then, cover the meat with the shredded cheese.

Your ring should look like this:
 

Now, you can "wrap" up your ring by bringing the points of each triangle in toward the center of the ring.  Secure the dough by pressing the points against the dough in the very center.
 

It's OK if your dough isn't wrapped tight.  Any slack in the dough will disappear once it bakes and puffs up.

Bake the ring in the over at the same temperature as indicated on your crescent roll package.  Watch the ring and remove it once the top is golden brown.  Check the inside of one part of the ring by poking it with a toothpick.  There should be no "doughy" middle.
 

Serve the ring anyway you wish.  I chose to put it on a pretty round platter with toppings in the middle and around the outsides.  You can choose to put a large bowl of salsa in the middle, as well!

To prepare for serving, use a pizza cutter to separate pieces of the ring in the breaks along the dough.  You can serve it easily with a pie server.
 

Taco Ring Recipe Add-Ons

Variations on this dish can personalize the recipe and make it more "fancy" for parties when you with to impress. Things that I like to do to the dish include:

• adding peppers and onions to the meat mixture
• spreading refried beans over the meat
• sprinkling cheese on top before baking, or adding refried beans

Just remember, adding more mixture will increase the baking time slightly.

​What fun ideas do you have to personalize your taco ring recipe? You might also like trying out this taco melt  recipe!