Celebrating Spring With Great Value Recipes: Taco Ring & Spring Chocolate-Dipped Cookie Sticks

Before I was pregnant with my 6 year old daughter, my friend Jackie made a Taco Ring using Refrigerated Crossants and my hubby and I loved it! I of course asked for the recipe but have yet to make it.  Now that Spring is here, I will be giving it a shot since this recipe is easy to prepare and will make for a nice appetizer for any Spring Festivities.  To get in the Spring frame of mind and to make sure I don’t mess up this recipe, I’ll be doing a Mini Spring Party.  You like my Spring Decorations?

Onto the food…

Taco Ring

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 package taco seasoning mix
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 2 (8-ounce) cans of Great Value refrigerated crescent rolls

*See optional ingredients below.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Lightly grease a 12-inch pizza pan.
3. In a large enough skillet cook the ground beef until it is fully cooked (no longer pink)
4. Drain the meat once it is cooked and then put it back into the skillet.
5. Stir in taco seasoning (follow package directions). Remove from heat and set aside.
6. Add cheese, stirring until it melts.
7. Unroll crescent rolls. Place wide end of triangles in center of pizza pan, forming a ring, overlapping dough as necessary.
8. Spoon meat & cheese into the center of each triangle.
9. Bring smaller ends of triangles over meat, tucking ends under.
10. Bake 20 minutes, or until rolls are golden. Serve warm.

Optional:

Feel free to add various taco toppings and place them in the center of the ring (lettuce, tomato, salsa, sour cream and guacamole)

For dessert…

Spring Chocolate-Dipped Cookie Sticks

Ingredients:

• 1 package of Great Value refrigerated cookie dough (choose the type you like best…I’ll be going for Chocolate Chip)
• Chocolate candy melts
• Assorted Easter sprinkles

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°
2. Shape the refrigerated dough into (2 1/2-inch-long) ropes and place them on parchment paper-lined baking sheets.
3. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.
4. Cool completely on wire racks.
5. While the cookies are cooling, microwave the chocolate melts in a microwave-safe bowl at HIGH stirring every 30 seconds until melted.
6. Dip ends of cookies in melted chocolate
7. Roll them in sprinkles.
8. Place on wax paper, and let stand until firm.

Wish me luck!  I’ll be posting pics and letting you know how these Great Value Recipes turn out next week.