As I said the other day I have been struggling with dinner ideas lately.   I have my monthly menu all set up but nothing on there is inspiring me right at the moment.  It has been chilly and dark for a few days here in Southwest Michigan so I am looking to curl up with a good book and forget about dinner.  Lately it has been half an hour before dinner and I am creating something quick to have on the table before the children start a revolution.

Wonton and Rice paper wrappers have become my new favorite food item.  I love that you can stuff them with all kinds of different foods to create new dishes.  I saw a post on Pinterest about using the tiny “Scoops” chips into little taco bowls.  I thought let’s take it a step further and create fun Taco “Cupcakes” for the kids to decorate.

Verdict:

It was a hit.  The kids loved that they could “decorate” or fill their taco with their favorite toppings and I loved the ease of dinner.  I would definitely make these for a sleep over or party with quite a few guests because each person can make it on their own with their favorite toppings.

We had a discussion at the table about the wonton versus tortilla shells.  For my mostly gluten free son I made a taco bowl out of a corn tortilla but the rest of us realized we preferred the wonton wrappers to tortillas for tacos.  They are thinner and not as “bready” as the tortillas and we could break off parts of the top and use them as a scoop to eat the rest of the taco before breaking into it with a fork.

I served this with a spinach salad on the side.

Taco Cupcakes (undecorated)

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lb. ground beef
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 cup water
• 12 Wonton wrappers
• 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• Taco Toppings such as: diced onions, diced tomatoes, extra cheese, sliced olives, sour cream, salsa, taco sauce, lettuce or spinach….

Directions:

1. Prepare a cupcake tin by spraying cups with non-stick spray.  Place one wonton wrapper in each cupcake hole.  Try to get sides to stand up as best as possible.  This makes it easier to place your toppings on.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. Cook ground beef in skillet over medium heat.  As it is browning break the meat into small pieces with the side of a spoon.
4. When meat is cooked through drain off any excess grease.
5. Add water, and all spices to the meat and stir well.  Return pan to medium heat and allow meat to absorb water and to heat through.
6. When meat is warmed through and water is gone divide meat evenly among the wonton wrappers.  Press slightly down to get the meat to the bottom of the cup.  Top each with a sprinkle of the shredded cheddar cheese.
7. Bake for 5-7 minutes.  Edges of wrappers will be brown and crispy and the cheese will be melted.  Watch carefully that they do not over cook or burn.
8. Remove pan from oven and serve with toppings.