Easy-to-Eat Baked Taco Pockets With Pizza Dough

This week, @athomewithastghik brings together two family favorites, tacos and pizza! She uses pizza dough to capture delicious taco ingredients creating easy-to-eat Taco Pockets! As a bonus, she includes the recipes for her toppings, sides, and homemade spice blend, so you can dress your pockets up as much or as little as your family prefers! 

You’ll find recipes for: 

• Taco Pockets + Taco Seasoning
• Garlic butter
• Spinach Guacamole 
• Black Bean Salad + Dressing

Taco Pockets

These are a fun and easy way for kids to eat tacos. I prepared the taco mixture by cooking the ground beef with a homemade taco seasoning. Then I spooned some of the taco meat mixtures and some shredded cheese into cut-up pizza dough squares and formed little pockets.

Finally, I baked them in the oven and served them with Spinach Guacamole and a Black Bean Salad. They all paired so nicely together!

Ingredients:

*2 pizza doughs, either homemade or store-bought

*taco meat mixture

*some shredded mozzarella cheese

*garlic butter (optional)

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 450F
• Flour your work surface, if necessary.
• Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough to your desired thickness. I rolled mine out into a 12x12 inch square.
• Cut the dough into even-sized squares. I cut mine out into 3-inch squares, which resulted in 16 pieces from one sheet.
• Spoon 2 teaspoons of the taco meat mixture on one side of each square.
• Add 1 teaspoon shredded mozzarella cheese on top of the taco meat.
• Carefully fold the dough over on top of itself and push it down with your fingers to seal it closed.
• Transfer the pizza pockets to a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and parchment paper.

Note: when making pizza, I like to line my baking sheet first with aluminum foil and top it with parchment paper, so the food touches the parchment paper.

Brush the garlic butter (optional) over the surface of the pockets and bake it in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.

Taco Pocket Meat Mixture:

This mixture is good for two pizza doughs

💛1 pound ground beef, thawed

💛 2 teaspoons chili powder

💛1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

💛1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

💛1/2 teaspoon onion powder

💛1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika

💛1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

💛1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

💛1 teaspoon ground flaxseed

💛1/2 teaspoon salt

💛1/4 cup water

Instructions: 

• To a bowl, add the spices (chili powder, ground cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, sweet paprika, dried oregano, ground cinnamon, ground flaxseed, and salt). Mix it all with a fork to combine and set it aside.
• Allow a skillet to get hot, and add the thawed ground beef. Cook the beef over medium heat while constantly breaking it up with a cooking utensil. Cook until the meat isn’t pink and is cooked thoroughly. Add the prepared spices and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
• Add the water and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
• Transfer the taco meat mixture to a glass/heat-proof bowl and set it aside.

Garlic butter

(this is optional. I like to brush the pizza dough with garlic butter before placing it in the oven)

Ingredients:

💛3 tablespoons butter 

💛4 large garlic cloves roughly diced 

Method:

💛Melt the butter in a small saucepan

💛Add the garlic cloves 

💛Allow garlic to cook in butter for about 1-2 minutes. Just enough time to help infuse the butter with the garlic flavor but not too long, so it doesn’t get bitter. It’s ready to use.

Spinach Guacamole

Ingredients:

🥑2 Hass ripe avocados, cubed

🥑1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice

🥑1/4 cup cilantro, finely diced

🥑1/4 cup spinach, finely diced

🥑1/4 teaspoon salt (or may leave the salt out and add some garlic powder to taste)

Instructions:

Scoop the flesh out of the avocados and place them in a bowl. To the bowl, add the lemon juice and mash the avocado with the fork, making sure to mix the juice in with the avocado. Add the diced cilantro and spinach (you may add more or less depending on your preference). Add salt and mix to combine the ingredients.

Note: you may add a small pinch of granulated garlic and or granulated onion in place of salt

Cover with plastic wrap, making sure it is touching the guacamole’s surface and the insides of the bowl or container to remove the layer of air, so it doesn’t turn brown. Store it in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it.

Black Bean Salad

Ingredients:

• 1-hearts of romaine, thinly sliced
• 1 cup cilantro, finely diced
• 1 cup spinach, finely diced
• 1 cup corn
• 1 apple, shredded
• 15 ounces canned black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 red bell pepper, small diced
• 1 mango, small diced

Dressing:

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/4 cup oil, I used avocado oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

Tortilla strips sprinkle before serving

Method:

• Add the ingredients to a large bowl (hearts of romaine, cilantro, spinach, corn, shredded apple, black beans, red bell pepper, and mango. Mix to combine.
• To a separate bowl, add the oil, lemon juice, and salt. Mix with a fork in a whisking motion to combine. This will be the dressing for the salad.
• Pour the dressing over the salad and mix to combine.
• Sprinkle with tortilla strips before serving, so it doesn’t get soggy.

 

Does your family love all things pizza? They'll love these heart-shaped pizza bites!