Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef ground turkey, or chicken
- 1 Tablespoon taco seasoning
- 1/4 cup shredded carrot optional
- 1/4 cup chopped bell pepper or baby spinach optional
- 2 pie crusts defrosted but unbaked
- 1/3 cup shredded Mexican cheese
- 1 egg for brushing
- salsa for dipping
Instructions
- To make the taco filling, set a medium skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the ground beef and start to break it apart into crumbles. (If using ground turkey or chicken, warm a drizzle of olive oil in the skillet first.) Add taco seasoning and shredded carrot or pepper, if using. Cook for 5-6 minutes, until the meat is browned, continuing to break it up into small pieces as you go. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Roll out the pie crusts on a pastry mat or the counter lightly dusted with flour. Use ghost-shaped cookie cutters to cut out shapes, being sure to have an even number — you’ll need one for the top and one for the bottom of each taco pie. Gather and roll out the scraps until all the pie crust is used.
- Arrange half of the cut ghost shapes on the pastry mat, leaving some space around each. Spoon a small amount of the taco filling into the middle of each ghost, then sprinkle a bit of cheese on top.
- Use anything small and round to cut out eyes and/or a mouth from the remaining ghost shapes. (I used the lid of a Crayola marker!) Place one of the shapes with a cut-out over each filled ghost on the baking sheets, then use the tines of a fork to gently seal all the edges.
- Mix the egg with a splash of water or milk in a small bowl to make an egg wash, then brush this on top of each mini pie.
- Bake for 10-14 minutes, until the tops are golden brown. Remove from the oven, let cool for a minute or two, then serve with salsa or guacamole for dipping. Enjoy!