Taco Sticks with Cheese (Print Format)

Seasoned beef and cheese inside pizza dough make these deliciously soft, golden taco sticks perfect for sharing.

# Ingredients:

→ Taco Filling

01 - 1 pound lean ground beef
02 - 1 teaspoon minced garlic
03 - 1 package taco seasoning plus water as per package instructions

→ Dough and Assembly

04 - 2 cans Pillsbury Pizza Dough
05 - 12 Colby Jack cheese sticks
06 - ¼ cup unsalted butter
07 - 1 teaspoon garlic powder
08 - 1 teaspoon dried parsley

# Steps:

01 - Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
02 - Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
03 - Keep the tubes of pizza dough refrigerated until ready to use.
04 - Cook ground beef on medium-high heat in a frying pan for 5-7 minutes until fully cooked. Drain excess fat.
05 - Add minced garlic, taco seasoning, and water as per package instructions to the pan. Cook on high heat for 2-3 minutes until the water has evaporated. Remove from heat.
06 - Unroll pizza dough onto the parchment paper and shape into a 12x8-inch rectangle. Cut each tube of dough into six 4x4-inch rectangles, yielding 12 pieces in total.
07 - Scoop approximately 3 tablespoons of the meat mixture into the center of each dough rectangle. Cut each cheese stick in half and place one half on top of the meat.
08 - Bring up the sides of the dough and pinch them together, pinching the ends and folding them up into the same side as the center seam. Ensure the dough isn’t stretched too thin.
09 - Melt butter in a microwave-safe container, then mix in garlic powder and dried parsley. Use a pastry brush or spoon to coat each taco stick with the butter mixture.
10 - Place the taco sticks seam-side down onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake in the oven for 12-14 minutes or until the tops are lightly browned.

# Tips:

01 - Ensure that pizza dough remains cold until assembly to facilitate handling.