Taco Cupcakes

I love interesting food.  And this is one of the most interesting foods I've come across.  Not to mention deeelicious.  I made these for my Bunco group and they were a huge hit.  The variation possibilities are endless.  I made them as the recipe states, but you can add olives, green chiles, different vegetables...whatever your little heart desires.  And they're low-calorie! What could be better?

I found this recipe on one of my favorite blogs, Emily Bites.  I can't wait to try more of her healthy comfort food recipes.

Topped with light sour cream and homemade guacamole, this is comfort food at it's best!

Taco Cupcakes

Recipe by Emily Bites

Serves 8, 1 cupcake per serving

Ingredients:
1 ½ t chili oil (I used olive oil because I wanted to keep it mild)
½ lb 95% lean ground beef
1 T taco seasoning
¾ c canned black beans, drained and rinsed
16 wonton wrappers
5 T + 1 t salsa con queso (I used Tostitos because it was on sale)
1 c chunky salsa
1 cup reduced fat shredded Mexican cheese

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 375. Spray 8 muffin tin cups with cooking spray.  Next, heat your oil in a large pan over medium high heat.  Add your ground beef and taco seasoning and brown, breaking up the beef into little crumbles. (I use my Pampered Chef Mix N Chop for that...makes it so easy!)  Now it's time to add the black beans and cook the mixture for a few minutes until warmed through.

Now the fun begins :) Press a wonton wrapper into each of the prepared cups.  Put about a teaspoon of queso into the bottom of each cup and spread across the bottom.  Next, take half the meat mixture and divide it up among the 8 cups. Now divide half of the salsa mixture between the 8 cups.  Then take 1/2 of the cheese and sprinkle a little into each cup.

For the second layer, press a wonton wrapper on top and repeat the layering of the queso, meat mixture, salsa and cheese.

Starting the 2nd layer

Just before baking

Bake the cupcakes for 18-20 minutes...the wrappers will be golden brown and the filling will be a little bubbly. They come out of the tin easier if you let them cool for about 5 minutes. I know, I know! It was hard for me to wait too :)

Ole! The finished product!  I was cooking for a crowd so I doubled the recipe.

Nutritional Information:  Per Serving (from Mastercook): 184 Calories; 8g Fat (39.8% calories from fat); 11g Protein; 16g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 23mg Cholesterol; 512mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 1 1/2 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

5 WWP+

Note:  My nutritional information varies from that on the Emily Bites.  I'm thinking it's due to varying ingredient brands.  I use Mastercook software to calculate my nutritional values.  I recommend doublechecking nutritional values with whatever ingredient brands you're using.

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