Taco Braid

Taco Braid

1 lb ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1 packet taco seasoning
1/2 cup water
1 can Pillsbury refrigerated pizza crust dough
1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
2 tablespoons melted butter
2-3 cups chopped Romaine
2 tomatoes, chopped
Sour Cream
Taco Sauce or Salsa

Preheat the oven to 376^F.  Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.  

In a large skillet, cook the ground beef and onion, stirring often until browned and crumbly.  Add the taco seasoning and water, reduce heat to a simmer and cook 5-7 minutes until water has evaporated.

Meanwhile, unroll the pizza dough onto the parchment lined baking sheet and press/stretch until it's a 10 x15-inch rectangle.  With a pizza cutter or a small, sharp knife cut the dough on the long side of the rectangle into 1-1/2 x 3-inch strips (leaving a 4 inch wide section in the middle uncut).  

Spoon the ground beef mixture onto the uncut section of dough.  Top with 3/4 cup shredded cheese.  Fold one end of dough up over the meat and begin criss-crossing the sections over the meat, pinching the end strips to seal the meat mixture inside.  

Brush the top of the braid with melted butter and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.  

Allow to cool 5 minutes before serving with the lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream and salsa.  

This was good with the accompanying salad ingredients, but the braid by itself is kinda lacking, so don't serve it by itself!  

Adapted from a recipe found on Pinterest and linked to: http://www.365daysofbakingandmore.com/taco-braid/