When I was growing up, taco night was super exciting. My mom would bring out this special dish we had with individual compartments for each taco topping. The dish was round, with a circle in the center which was always filled with taco sauce. The other sections were piled high with seasoned ground beef, sharp cheddar cheese, torn iceberg lettuce and chopped tomatoes. She would warm the soft and hard taco shells in the oven, and dinner was served.

On Cinco De Mayo or the fifth of May, the taco ring is an easy, flavorful and fun way to celebrate at home. Cinco de Mayo is a holiday that celebrates the date of the Mexican army’s May 5, 1862 surprise victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War. It’s a commemoration of Mexican culture and heritage. 

Instead of taco shells, the taco ring is made up of crescent dough, using a canned tube of crescent rolls. You can shape it however you’d like — as a ring or even a braid. Who doesn’t love taco meat wrapped in soft bread? Warm and cheesy, it satisfies even the most picky eaters. Serve it with sour cream, fresh guacamole and a pitcher of margaritas, and May 5 is made. Have a happy Cinco De Mayo and be sure to visit SomeKindaGood.com for more Mexican dishes, like my Light Mexican Casserole Heavy on Flavor, Go-To Guacamole and salty Jalapeno Margaritas. Let’s fiesta like there’s no manana! 

You can also find this recipe and others like it in my best-selling memoir, Some Kinda Good. Signed copies are available for ordering on my website, RebekahLingenfelser.com or at the Georgia Southern University Store in Statesboro. 

Some Kinda Good Taco Ring

Ingredients:

• 1 medium onion, chopped

• 3 garlic cloves, sliced

• 1 jalapeno, chopped

• 2 pounds of ground beef or venison

• 1 taco seasoning packet

• 1 cup of water

• 1 tube of crescent rolls

• Taco toppings of your choice, such as:

• Shredded sharp cheddar

• Chopped tomatoes

• Shredded lettuce

• Sour cream

• Fresh guacamole

• Fresh lime slices

Directions:

I used ground venison to make the meat filling, but ground beef is delicious in this recipe too.

Heat oven to 375°F. In a skillet, cook beef until no longer pink, along with onion, garlic and jalapeno. Add taco seasonings and water. Simmer 3 to 4 minutes or until slightly thickened. Unroll the can of dough; separate into 8 triangles. On an ungreased large cookie sheet, arrange triangles in a ring, so short sides of triangles form a circle. Dough will overlap. Spoon beef mixture on the half of each triangle closest to the center of the ring. Sprinkle the top with cheese. You will most likely have more beef than you need. Be careful not to overfill. Bring each dough triangle up over filling, tucking dough under the bottom layer to secure. Repeat around the ring. Some filling will show. Bake for 25 minutes or until the dough is golden brown and thoroughly baked. Cool 5 to 10 minutes before cutting into serving slices. Fill the center with toppings.