Tiny Taco Tarts Recipe

By Scott Hall, RDN, LD

Here’s a recipe perfect for post-surgery portion control, as an appetizer, or featured on a holiday party spread. Credit for this recipe goes to the Kentucky Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, whose monthly newsletter always includes excellent recipe ideas (although the author/creator was not credited).

This recipe uses Phyllo shells (also called Filo dough), a wafer-thin unleavened dough. Phyllo is about as thin as you can make bread or pastry shell. You don’t need to be a professional baker to make these; you can find them premade in the freezer section at your grocery. For those minding their carbohydrate intake, these miniature shells contain 2 to 2.5 grams of starch each and about 20 calories.

The original recipe calls for lean ground beef. This version uses ground turkey to keep the recipe a bit lighter, lower in fat and calories, and higher in protein. (You could also use ground chicken).

Ingredients

• 12 ounces Ground Turkey (or chicken)
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 cup prepared mild taco sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 2 packages (2.1 ounces each) of frozen mini phyllo shells (30 shells total)
• 1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat Mexican cheese blend

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until warm. Add ground meat, onion, and garlic to the skillet. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes over medium heat, breaking up meat into small crumbles and stirring occasionally. Add taco sauce, cumin, salt, and pepper; cook and stir for 1 to 2 minutes or until the mixture is heated.
2. Place phyllo shells on a rimmed baking sheet. Spoon beef mixture evenly into shells. Top evenly with cheese. Bake for 9 to 10 minutes or until shells are crisp and the cheese is melted.
3. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 to 10 minutes.
4. Top tarts with toppings of your choice: lettuce, salsa, pico, tomatoes, and guacamole. (Toppings will contribute additional nutrients and calories beyond the numbers listed below. Read labels for nutrition and serving sizes.)

When prepared, this recipe makes 30 servings (or 30 tarts).

Nutrition Info (per serving)

• Calories (per tiny taco): 43
• Total Fat: 2g
• Sodium: 87mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 3g
  • Fiber: less than 1g
  • Sugar: 0g
• Protein: 4g