Homemade Taco Ring

There are several recipes posted here for taco rings but all of them use crescent roll dough. Since my family prefers our dough to rise up into a soft, semi-chewy dough I use my original recipe for dinner roll dough instead. (Lorilyn's Dinner Roll Dough) There is more work involved, but a satisfying meal & rave reviews make it more than worth the effort. Prep time does not include the 75 minutes for making & rising the dough. But that is when I do the filling prep. For a step by step demo of the dough & ring click here: http://www.recipezaar.com/bb/viewtopic.zsp?t=274077

• Ready In: 35 mins
• Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• 1  lb  bread dough (1/2 recipe of Lorilyn's Dinner Roll Dough or use one of the two balls of dough after rising & the other can be wr)

• Filling

• 1  lb ground beef
• 1 (1 1/4ounce) packet  taco seasoning (or fajita seasoning adds spice & is also delicious)
• 2 -3  tablespoons water
• 1⁄2 cup green pepper, diced
• 1⁄2 cup onion (can use white, green or red)
• 1 (16 ounce) can  refried beans (sometimes I'll use 1/2 can spicy & 1/2 can traditional)
• 1 (4 ounce) can diced green chilies
• 3⁄4 cup  grated cheese (I like the taco blend)

• Toppings

•  green pepper, diced
•  green onion, sliced (or whatever onion you used in the filling)
•  black olives, sliced
•  grated cheese
•  tomatoes, chopped
•  lettuce, shredded
•  sour cream
•  salsa

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Roll out dinner roll dough into a large circle (about 12-16 inches).
3. Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut circle into pizza-like wedges (12-16 wedges).
4. On an ungreased cookie sheet or pizza stone, arrange wedges in a sunburst looking ring with the wide ends toward the center of the baking stone & slightly overlapping each other. There will be an opening in the center of the ring with no dough in it. With your hands or a small pastry roller, press the wide ends of dough together & slightly in toward the middle of the ring to create a wide, solid base for the filling.
5. Lay a sheet of foil or large tea towel over the dough to let rise while you are making the filling.
6. Brown beef in large skillet or dutch oven, breaking into small taco sized pieces. Drain.
7. Add taco seasoning & water to meat. Cook & stir til most of the liquid is absorbed & the seasoning has coated the meat. You may add a little extra water if needed, a Tablespoon at a time.
8. Add peppers, onions, refried beans & cheese to meat mixture. Stir til combined.
9. Spoon hot mixture over the wide ends of the dough, also in a ring pattern. I sometimes have extra filling depending on how many wedges I cut, but I usually just stuff it all in anyway.
10. Bring the pointed ends of the wedges up & over the filling & tuck under the wide ends to encase the filling. Continue all the way around the ring. You will have some filling peeking out between wedges. Not only does it look pretty but makes for great cutting & serving lines.
11. Bake uncovered for 10-15 minutes (We like ours a little doughy, so I use the least amount of time).
12. Serve topped with any or all suggested toppings.
13. Leftover taco ring can be refrigerated & is just as tasty reheated in the microwave the next day.