Tarantula Tostadas (Or Tacos)

Submitted by Sandi From CA

"I have to admit, every once in a while I've just gotta play with my food. Being an adult is hard work, so sometimes you just have to say NO. This cute idea is from Betty Crocker, but they used the Old El Paso Stand 'n Stuff shells with the flat bottoms. Since I couldn't find them, I used tostada bowls. More room for more spiders! You can add whatever else you like - I added some refried beans as the first layer and also some guacamole."

 

• Ready In: 1hr
• Ingredients: 9
• Serves: 6

ingredients

• 4 tostadas (bowls) or 4 taco shells (Old El Paso Stand 'n Stuff shells)
• 1 lb lean ground beef (at least 80%)
• 1 (1 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
• 2⁄3 cup water
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (4 oz)
• 1 1⁄2 cups shredded lettuce
• 1 medium tomatoes, chopped (3/4 cup)
• 1⁄4 cup sour cream
• 20 extra-large pitted black ripe olives (whichever is largest) or 20 jumbo black olives (whichever is largest)

directions

1. Heat oven to 325°F.
2. Heat tostada or taco shells in oven as directed on box, usually just a couple of minutes.
3. In a 10-inch skillet, cook ground beef over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until beef is thoroughly cooked; drain.
4. Stir in taco seasoning mix and water.
5. Reduce heat to medium and cook uncovered about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until water has evaporated. Remove from heat.
6. Spoon beef mixture into heated tostada or taco shells. Top with cheese, lettuce and tomato.
7. Spoon sour cream into small resealable food-storage plastic bag. Seal bag; cut VERY tiny hole in corner of bag. Pipe sour cream over top of each taco to resemble spider web.
8. For each spider, top taco with 1 olive, pitted end down. Cut second olive lengthwise into 8 pieces; place around whole olive for legs. For eyes, squeeze 2 dots of sour cream onto top of olive.
9. BOO!

Reviews

[Aus Janet]

Good fun with spider olives. I used tortillas and laid out cheese like spider web with olive spider as my children don't like toco meat and made tacos for adults. I added a tspn ground coriander, cumin, paprika, pepper and chili powder to meat with tablespoon worster sauce to give it a bit stronger flavour. My son also suggested black grapes for spiders as well for those who don't like olives.