Recipe of the Week: Taco Pockets

This is a fun one for the kids. I made this for a first time just this past week. Quick and easy - just how I like it! Most of my vocal students are of school age, so I teach mainly in the afternoons, right up until dinner time. This is a great recipe, because you can make the filling and grate the cheese earlier in the day and then put it all together and bake pretty quickly before dinner. Let me know if you try it!

Taco Pockets

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. ground beef
Jar of Chunky Salsa
1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning mix

water

2 sheets Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

1 egg
1 tablespoon water

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Cook the beef in a skillet over medium-high heat until it's well browned, stirring frequently to break up the meat. Add 1 cup of the salsa, taco seasoning and water according to the package directions. Cool completely.
2.	Thaw the pastry sheets at room temperature for 40 minutes or until they're easy to handle. Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or spray with vegetable cooking spray. Stir the egg and water with a fork in a small bowl.
3.	Unfold 1 pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Roll the sheet into a 14-inch square. Cut into 4 (7-inch) squares. Repeat with the remaining pastry sheet. Place about 1/3 cup of the meat mixture onto half of each square. Top each with 2 tablespoons of the cheese. Brush the edges of the pastry with water. Fold plain pastry half over meat mixture and press the edges with a fork to seal. Place the rectangles on the prepared baking sheets. Brush with the egg mixture.
4.	Bake for 20 minutes or until golden. Let cool for 5 minutes on a wire rack. Serve warm with additional salsa.