Football Taco Bowl Bites are hearty appetizers and are always a hit for game day parties. They are like a seven layer taco dip….in your hand! Grab your favorite fans & feed ’em well!

Easy Football Taco Bowl Bites

We have been home-gating in front of our tv so far this season, and creating a robust menu of appetizers is ALWAYS front and center on my mind! If you follow me on Instagram, (you follow me there, right?!) you know I like to serve foods that are easy to pick up and eat, along with a few good dips and desserts.

I used to serve a seven layer dip on game days, but the dip tended to get messy in the casserole dish after a few people helped themselves. I’ll be frank: the casserole dish became downright unappetizing!

So, I set out on a quest to develop a bite sized taco dip! (By the way, this is may FAVORITE game-day serving dish, as seen in my Buffalo Chicken Pinwheel Appetizers! )

You will note the guac and sour cream layers are missing – this was intentional to keep the taco bowls intact without runny mess. If you miss ’em, feel free to add them back in…..just keep some napkins nearby!

The Players on the Field

Mini soft flower tortilla bowls
A thick salsa
1 pound hamburger meat
1 packet taco seasoning
Cream cheese
An onion, tomato & green onions
Refried beans
Shredded cheese

Huddle Up:
How to Assemble Football Taco Bowl Bites

First, you will brown the hamburger meat. Throw it in a skillet on medium heat, stir often, and drain it once it is no longer pink. Once it is cooked, add a whole block of cream cheese. Heat & stir! The seasoned meat becomes so creamy – this is my secret ingredient to the appetizers!

While the meat and cream cheese are melting and becoming BFFs in your pan, put the refried beans, water & onion in a small saucepan.

Then, it is time to make the taco boats! Place a layer of refried beans in the bottom of the flour tortilla followed by a scoop of taco meat. Top with cheese & melt in a 325 degree oven. Once the cheese is bubbly, top with salsa & make football laces out of sour cream. TOUCHDOWN!

I spooned a little bit of sour cream into a ziploc baggie and cut a little snip off one corner. From this corner, I piped on the laces!

The Playbook: Taco Boat Tips

Adding water and onions to the refried beans upgrades their taste and consistency.
When the meat is browning, break it up into small pieces with your spatula.
Use two cookie sheets to make the full batch (20 boats) at once. I fit 10 flour tortilla boats on one large sheet pan.
Thick salsa works best for this recipe. A thinner cantina style sauce is too runny for the boats.

Get the kids involved on game day!

These appetizers are fun for the kiddos to make, too! While the adults are watching the game (or the commercials!) you can set up an assembly line at your kitchen counter.

Put the taco meat, refried beans and cheese in separate bowls with a spoon in each. Let the kids have fun scooping and filling their Football Taco Bowl Bites! They can even place them on the cookie sheet, but have an adult supervising so they can transfer the taco boats to the oven.

Tip: Once the boats come out of the oven, the cheese will be hot and can burn little fingers. It is best to let an adult add the salsa & sour cream on the warm boats. 🙂

For those who want to savor the taco boats instead of gulping them down, have a few chips around!

I know you will LOVE these Football Taco Bowl Bites. They are soooooo good. Here are a few other favorites from the blog:

Football Taco Bowl Bites

Easy Football Taco Bowl Bites

The Players on the Field

Huddle Up:
How to Assemble Football Taco Bowl Bites

The Playbook: Taco Boat Tips

Get the kids involved on game day!

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