These beef and cheese cups are an easy family dinner made with flaky crescent dough, seasoned ground beef, melty cheese, and crispy bacon baked together in a muffin pan. My kids loved these little beef cups, and they’re an easy way to switch up dinner with a handheld meal made from simple ingredients.

Baked Beef and Cheese Cups Recipe

I am always trying to invent new recipes that my kids will love and that doesn’t take forever to make. The thought of having the same meals over and over sounds like torture. 🙂 But, I also try to keep things pretty simple, because we all know moms don’t have time for extravagant meals. These beef and cheese cups keep things pretty easy with pantry staples. With crescent dough, ground beef, cheese and a few seasonings, you’ve got a great dinner that’s done in less than 30 minutes.

The Cowboys’ Rating: 9/10

Every time I make a new recipe, I have my family rate the recipe out of 10. By the time, these recipes make the blog, they’ve been tried and tested by some of my hardest tiny critics!

Helpful Ingredient Tips

Ground Beef – As always, we use our own homegrown ground beef that is grass-finished and regeneratively raised. It’s delicious, lean and so good. Our ground beef is 90/10 and I never have to drain off a bunch of fat.
Pilsbury Crescent Dough Sheet – I use two cans of this Pilsbury Crescent Dough Sheet. I just roll it out on the counter with a little bit of flour, so it doesn’t stick to the counter and cut it into 12 even sections with a pizza cutter.
Shredded Cheese – My favorite shredded cheese to use is the medium cheddar cheese. I do however, recommend hand shredding your cheese because it just tastes better. The pre-shredded stuff is just not as good.
Crumbled Bacon – Whether you have time to cook some bacon or just buy the prepackaged cooked bacon, that’s up to you. Bacon, however, does add some flavor and goodness to these beef and cheese cups.
Toppings: My kids love to dip these in ketchup or ranch dressing. My husband, however, adds all the fixings: lettuce, tomatoes, mustard, etc.. Basically top these with whatever you would put on your cheeseburger.

seasonings

Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Kosher Salt
Pepper
Worcestershire Sauce
Paprika

Tools You’ll Need

Recipe for Beef and Cheese Cups

Preheat the oven to 375°F.Cook the ground beef in a skillet over medium heat, breaking it apart as it cooks. Drain any excess grease if needed, then stir in the seasonings and Worcestershire sauce. Remove from the heat once the beef is fully cooked.
While the beef is cooking, roll the crescent dough out on a lightly floured surface. Separate and cut the dough into 12 even sections.Lightly spray a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray.
Press one piece of crescent dough into each muffin cup, gently pressing it into the bottom and slightly up the sides.
Add a few tablespoons of the cooked ground beef to each cup, then top with cheese. Continue filling until all of the beef is evenly divided between the cups. Top with desired amount of bacon.
Bake for 18–20 minutes, or until the crescent dough is golden brown and cooked through and the cheese is melted.
Let the beef and cheese cups cool in the pan for a few minutes before carefully removing.
Top with your favorite toppings, serve warm, and enjoy!

Storage and Reheating

Storage:
Store leftover beef and cheese cups in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days.

Reheating:
Reheat in the microwave for 30–60 seconds, or until warmed through. For a crispier crescent crust, reheat in a 350°F oven or air fryer for 5–8 minutes, until heated through and the edges are crisp.

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