There are some suppers that feel like they were made for easy summer evenings, and these oven baked 4-ingredient beef crescent wedges surely belong in that family. They remind me of the kind of simple, satisfying meals busy home cooks have leaned on for generations, when a pound of ground beef, a tube of crescent dough, and a little cheese could turn into something that brought everybody to the table in a hurry. This is the sort of no-fuss dinner my sister would slide into the oven when the day was long and nobody wanted a sink full of dishes.
Serve these warm wedges with a crisp green salad, sliced garden tomatoes, dill pickles, or a bowl of simple vegetable soup if you want to stretch the meal a little farther. For a heartier supper, roasted potatoes, corn on the cob, or a scoop of creamy coleslaw fit right in and make it feel like a full family table.
Oven Baked 4-Ingredient Beef Crescent Wedges
Servings: 4 to 6
Ingredients
1 pound ground beef
1 tube refrigerated crescent roll dough
4 slices white provolone cheese
2 tablespoons taco seasoning or 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, for seasoning the beef
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet or pizza pan with foil for easy cleanup.
2. In a skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef until it is browned and crumbled. Drain off any excess grease, then stir in the taco seasoning or Worcestershire sauce and cook for 1 minute more.
3. Unroll the crescent dough and arrange the triangles in a circle on the prepared baking sheet, with the wide ends overlapping in the center and the pointed ends facing outward like a sunburst.
4. Spoon the seasoned beef in a ring over the wide ends of the dough, then lay the provolone slices over the beef, tearing them as needed to fit.
5. Fold the pointed ends of the dough up and over the filling, tucking them under the center to make wedges. Leave a little of the filling peeking through for that pretty baked look.
6. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the crescent dough is puffed and deeply golden brown and the cheese is melted. Let cool for 5 minutes, then slice and serve warm.
Variations & Tips
Add a little onion: If you do not mind stretching past the strict four-ingredient idea, a handful of finely chopped onion cooked with the beef adds sweetness and old-fashioned flavor.
Change the cheese: Mozzarella, Monterey Jack, or even cheddar will work nicely here if that is what you have in the refrigerator. Provolone gives a mild, creamy melt, but this recipe is forgiving.
Keep the dough crisp: Let the cooked beef cool for a few minutes before spooning it onto the dough so the crescent rolls do not get soggy on the bottom.
Make it a meal from the freezer: Brown the beef ahead of time and keep it in the freezer in a flat bag. On a busy evening, thaw it, season it, and you are halfway to supper before the oven is hot.
Serve for lunch or game day: These wedges also make a fine party snack or casual lunch. Just cut them a little smaller and set out mustard, ranch, or a little bowl of warm cheese sauce for dipping.