The Muffin Tin Method To Organize All Your Taco Accouterments

One of the best things about taco night is that each fussy child at the dinner table can personalize their meal by choosing their own fixings, seasonings, and toppings. And the worst thing? Handling a myriad of tiny bowls containing shredded cheese, black beans, diced onion, cilantro, queso fresco, and more. Passing each item around one by one takes a lot of maneuvering and then there's the annoying washing up to contend with at the end once everyone's belly is full.

If you're done with all the overwhelming bits and pieces that come with assembling the perfect taco but still want to chow down on a trio of Carnitas come sundown, we have the perfect piece of kitchen kit to solve all your taco trials; a muffin tray. This hack is a game changer when it comes to serving taco accouterments, like pico de gallo, guac, sour cream, and jalapeños, and it couldn't be any simpler to get started. So, the small, stacked bowls in the cupboard that you've previously put on duty for Taco Tuesdays can stand down for now; it's time for the muffin tray to step up and moonlight as a serving dish for all your delicious taco toppings.

It doesn't get any easier than this: Simply take all your regular taco fixings straight from the chopping board and put them into separate muffin holes to create a single serving plate that contains everything you need to assemble Arrachera, Guisado, and Birria tacos to vegan and fish alternatives. Use a series of muffin holes for popular toppings, like cheese, sour cream, and lettuce, and use single ones for flavors that aren't universal favorites, such as spicy jalapeños, crisp radishes, or shredded purple cabbage. You could even put muffin cases in the holes before you put the fixings inside to make cleaning up even easier; just remove the cases once empty and discard them. 

The benefit of a compact muffin tray is that it doesn't take up as much space on the table as many smaller bowls and each diner will be able to build a taco from start to finish from a single dish. What's more? Putting the fixings in muffin holes is especially useful if you're serving young children who are particular about their tastes, have textural aversions, or simply dislike it when certain foods touch each other. Every topping remains separate and they can select their fixings as they please, making your family meal an inclusive, appealing experience for everyone. All that's left is to pop your muffin tin in the dishwasher or give it a quick rinse before enjoying the remainder of your evening.