For the past two or three days it has been over 90 degrees here in So Cal, just a hint of summertime coming our way. The hot weather calls for some lighter and yummy dinners. Tonight I made the gang a Taco Salad. I called my Mom to find out the origin of this recipe, and we came to the conclusion that I was a recipe that was passed around the neighborhood when we were growing up. However, I have put my own twist on the recipe, with the help of my daughter Naomi.
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. ground turkey or ground beef (whichever you prefer)
- 1 can of kidney beans (15 oz)
- 1 pkg of taco seasoning
- 1 bag of fritos (10½ oz)
- shredded cheese (we like the cheddar & monterey jack combo)
- shredded cabbage
- tomatoes
- green onion
Directions:
- Brown the meat, and drain off the grease.
- Drain the beans and add them to the browned meat. I like to do this to heat up the beans.
- Mix in the taco seasoning and the amount of water that is called for on the package.
- Simmer this mixture until you have cooked off almost all of the liquid.
- While the meat is simmering;
- Chop up the tomatoes
- Chop up some green onions.
- Chop the shredded cabbage into smaller bite size pieces.
- Crush the fritos, in the bag, with a rolling-pin. Open the bag a bit first though to let out the air.
Salad Layers
For the salad assembly:
- The layering effect is Naomi’s twist on the recipe.
- In a large glass bowl layer the ingredients like this:
- Fritos
- Meat and beans
- Cheese
- Shredded cabbage
- Tomatoes
- Green Onion
- Then repeat the layers for a second time.
- You can either serve the salad layered, or if your adventurous like me you can toss the whole salad and serve.
- For garnishments put out your favorite salsa, sour cream, and black olives (that’s ones for you Hilary!)
Variations:
- This recipe can easily be made with shredded chicken or beef.
- You could add additional cans of different types of beans (black or pinto).
- You could flavor the meat with your favorite salsa instead of taco seasoning.
- Any garnishments that you like can easily be put on top or served with your salad on the side.
This is truly a yummy recipe, and so easy to throw together. Oh and I like using the shredded cabbage because it does not get soggy at all. I put out the cabbage when we have just plain old tacos in the shell too. For this twenty-something household, this salad makes a great big meal and is great for staying on budget. If you’ve never made this before it’s a real treat. If you haven’t made it in a while you’ve been missing out like me. I’m definitely mixing this recipe in with my weekly summertime meal planning.
Please stay tuned for my Mom’s Taco Salad recipe for Two.
