Last night I made taco salad for the girls and everyone raved, as if taco salad were something I invented. Apparently no one thinks about taco salad. It’s the easiest thing in the world to make, it’s just more convenient to make for more people than 2.
In case you’re in need of something quick to whip up for the family (and are already planning on going to the grocery store, because you probably don’t have everything you need in the house), here’s my “recipe” (if you can call it that) for taco salad:
- Ground meat of a sort (turkey is an excellent, low-fat option, but do whatever makes you happy – I’d stay way from seasoned Italian sausage though, that can’t be a good flavor combination), or, if you abhor meat, then tofu or scrambles or bean paste or whatever makes you happy
- Taco seasoning (for the above)
- Taco sauce (I prefer Ortega medium, but that’s totally a personal preference), or salsa, or both
- Sour cream (lean is easier to pour than regular, and healthier) or Ranch dressing or both (some people have been known to use other salad dressings, but I can’t vouch for their tastiness as Ranch is the only one I like, but you can be brave and try other stuff, like French or Western, but probably not Caesar or Italian Vinaigrette)
- Cheese, shredded or cubed (good choices include cheddar and pepper jack, or whatever you have lying around the house that you think would taste good)
- Lettuce (be brave and go for something greener than Iceberg)
- Corn chips
- Vegetables of choice (I went with cucumber and bell peppers and avocados, but all sorts of veggies that can be eaten raw would be good here)
Prepare the first two ingredients together according to the recipe on taco seasoning package (actually, this is a little inaccurate, since it usually says to brown the meat and then add 1-2 cups of water with the seasoning, and I usually forgo the water, but this is how I was raised and you can do it whatever way makes you happy). While the meat is cooking, prepare the rest of the ingredients:
- Chop veggies into bite-sized pieces (if you’re using an avocado, do it last, right before you’re ready to eat, so that it doesn’t turn brown – everything else probably doesn’t have much of a time limit on it). Wash lettuce and tear into bite-sized pieces.
- Open bag of chips.
- If using packaged shredded cheese, open the package. If using a brick of cheese, either cut it into cubes or shred it. Duh.
- Gather all the sauces and toppings together.
It’s easiest to do this buffet-style, though if you have small kids or a really messy significant other, you can just throw everything into a big bowl and dig in. Set everything out on a table, and layer the ingredients generally as follows: bed of lettuce, meat, veggies, sauces and toppings, chips on side or on top. Eat with fork or, for the less dainty (like me), use the chips as “silverware” and just scoop the food into your mouth. Repeat.
See, now how hard was that? It takes probably 10 minutes, only because there’s chopping of veggies involved. If you use lean meat and limit your sauces/toppings, it’s probably fairly healthy. Even if you don’t, it probably provides many more servings of veggies than you’d normally eat in a dinner, so that’s a good thing.
Other things I’ve known people to add: can of black beans (drained), refried beans, guacamole, bacon bits….
