food international: Salad Tacos

I made these tacos before my family and I left for our trip to Colorado, and we devoured every bite. They’re pretty much the same as regular tacos; the only difference is the order in which you build the ingredients, as well as a little drizzle of a yummy spicy dressing on top. And I really emphasize the lettuce and tomatoes to the point that I convince myself I’m eating a salad…inside a taco shell!

Life. It’s all how you look at things.

Whether you call them Salad Tacos or just plain TACOS, make these for the Super Bowl this Sunday. Everyone’ll love ’em and they’ll never want to leave your house!

Whether or not that’s a good thing is a call only you can make.

 

Start by getting the shells ready. I’m picky about taco shells, and I love these. Unfortunately, I’m in Colorado right now and can’t for the life of me remember the brand of the shells. I get ’em at The Wal Marts, and they’re paper thin and divine.

Las Palmas, maybe. That just came to me in a vision.

(UPDATE: The brand is La Tiara. Thanks, Tracey and Lettie!)

Anyway, I put ’em in a 200 degree oven for about 10 minutes or so, till they’re pleasantly crispy.

 

Next up, throw the ground beef into a big ol’ skillet.

 

Stir it around and brown it over medium-high heat until it’s all cooked, then drain off the excess grease.

Next, throw in some taco seasoning. Or you can mix up your own if you have the time or the inclination.

I had neither.

  Crack open a can of tomato paste…

 

And throw it in, too. The tomato paste gives the meat mixture such a nice tomato tanginess. Delicious!

Crack open a can of beans—any kind you’d like! I’m going pintos with jalapenos, but you can use kidney beans, chili beans…anything you’ve got in your pantry.

 

And you can drain the beans first if you have the time or the inclination.

I had neither.

 

All this to say: I’m lazy.

 

Stir it all around until it’s nice and combined and gorgeous looking, then taste it and add a little salt.

 

Then add a little hot water to make the whole thing extra saucy.

 

Now just keep the meat warm while you get everything else ready: Grab some lettuce and slice it very thinly. Any lettuce is fine, but I love green leaf because you can lop off the bottom and slice it really neatly…like this!

 

Plus, it’s frilly and lovely looking.

Halve a bunch of cherry or grape tomatoes (or just dice up some regular tomatoes.)

 

I inhale these things.

Okay, since this is pretty much a taco salad in a taco, you need some dressing. I combined some mayo, sour cream, a little bit of ranch dressing mix, and some salsa in a bowl…

 

Then I added a little Tabasco because I was feeling spicy.

Poifect!

Next, grab some grated cheese.

And that’s it! Now it’s time to build the tacos.

First, really pack the taco shell with lettuce.

Then add a good amount of the meat mixture…

Some cheese…

Some tomato halves (you’ll want to wedge them in there a bit…)

Then just a little bit of dressing. The creaminess is wunnerful.

Oh, and you can also drizzle a little dressing on top of the lettuce before you add the meat. Even better!

Keep on building…

 

Until you’ve got enough to keep you busy!

Now, if I were making a taco salad, I’d crush up a bunch of tortilla chips and sprinkle them over the top.

 

So why not do the same here?

Enjoy these, guys! They’re delicious, crunchy, and they’ll make you smile.

Here’s the handy dandy printable:

Recipe

Salad Tacos

Prep Time:

10 Minutes

Difficulty:

Easy

Cook Time:

15 Minutes

Servings:

8 Servings

Ingredients

• 16 whole Taco Shells
• 2 pounds Ground Beef
• 3 Tablespoons Taco Seasoning
• 1 can (4 Ounce) Tomato Paste
• Salt To Taste
• 1 can (14.5 Ounce) Beans (kidney, Pinto, Chili), Undrained
• 1/2 cup Hot Water
• 1 head Green Leaf Lettuce, Sliced Very Thin
• 1 cup Grape Tomatoes, Halved (or Diced Regular Tomatoes)
• 1 cup Grated Cheese (cheddar, Jack, Or Cheddar/jack)
• FOR THE DRESSING:
• 1/4 cup Mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup Sour Cream
• 1/4 cup Salsa
• 1 Tablespoon Ranch Dressing Mix (optional)
• Extra Hot Sauce (optional)
• Crushed Tortilla Chips (optional)

Instructions

Heat taco shells according to package directions. Set aside.

Brown ground beef until fully cooked. Drain excess fat, then add taco seasoning, tomato paste, beans, and hot water. Stir to combine, then add salt as needed. Keep warm.

To make the dressing, mix together the mayonnaise, sour cream, salsa, ranch mix, and hot sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding salt and pepper if it needs it.

To build the tacos, first fill the shell with plenty of lettuce. Spoon on the meat mixture, then add tomatoes and cheese. Top with a light drizzle of dressing and serve immediately!

Optional: Add a little dressing on top of the lettuce before adding the meat.