Taco salad recipe

Taco salad is a go-to meal when you don’t feel like doing a lot of cooking.  Most of the ingredients are fresh.  If you can brown ground beef and drain the excess fat, you can become a taco salad pro in no time at all.  One of the things that make taco salad perfect for families is that everyone can customize their salad to their liking.

Ingredients

• 1 lb of ground beef
• 1 envelope of taco seasoning
• chopped onions or chives
• diced tomatoes
• shredded cheese (cheddar or Monterey Jack)
• chopped or shredded lettuce
• tortilla chips or corn chips
• sour cream
• guacamole
• taco sauce or salsa
• pico de gallo

Directions

1. Cook the ground beef and drain off any excess fat.
2. Sprinkle in the taco seasoning packet and continue to simmer the ground beef according to the packet direction. (A few tablespoons of taco sauce or salsa can be added to the seasoned meat.)
3. Layer tortilla or corn chips in the bottom of a large bowl.
4. Layer lettuce on top of the chips.
5. Place two to three tablespoons of the seasoned ground beef in the center of the chips and lettuce.
6. Surround the ground beef with shredded cheese, onions or chives, and diced tomatoes.
7. Top the salad with a dollop of sour cream and a dollop of guacamole.  (Both are optional toppings.)
8. Finish with taco sauce, salsa, or pico de gallo if desired.

Recipe Variations

Substitute cooked chicken pieces seasoned with a taco seasoning packet instead of using ground beef.  Add diced green, yellow, or red bell peppers.  Add cooked, seasoned pinto or black beans.  Cooked corn, chopped cilantro, and jalapeno peppers also make tasty taco salad ingredients.  Vegetarians can leave out meat and use soy or tofu cheese.  Taco salads can be made to order so they’re perfect for the people eating them.