Taco Salad

1129091227.jpg
Originally uploaded by IowaSunshine

This is just ONE of the THREE taco salad recipes that I use. So, you may end up seeing one of those on here eventually. The odd part about this recipe, compared to the others, is that there are no tomatoes in this one. Why? Well, for one, during the winter I rarely have fresh tomatoes on hand; and for the other, there are just times when I don't want to eat tomatoes. Shocking, I know! Anyway, I used this as a main dish--actually the only dish--so it served 4.

Ingredients
1 lb lean ground beef, browned (I used 92% lean organic--Don't you judge me--it was on sale!)
1 package taco seasoning (I used 1/4 cup of the bulk powder I have)
1/2-2/3 cup water (I didn't measure it...)
4-6 cups torn iceberg lettuce
1 can rinsed red kidney beans (sometimes I add 2 or more, but I really like them!)
About 1/2 cup sliced black olives
1/2 cup diced white onion, more if you want
About 1/2 cup light Dorothy Lynch or light French dressing (I used French this time)
About 2 cups shredded cheese (I used mild cheddar, and always shred my own-so much cheaper and tastes better!)
4 servings baked Doritos, crushed (add right before serving)

After browning hamburger add the taco seasoning and water. Let simmer for about 2 minutes, then remove and allow to cool. Meanwhile, combine the lettuce, beans, olives, onion and cheese. When the burger mixture is cool (it may still be a little liquid--which is fine) add to the lettuce mixture and mix well. Add the dressing a little at a time until you reach desired consistency. Chill, if you have time. Before serving add crushed Doritos to the salad. (Since it's just Jeff and I, we usually add the Doritos to individual plates so they don't get all slimy when we store the salad.

VERDICT: Great variation on tacos! I had wanted to make taco soup, but it was 50 degrees yesterday--just not soup weather yet. I guess in the Midwest, it doesn't feel like soup weather until the highs are in the 20s or 30s. :) Anyway, we liked this a lot--and it was so much food we didn't need a side dish, which always make me happy, because it's fewer dishes to wash.