Fantastic Taco Salad Food

ALMOST-FAMOUS STEAK TACO SALAD

Steps:

• Make the tortilla bowls: Position a rack in the lower third of the oven; preheat to 450 degrees F. Put 4 empty cans (labels removed) or small ovenproof bowls upside down on a baking sheet. Drape a square of foil over each can and coat with cooking spray.
• Fill a shallow bowl with 1/2 inch warm water; whisk in the olive oil. Soak each tortilla in the water until soft, about 5 seconds, then drape over the prepared cans, pleating as needed. Bake until golden, about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and invert the tortilla bowls onto the baking sheet; remove the cans and foil. Spray the inside of the tortilla bowls with cooking spray, season with salt and continue baking until crisp, 4 to 5 more minutes; let cool.
• Meanwhile, make the steak: Whisk the dried garlic, onion and oregano, the cumin, chile powder, scallions, Worcestershire sauce, olive oil, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper in a bowl. Put the steak in a shallow dish and rub with 2 tablespoons of the spice mixture (reserve the rest for the dressing). Add the bell pepper and sliced onion and toss. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes or up to 4 hours.
• Heat a large cast-iron skillet over high heat. Add the steak and scatter the bell pepper and onion around it. Sear the steak about 5 minutes per side, then transfer to a cutting board. Continue cooking the pepper and onion until just tender, about 3 more minutes. Thinly slice the steak against the grain, then cut into 1-inch pieces.
• Assemble the salad: Whisk the mayonnaise, buttermilk and the reserved spice mixture in a large bowl until smooth. Add the cucumber, lettuce, beans and olives and toss. Divide the salad among the tortilla bowls. Top with the steak, bell pepper, onion, cheese and salsa.

BEST TACO SALAD RECIPE

Steps:

• Start with the taco meat.** Brown 1 pound ground beef in a skillet on the stove, over medium heat. Break up the meat into small pieces. Once it is no longer pink (3-5 minutes), remove from heat. Tilt the pan and scoop the grease into a foil-lined bowl (then refrigerate and toss when solidified). Return the pan back to the stove and set over medium heat. Add 1/4 cup Premium McCormick's taco seasoning. (Or a regular taco packet will do. See notes for a homemade recipe.) Add 3/4 cup water to the pan. Let the mixture come to a simmer. Turn off the heat when there is still thickened liquid at the bottom of the pan. If you cook until all the liquid has evaporated, you will have dry taco meat; no thanks. Set aside and keep warm, covered.
• Prep the lettuce and herbs. Chop the romaine into bite size pieces and dry in a salad spinner (or dry off with paper towels). Add 1/2 cup chopped green onions and 1 bunch of chopped cilantro. Spin to mix, or add to a large bowl and toss together.
• Prep your toppings. Grate 1 and 1/2 cups cheddar cheese. Chop 1 and 1/2 cups tomatoes. Thinly slice 8 radishes. Dice half a red onion. Chop 2 avocados (or make a quick guacamole with them by adding a bit of lime and salt). Thaw out 1 cup of frozen corn (I usually stick it in the microwave for 20 seconds and then let it finish thawing on the counter). Slice 1 or 2 jalapeno peppers. Crush some Juanitas or Fritos, but leave some whole for garnishing.

FANTASTIC TACO SALAD

Steps:

• Brown the ground beef with the chopped onion and drain the fat.
• Add taco seasoning and cook according to package directions, adding proper amount of water. If you make your own taco seasoning (I use Recipe #4292), use 2 Tbsp, and 1/3-1/2 cup water, and cook until the water is mostly evaporated.
• Add the corn kernels to the meat mixture and cook until thawed and heated through.
• Put salad greens into a deep bowl. Add hot beef over the greens, top with 1 cup shredded cheese.
• Cook refried beans on stove until hot. Add 1 cup cheese and 1 cup salsa. Stir until combined.
• Pour beans over ground beef and cheese in dish.
• Sprinkle green onions, black olives (if you choose), tomatoes and crushed chips on top.

FANTASTIC TACO DIP

Steps:

• Mix sour cream and cream cheese together well. The "whip" setting on a mixer or a "3"-ish on a hand mixer works well.
• Add in taco seasoning and cayenne pepper and mix (whip) well. Adjust the amount of seasoning to taste. I like it pretty spicy.
• Add in salsa and shredded cheddar and mix well. I like to mix it in with a spatula so it won't shred up the cheese too much or mush up the chunky salsa.
• Transfer to a serving bowl and chill WELL. This is a kind of dip you want to make at least an hour or so before you enjoy it, so the flavors have a chance to meld. It also thickens as it chills, so don't worry about it being runny at first!
• Serve with chips; I'd recommend Nacho Cheese Doritos (they're my favorite!). ENJOY!

TACO SALAD

Steps:

• Mix the red onion with half the lime juice and a pinch of salt in a small bowl, then set aside.
• Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium-low heat, and crumble in the mince. Cook for 15-20 mins - the mince will release some liquid, but once this has bubbled away, it will sizzle in its own fat. At this point, stir or toss with a wooden spoon so the mince browns and caramelises all over. If the pan becomes too dry, add a drizzle more oil. When the mince is well toasted, sprinkle over the taco seasoning and cook for 2 mins, then stir through the tomato purée and pour over the rest of the lime juice and let it sizzle for another minute. Stir through the black beans and turn up the heat to medium, continuing to cook until everything is hot. Taste for seasoning, then set aside.
• To make the dressing, mix the lime juice with the soured cream and chilli sauce, if using, season, then set aside.
• Scatter a handful of tortilla chips into a bowl, then add a layer of lettuce, then the mince and black beans. Top with the avocado slices, chopped tomato, pickled red onions, along with any juices, and the feta. Drizzle with the dressing, then finally scatter over the coriander. Tuck more tortilla chips around the sides of the bowl, then serve.

FANTASTIC TACO CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Brown ground beef and drain.
• Add taco seasoning and cook according to package directions, adding proper amount of water.
• Put corn chips on bottom of 8x8" dish.
• Cook refried beans on stove until hot.
• Add 1 cup cheese and 1 cup salsa. Stir until combined.
• Pour beans over corn chips in dish.
• Add beef to top of beans.
• Sprinkle remaining cheese over top.
• Sprinkle green onions and black olives over cheese.
• Bake in a 375 degree oven until the cheese is sufficiently melted.
• Take out of oven and sprinkle chopped tomatoes on top. Wait 1-2 minutes and then serve.

FANTASTIC TACO CASSEROLE!

Steps:

• Set oven to 350 degrees.
• Cook beef, onion, bell pepper, chili flakes and garlic until beef is no longer pink; drain then season with seasoning salt and black pepper (or cayenne pepper).
• Stir in water, taco sauce, green chiles, half of the olives and taco seasoning mix (you can use 2 packages of seasoning mix if desired for this).
• Cook over low heat for about 6-8 minutes.
• Layer HALF of broken shells on bottom of greased 13x9 baking pan; cover with HALF of meat sauce, then sprinkle with 2 cups (or to taste) cheddar cheese.
• Repeat with remaining broken taco shells, meat sauce and then top with remaining cheese (to prevent the cheese from getting hard, you can sprinkle on the last 10 minutes before the end of baking time and return to oven until melted).
• Bake for 20 minutes or until bubbly, and cheese is melted.
• After baking, sprinkle with remaining olives, tomatoes and green onions.
• **NOTE** I sometimes drizzle bottled salsa sauce (mild or spicy) on top of the ground beef and then on top before baking.