Make Your Own Tacos Bar Food

BUILD-YOUR-OWN TACO BAR

Steps:

• For the taco meat: Place a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the oil and heat until shimmering.
• In a small mixing bowl, combine the cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, paprika, salt and pepper.
• Add the ground beef and pork to the hot oil and cook, breaking the meat apart with a wooden spoon, until crumbled and deeply browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Mix in the spice blend and remove from the heat.
• For the taco veggie filling: Place a large saute pan over medium-high heat and add the oil. Add the vegetables and cook to warm through. Remove from the heat, add the salt and pepper and stir in the salsa.
• For the taco bar: Serve the taco meat and veggies with the flour and corn tortillas, avocado, lime wedges, tomatoes, sour cream, cheese, cilantro, radishes and hot sauce on the side.

TOTALLY TASTY TACO BAR

Steps:

• In a small bowl, stir together taco seasoning ingredients. Set aside.
• In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Saute the diced onion, stirring frequently, until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in 3-4 minced garlic cloves and cook for 30 to 60 seconds more.
• Add the ground beef and cook for 5-7 minutes, or until no longer pink, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon or spatula as it browns. Drain off excess grease.
• Sprinkle 3-4 tablespoons of taco seasoning over the meat and stir until coated. Add in 1 cup of chicken/beef/vegetable broth and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, until the mixture has reduced some, about 5 minutes.
• Transfer cooked ground meat to a serving bowl and set out with other Mexican toppings in an assembly line to make your homemade taco bar!

MAKE YOUR OWN TACOS BAR

Steps:

• Chipotle Turkey Taco Filling:In a small skillet preheated over medium high heat, add oil and turkey breast meat. Brown meat 2 or 3 minutes, then add onions and garlic. Cook onions and meat together for another 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in chipotles, chili powder and tomato sauce. Season your filling with salt to your taste. Stir 1/2 cup water into your filling. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer until ready to serve.
• Pork and Bell Pepper Filling:Heat a small to medium skillet over medium high heat. Add oil and pork to hot pan. Break up pork as it browns, 2 to 3 minutes. Add peppers to the pork and season mixture with cumin, cayenne sauce, allspice, salt and pepper. Reduce heat to moderate and cook filling 5 minutes longer. Add 1/2 cup water to the pork. Reduce heat to low to keep filling warm.
• Combine all Pico de Gallo ingredients in a small bowl and serve.
• To assemble bar, arrange taco shells next to the stove top. Serve the fillings from the skillets they were cooked in. Place toppings in small dishes on opposite side of the stove top. Tex Mex Red Beans and Rice or store bought refried beans make a great side dish.

MAKE YOUR OWN BURRITO BAR

Steps:

• Heat 2 nonstick skillets over medium high heat. In the first, add 2 tablespoons oil, jalapeno, garlic and onion for black beans. Saute 2 or 3 minutes, add beans and seasonings and cayenne pepper sauce. Reduce heat to low and simmer. In the second skillet, add oil and chicken. Season chicken with chili powder and salt and lightly brown the meat, 2 to 3 minutes. Add garlic, red peppers and chorizo and saute 5 to 6 minutes, then reduce heat to low.
• Char and soften tortillas by holding them over hot burner 15 seconds on each side. If you do not have gas burners, heat your dry skillet you used for salsa and cook tortillas 1 at a time in the pan 15 seconds on each side. Pile tortillas near stove and line up your toppings. Serve fillings out of the pans you cooked them in.
• Heat a skillet over high heat. Add whole tomatoes and a seeded jalapeno, skin side down, and the thick slices of onion. Allow the tomatoes, pepper and onion to char on all sides. Add blackened tomatoes, pepper and onions to a food processor. Pulse grind the salsa with mint and cilantro leaves. Season salsa with coarse salt.
• Combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until the sour cream is pale green and scallions are finely chopped. Serve with burritos.

MAKE-YOUR-OWN TACOS

Steps:

• For the sweet potato and squash filling: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Toss the sweet potato and squash cubes with the olive oil, cumin, garlic and salt to taste in a bowl and then transfer to a baking sheet. Bake until the vegetables are lightly browned and fork-tender, approximately 30 minutes.
• For the mushroom saute: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the onions and garlic. Cook until translucent, approximately 3 minutes. Add in the mushrooms and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Add the chile powder, then juice the lime and orange halves over the mushrooms and add salt to taste. Let sit on low heat for 1 minute. Add the cilantro and remove from the heat.
• For the ground bison: In a large skillet, heat the olive oil on high heat and add the ground bison. Cook, stirring continuously, until it starts to brown. Add in the cumin, smoked paprika, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, black pepper and salt to taste. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid reduces and the meat is browned.
• For the taco bar: Place the corn tortillas, lettuce leaves, radishes, bell peppers, avocado, cheese, pico de gallo and yogurt into separate serving containers. Place the mushrooms, bison and sweet potato and squash mixture into separate bowls. Have fun assembling!

MAKE-YOUR-OWN-TACO-SALAD BAR

Steps:

• Dump lettuce in a large serving bowl (or the lid of Tupperware Serving Center).
• Dump chips in another serving bowl (or the lid of the Serving Center if you didn't put the lettuce in it).
• Mix sour cream and green onion slices; place in center compartment of serving center.
• Place each of remaining ingredients (except chips) into one compartment of the serving center--being artistic in your arrangement so the colors look "nice."
• BRIGHT IDEA #1: Heat up a can of refried beans, slather some on a burrito skin, and use to wrap around a hard-taco shell, then fill shell with fav ingredients--it won't crack!
• BRIGHT IDEA #2: Mix everything up in a bowl, drizzle with Western Salad Dressing, and call it Western Taco Salad.