It’s hot outside and you don’t feel like cooking, but you know the family is still going to want something to eat. My go-to meal for those kind of days is Easy Taco Salad. I can’t even tell you how many times I make this meal especially when lettuce is overflowing in the garden.
It’s crispy, crunchy, colorful, and cool. You can even create a DIY taco bar by putting out all the toppings and having everyone make their own!
The beauty of this salad is that you can adjust the ingredients for your taste preferences or use what you have on hand.
We sometimes make “Haystacks” with this recipe. Haystacks are like tacos that are layered on a plate with the additions of rice. Tacos do not usually include rice, but that is one of the base ingredients in haystacks. Rice is relatively inexpensive and helps stretch the meat in this recipe.
Easy Taco Salad
1 pound Sonrise Farms ground beef
1 ounce Sonrise Farms Taco Seasoing (all organic ingredients)
1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
6 cups chopped lettuce
1 cup diced fresh tomatoes
1 cup Twilight Dairy Organic Cheddar Cheese, shredded
1 cup tortilla chips
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 cup Deerland Dairy sour cream
Toppings as desired: onions, bell peppers, jalapenos, olives, corn, cilantro, rice, diced avocado or guacamole
Directions:
In a medium skillet, brown Sonrise Farms ground beef over medium-high until no longer pink.
Add taco seasoning and 1/4 -1/2 cup water. Simmer uncovered over medium heat for 5 minutes or until thickened. Stir in beans.
Place the lettuce in a large salad bowl or divide over individual serving bowls. Top with the seasoned meat mixture, tomatoes, cheese, and desired toppings.
Top with tortilla chips, salsa, and sour cream.
Notes: We like to mix the sour cream and salsa together for a creamy spicy dressing, but you can use any type of dressing that you enjoy.
This recipe is very versatile so have fun with it!