Taco Salad




I suppose if I'm going to tell you that my two favorite foods in the whole world are pancakes and tacos, that I'd better post recipes for both. I already shared my mini breakfast pigs-in-blankets, so here are some tacos.

Growing up, my mom let us pick whatever we wanted for dinner on our birthdays. Tacos were always my pick, and still are today (and I'm 30-something!). Now I have to admit, I used a taco seasoning packet (because I got 20 of them for free thanks to couponing), so this isn't exactly a personal recipe or anything. It's more of a cool presentation for an old favorite. I am working on my own seasoning blend though, so stay tuned!

My sister gave me those super-cool tortilla shaping bake-your-own taco shell thingies for Christmas and I couldn't wait to use them.

So, I took the tortillas and put them in the shaper pans and baked them off for 8 to 10 minutes at 400 degrees F. I had to cover them with foil for the last 2 minutes because the edges were starting to get a little too dark for my liking.

Then I placed it in a bowl to keep it from sliding all over the place and ending up on the floor and I filled it most of the way with chopped up romaine lettuce. Then I layered a bunch of avocado on top of the lettuce, cut some grape tomatoes in half and put them in the corners, scooped the seasoned beef (according to the package directions) on top of the lettuce, then took the picture. After the picture, it got smothered with shredded cheddar cheese and a ridiculous amount of sour cream.

Approximately 9 minutes later, it was gone. In my defense, they were soft taco-sized tortillas, not those massive burrito-sized ones you get at a restaurant that three people can share and you still have leftovers. Besides, it was more lettuce than anything else. And it was lean beef. And the lettuce was organic. And the shell was whole wheat. My conscience is clear, people!

What are your favorite taco toppings? Do you make your own seasoning or just buy the blue packet?