Taco Salad

I loved when my mother made taco salad when I was a kid. My mom's taco salad had to have been a southern church picnic recipe. In fact, she may have gotten the recipe from some spiral-bound church recipe book. Now, I may not eat beef anymore, but I am not against what I grew up on - in fact sometimes I wonder why I don't eat meat anymore. I am really just too scared to try it again after all these years. Since I'm not abandoning my roots, here is how my mother made taco salad:

My Mom's Taco Salad

1 lb. ground beef
1 package taco season mix
1 head iceberg lettuce, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 green bell pepper (I think she put this in there, I can't remember since I didn't like bell pepper as a kid, so if it was in there I picked it out)
(you could add onion, but my mom never did)
2 cups cheddar cheese
French Dressing
2 cups Fritos corn chips
Sour Cream

Prepare beef per taco mix directions. Set aside. In a large bowl, arrange lettuce, top with taco meat. Add fritos around the sides. Arrange tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, and cheese on top. Top with French Dressing and a dollop of sour cream.

Please take into account that the proportions are different in my mom's salad than mine because she cooked for 4, I cook for 2. I take a similar concept, but make it all vegified (although adding chicken to it would probably be good if you are into that sort of thing). I would highly suggest adding avocado, but since Brian is allergic (gasp!) I don't.

Taco Salad

2 corn tortillas, cut into thin strips
olive oil, divided use
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 small can niblet corn, drained
1/2 green bell pepper
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
4 tsp. taco seasoning, divided use
1 lime, divided use
2 cups lettuce (I used spinach, but honestly, this is when iceberg or romaine work great)
2 TBSP sour cream
2 TBSP French Dressing
3/4 cup cheddar cheese or colby jack cheese, grated


Heat oven to 300 degrees. Toss tortillas that have been cut into thin strips with olive oil until each piece is coated. Spread out on a baking sheet in one layer,with no overlapping. Bake for about 20 minutes, stirring several times and checking the doneness. They will be done when they are golden, not brown, and have a crisp to them. Remove from oven and salt as desired.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl mix together black beans, corn, green bell pepper, onion, and tomato with 2 tsp taco seasoning, 1/2 of lime's juice and 2 tsp olive oil. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix together, 2 tsp taco seasoning, sour cream, French Dressing and juice of 1/2 lime. Toss with lettuce or spinach.

To plate, create a bed of lettuce on plate, top with black bean mixture. Sprinkle cheese and tortilla strips. Can garnish with extra dollop of sour cream.

NOTE: You can also just mix everything together and save a bowl and a few steps.