Something Quick: Samye's Taco Salad

Chase's mom Samye came up to visit us in September (was it really that long ago?) and one night she made this for dinner. Chase of course had eaten it many times before, but I hadn't. I was skeptical of 1000 Island dressing on taco fixin's, although it explained why Chase dips his tacos in it. And yet ... IT WAS DELICIOUS.

Then again, you can't really go wrong with Fritos and a mom's cooking.

I had been craving it since then, and I finally broke one day a couple of weeks ago and told Chase we were having it for dinner. He did not protest.

We use a bit less 1000 Island than Samye does, but it's a recipe that's easily made to any taste.

And just easily made.

Happy cooking!

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Samye's Taco Salad

Ingredients

1 lb ground meat

½ - 1 cup 1000 Island dressing

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 can black beans, drained

1 can black olives, chopped

1 cup chopped lettuce

2 large tomatoes, diced

1 10-oz bag Fritos

1 packet taco seasoning

Directions

1. Brown the ground meat and season with taco seasoning according to package directions.

2. For the vegetarian version, use

½ packet of taco seasoning mixed into the drained black beans.

3. In a large mixing bowl, toss lettuce, tomato, olives, beans and cheese.

4. Add half of the bag of Fritos to the veggie mix, crunching the chips slightly in your hands as you add them.

5. Toss the veggie mix in the 1000 Island.

6. Stir about two-thirds of the taco meat into the mix.

7. To serve, place a handful of the remaining Fritos on a plate. Top with a heaping scoop of the salad mix and sprinkle with extra taco meat.

8. As always, enjoy!

Salad mix, all mixed.

Ready for eating. It's just that easy.

Now that's some happy cooking! :)

Something Old: Taco Pasta

Hi food friends! Sorry this post is so late. I just returned from a weekend visiting (and cooking with!) my blog cheerleader, Reneé. Recipe from that on Thursdays.

For now, a great go-to recipe. Chase and I have made it so much we have it memorized! Even the most skeptical diners have fallen for this one. You might too.

Happy cooking!

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Taco Pasta August 11, 2009

Sounds a little weird, yes.

But when Chase's brother and his girlfriend were suddenly coming to town for dinner and Scrabble, we needed a quick recipe with ingredients on hand. This particular recipe had been floating around as an idea for awhile, and voila! Dinner magic.

Verdict: Delicious, cheap, easy, lots of great leftovers. Might be my favorite of all the recipes we've made. I actually woke up the day after we made this and couldn't wait for lunch. Never been so excited for leftovers. And it was so easy. Yep, make this.

The link to the recipe was just a guide to our cooking. Still, I figured I'd nod to the blog. Here's what we did:

Ingredients

3 cups macaroni noodles

1 pound ground beef (or turkey)

1 packet taco seasoning

1 can black beans

4 Tbsp sour cream

Taco toppings

Directions

1. Cook pasta according to directions on package. Drain.

2. While the pasta is boiling, brown the ground meat and season.

3. Combine pasta, seasoned meat, black beans, and sour cream. Mix well.

4. Plate the taco pasta and finish with your favorite taco toppings.

All the ingredients, minus ground beef.

My favorite taco toppings.

Taco pasta combined and ready for topping.

Happy cooking!