Food: Taco Salad

This salad is a combination of a couple of recipes, one I "borrowed" from a close friend (T, you know who you are!) and one I "adapted" from an issue of Taste of Home magazine (Simple & Delicious). Combined and modified just a bit, the two make for an awesome taco salad that is filling and scrumptious. You can spice it up more by using hotter chips or tossing in diced jalapenos, but we usually just serve El Mexicano jalapenos (with the seeds and membranes removed, of course) on the side for those who want more heat in their meal. We also tend to serve with pan-warmed tortillas that you roll up and eat on the side. Anyway, without further ado, here it is!


Taco Salad

1 lb. taco-seasoned ground beef
1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup canned kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup canned pinquitos (pink beans), rinsed and drained

1 can (11 oz.) Mexicorn (corn with bell peppers) or corn relish

1/2 cup chopped sweet bell pepper (red or orange)
1 bunch green onions, chopped (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup salsa or 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
2 cups Spicy Nacho Doritos, crushed
1/2 cup cup French Dressing


1) In a pan over medium heat, cook seasoned ground beef until done. Set aside until cool.
2) In a large bowl, mix cooled ground beef, beans, corn, bell pepper, green onions, cilantro, and salsa. NOTE: At this point, you can cover and refrigerate until serving time.
3) Just before serving, add crushed chips and 1/4 cup of the French Dressing, and mix until well-blended.
4) Add remaining dressing slowly, only until mixture is coated but not overly wet. Serve with additional chips on the side to use as scoops. You could also add sliced olives at this point if you wish.

TIP: If you have any of the mixture from Step 2 (before adding chips and dressing) leftover, you can save/freeze it and use it for making chili at a later date. And don't forget to add the best, crunchiest, most flavorful canned jalapenos around!