On Monday our high school track and field team took second place in WPIALS (Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League---made up of 9 counties). Our son had his first sports interview just before he ran the 2 mile event that secured their second place win. It was in the local paper. He finished 2nd overall in the 2 mile with a new personal record of 10:44. Not bad for a freshman in his first year of track!
Today, I'm home while a crew is here fixing various things around our home as part of our 1 year warranty with our homebuilder. We've been in our new home for a whole year now! Just one year ago I had a home full of boxes to unpack. I'm glad we are settled now. Can I say we're unpacked even if there may be a few more boxes still to get to? :)
We have lots happening around here. I'm happy they're all great things, but these great things still keep us busy! I am trying to have family dinner together as much as possible, which means either I turn to my slow cooker or fix a quick, easy meal when I get home in the evening. Fritos Taco Salad is one of my "go-to" quick dinners. This is a salad that my husband ate growing up. He introduced me to it after we were married. Honestly, I thought Fritos plus Catalina dressing and Taco meat sounded kinda gross, but somehow they all work together to make a yummy salad.
Recipe Link
Ingredients
1 lb. ground beef
1/4 cup taco seasoning or a 1.25 oz.packet of taco seasoning
3/4 cup water
1 (15 oz.) can kidney beans, drained
1 (9 oz.) bag of Fritos corn chips or about 6-8 smaller 1 or 2 oz. bags for "walking tacos"
1 (8 oz.) package shredded cheese (we like sharp cheddar)
1 small head of lettuce, rinsed and chopped or a 10 oz. package of salad mix
1 pint grape tomatoes or 2 medium tomatoes, rinsed and chopped
1 (16 oz.) bottle Catalina dressing (we like Kraft lite Catalina)
Chopped or sliced sweet onion, optional
Avocado slices, optional
Directions
1. Cook ground beef in large skillet, crumble and drain. Add taco seasoning and water. Cook about 5 minutes and add drained kidney beans. Stir and warm through. You can use the meat right away while it is warm or cool it in the refrigerator and use it when it's cold. We eat it both ways.
2. Layer salad ingredients in each bowl as follows: corn chips, taco meat and beans, shredded cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, sweet onion and avocado (if desired).
3. Drizzle desired amount of Catalina dressing on top. Enjoy!
Notes: I like to assemble this salad in individual bowls because that way any leftovers will stay fresh for the next day. Adjust amounts as you like and add any other veggies that you like---chopped bell peppers, sliced olives, etc...
To make this salad portable or a "walking taco" you can use little bags of fritos and spoon the meat/bean mixture into the bag on top of the chips, sprinkle on shredded cheese, add the lettuce and veggies and drizzle the dressing on top. It's great this way for picnics and sporting events.
Adapted from my hubby
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| First, prepare the meat and bean mixture. The rest is easy, just assemble your salads like the picture below... |
Quick and easy! Tasty, too. I keep most of these ingredients on hand, which makes this easy to throw together on a busy evening. This is also a great summer dinner because you don't have to turn on the oven and you can use fresh veggies from the garden.
Birthday May-nia has begun. Our littlest one had a birthday this week, she's now 4! Three more birthdays to go this month. Figuring out what to give everyone can get stressful. If you're looking for a unique gift for someone, check out Patience Brewster. I recently found out about this family company. They have wonderful, whimsical ornaments, figures, stationary, home goods, and more.
What's some of your favorite "go-to" quick dinners or birthday gift ideas? I could use a little help this month. :) Leave a comment and let me know. Thanks!
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