Taco Salad

Last summer I went to a choir reunion at Joanne's house. It was one of those events where everyone brings a food to share. I remember being excited to see what my favorite filipino ladies would bring. Mostly, I wanted lumpia and that desire was answered in spades. Can you ever have too much lumpia? I think not.

In between stuffing one lumpia roll after another into my mouth, I came across Nancy C.'s version of taco salad. Somewhere, I probably still have the recipe for this dish that originally came from Linda D, way back in the 70's. Shortly after my marriage, I remember making up a taco salad for Martin and being saddened by his less than enthusiastic response. Little did I realize how many times this cooking scenario would play out in my married life as I've tried out one dish after another, only to have them be rejected by the man who'd just as soon eat an Arby's sandwich as have a home cooked meal. Sigh....

Nancy's taco salad was good enough that I asked for her recipe and then tucked it away until this week when I had to deliver on the promise to make a batch for the Bible Study ladies coming to my house for an end-of the-year luncheon. I did tweak the basics of what she gave me, adding a few things that I thought would taste good mixed in with the core ingredients. One of the ladies at the luncheon let me know she was delighted to see so many "fun" ingredients. At her house, they cut up lettuce, cook up some meat, add chips and call it taco salad. Her recipe makes this one seem downright complicated, in comparison! I'd eat either version.

Taco Salad
Recipe courtesy of Nancy C - sort of

Ingredients:
2 pounds hamburger
2 packages taco seasoning (or use your own)
green onion, cut up
2 tomatoes
8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
dorito taco flavor tortilla chips
2 heads lettuce
2 cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 cans corn, rinsed and drained
sliced black olives, drained
Sliced avocado

Dressing Ingredients:
Thousand Island dressing
La Victoria Red taco sauce

Directions:

Cook the hamburger with the taco seasoning. Cool the meat completely. Add all the salad ingredients, except the avocado, tortilla chips and dressing. For the dressing, mix the Thousand Island and taco sauce together, using taste to determine how much kick you want. You can use mild taco sauce or if you like more kick, use the hotter. That's definitely not me so I don't know how it would taste. Right before serving the salad, add the mixed dressing and tortilla chips. Arrange avocado slices on top or have them on the side for people to add, as desired.