It’s taco Tuesday guys, so get excited.  I think this recipe for a taco salad definitely qualifies as a fun way to celebrate the weekly holiday (it’s a holiday, right?).  I found this on The Pioneer Woman but I switched it up a little.  I had a whole mess of chicken thighs in my freezer and decided to roast, season, and pull them to save a little money and add a richness of flavor that I would miss with chicken breast.  I love dark meat, though, so feel free to use white meat if that’s what gets ya going. The best part is this meal began with the idea of having leftover frozen meat and wanting to use it, so if you have leftover ground beef or steak or anything hanging out in your freezer, throw that in. Most types of meat work on the taco salad, just like most types of meat work in a taco.

Ingredients

Chicken thighs [$4, or any meat you have hanging around your freezer]

Taco seasoning [about $1 a bag}

Avocados [$1]

Tomatoes [$1]

Frozen corn [$2 a bag or so]

Bunch cilantro [$1.50]

Bag romaine hearts [$3]

1 bottle of ranch dressing [$2]

1 bottle salsa [$3]

1 bag tortilla chips [$3]

1 bag shredded cheese [$3]

Directions:

Begin by rubbing the taco mix on the thighs and throwing them in a 425 degree oven for about 45 minutes or until juicy.

While the thighs are roasting, make the salad: shred the lettuce and heat up about 1 cup of the frozen corn and let cool. Slice the avocados and add to the salad along with chopped tomato and cilantro, and the cooled corn. Add about 1 cup of shredded cheese to the salad.

Let the chicken thighs cool, then pull the meat off the bones and add more taco seasoning to the meat.  Add to the salad and top with some crushed tortilla chips.

You’re welcome to leave the salad at this step, it looks lovely and is pretty healthy at this point.

I, however, love dressing, especially ranch.  Salsa ranch? Great idea.

Mix about 1/2 cup each of salsa and ranch, or tweak to your preference.  I probably used a little more ranch than salsa.  Add to the salad, toss, and serve.

Have lots of salad, you’ll definitely want to .  The creamy avocado, the juicy spiced chicken, and the fresh veg are all great contrasts and tastes, and the crispy tortillas really make it feel like you were eating on of those hard shell tacos that broke and now you’re eating the remains.  I love when that happens. Happy Taco Tuesday!

-L