Aunt Pearl's Taco Salad

Taco salad has been a favorite of mine since I was a little girl. I remember my Aunt Pearl making taco salad every summer for the party we had after my piano recital. When I got a little older, my mom would make the salad for all of our post-cheerleading-competition sleep overs. It was always a hit at a party...I might go so far as calling it the Buffalo Chicken Dip of the 90s! It’s very simple to make - and even though I usually alter this based on what I have on hand, I’ll post Aunt Pearl’s original.

ingredients

1 head iceberg lettuce
1-2 cups shredded carrots
2 tomatoes, diced
1 cup shredded cheddar (or a Mexican blend)
1 cup slightly crushed tortilla chips (nacho flavor is best)
1 lb ground beef, browned (or ground chicken or turkey)
1 packet Old El Paso taco seasoning (or homemade taco seasoning - see recipe in the “Everything Else” section)
4 oz Catalina dressing
4 oz mild or medium taco sauce (smooth, not chunky)

directions

1
Brown ground beef well; drain.
2
Add taco seasoning and 2/3 cup water; simmer on medium for 3-5 minutes.
3
In a small canister or jar, mix the Catalina dressing with the taco sauce. Shake or stir until well blended (mixture should be half and half). Set aside.
4
In a large bowl, toss lettuce, carrots, cheese, and tomato. **I only mix the carrots and lettuce - I keep everything else in separate bowls for serving**
5
Mix in cooked/seasoned meat, if desired (I usually leave it in a separate bowl because the warm meat makes the lettuce wilty if left together too long).
6
Serve with dressing mix and top with crushed chips.