Taco Salad was one of my favorite meals from childhood. It even sustained me through college. Quick, dirty and cheap. (I guess that could describe many things during my college experience.)
The original recipe is pretty caustic (Kraft Catalina dressing, crunched up Doritos) so I tried to clean things up a bit. The foundation was and is iceberg lettuce. I don’t think there is any substitute for that. Crunchy and succulent. Add to that diced tomatoes, avocados and shredded white cheddar.
Ground beef is now ground bison. Add to that yellow onion and Central Market Organic Pinto Beans.
I ditched the Doritos all together. I didn’t need the crunch and their seasoning can come through by just adding more spice. The bigger issue was the dressing. After a little research, I realized that (against common knowledge) it is named after Catalan region of Spain and not the Catalina Islands off the coast of Southern California (no word on origins of Thousand Island). The original recipe highlighted Smoked Paprika and doesn’t even have a hint of Ketchup: Paprika, Red Wine Vinegar, Salt, Pepper and Oil.