My Own Test Kitchen: Good Ol' Fashioned Tacos

When was the last time you had just a plain old taco? I'm talkin' ground beef, lettuce, cheese, maybe a little salsa, all in a crunchy taco shell. Nothing more, nothing less. Tacos are such a simple meal, but I think because they are so simple, that people are always looking for ways to jazz them up. You can get all kinds of tacos these days. Fish tacos, chicken tacos, vegetarian tacos, soft tacos, taco salad...they add avocados and switch up cheeses... the taco has a major identity crisis these days. So, in honor of the taco and all its greatness, I decided to make just plain old tacos, which is not to say they are boring, just under-appretiated.

Beef Tacos

Start to finish: 30 minutes

Makes 4-6 servings

1 lb lean ground beef

1 Tbsp corn starch

1 Tbsp onion flakes

1 tsp garlic salt

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

3/4 cup water

1 box Old El Paso Taco shells

lettuce, cheddar, and salsa for topping

Brown one pound of ground beef in a large skillet that has been put over medium-high heat. While the meat is browning, mix all the spices in a small bowl and chop your lettuce into strips.

When the meat is browned, drain the excess fat through a colander.

Return the meat to the pan and add the water and seasoning. Stir until everything is intermixed.

Bring the mixture to a boil and it should thicken into a meaty sauce rather quickly, couple minutes tops.

That's it! Throw in some refried beans and some chips and salsa, and dinner is READY!

A note on taco shells. Did you know that it is possible to consume whole grain corn? Yes, corn, like wheat, is considered a whole grain when the whole kernel is used. For more information on how this works and what to look for, see this lovely post from one of my favorite blogs, 100 Days of Real Food.

In the meantime, allow me to recommend Old El Paso Taco Shells, which among its four ingredients, includes ground whole kernel corn.