Taco Salad and Chips

Taco salad is always a delight to prepare because it is simple and healthy yet always a grand piece of art.  Each attempt at this dish is different than the one before.  Enjoy it, and put your own spin on it.

First, the shell.

10" Tortillas
Aluminum Foil

1. Roll out 2 sheets of foil for every tortilla.
2. Place a 10" pan lid on top of the foil and draw a circle around it.  Cut out the foil.
3. Warm each tortilla individually in an ungreased pan until they are pliable.  Then place the tortilla on 2 cut sheets of foil and form into the shape of a bowl.
4. Place foil-lined tortillas on a baking sheet and bake at 350 deg for about 10 minutes (tortillas should be crispy and slightly browned.
5. Put on plates and prepare for salad.

Chips

Tortillas
Cinnamon
Sugar
Non-Stick Cooking Spray

1. Using a pizza slicer, cut out 8 slices of a tortilla.
2. Spread slices evenly on a baking sheet and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
3. Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar evenly on the slices.
4. Bake at 350 deg for about 10 minutes.  I cook these at the same time as my bowls.

Meat

Low-Fat, Ground meat of choice (I use ground turkey)
Picante Sauce (Pace works well)

1. Cook meat in sauce until no longer pink.

Assemble

This is where you can get creative.  The following are great toppings for taco salad:

Avacados
Sour Cream
Freshly Cut Cilantro
Thousand Island Dressing
Green Onions
Red Onions
Cheese (Mozzarella is the best for this in my book)
Bell Peppers
Black Olives

1. Lettuce should always form the foundation of the salad.
2. Top with meat cooked in sauce.
3. Place fixings on top, to your heart's desire.
4. Top with a dollop of sour cream.
5. Serve with cinnamon & sugar chips.
6. Enjoy!