Extra-Tasty Taco Salad Buffet

I made taco salad fixins' for supper the other night and, rather than do the usual routine set-up, I came up with a couple ways to boost its appeal a bit, not that tacos need any help with that!

 

Taco Meat – In addition to taco seasoning, I also use about 1/2 jar of salsa and this time, I sprinkled in some seasoning salts (my new fave go-to spice) and some chili seasoning as well. When I salted the pan before browning the meat, I used the seasoning salts rather than table salt. Adds a little extra flavor.

   

Sour Cream - Instead of plain sour cream (truly awesome on its own), I spiced the sour cream up with taco and chili seasoning. Doing this extends the flavor a little further and also looks more interesting (to me!).

Dip - This time, I served queso cheese dip in addition to salsa and taco sauce. Now this takes no genius on my part, just the willingness to spend a little more money to treat the fam! We loves our cheese.

Here’s the finished taco buffet. I love it - easy, colorful and delicious! By the way, I know these ideas are very simple – you probably do twice as much to your tacos already! – it just takes moi a while to catch on and experiment! Just my 2 cents of ideas for the day!

Hope you’re eating well and enjoying life! God bless! {This post may be linked to blog parties in my sidebar.}

Hugs & Yums, Laurie

Slow Cooker Beef & Vegetable Stoup

I adapted this simple recipe from one an IRL mom friend last week and it is so easy and so tasty, my favorite way to cook! The way mine turned out (by including the juices etc) was a little thinner than a stew, leading me to borrow the term “stoup” from Rachael Ray!

Ingredients:

1-2 lbs. stew meat

2 cans cream of potato soup

2 cans water

1 large can whole potatoes, cut each potato in 1/2 (with juice)

2 small cans sliced carrots (with juice)

1 can whole kernel corn (with juice)

6 servings converted rice

Directions:

1-Put stew meat in slow cooker.

2-Layer in soups, water, and vegetables with juice.

3-Cook on low for 5-6 hours.

4-Serve over converted rice in bowls.

Eat up! Hope you enjoy this recipe!

Hugs & Yums, Laurie

Cheeseburger Salad

In an effort to make the good ol’ cheeseburger healthier (and less carb-y), I came up with the idea of CHEESEBURGER SALAD for my hubby and me! I thought all three kids would want regular cheeseburgers, but 2 of the 3 wanted the salad as well!
We grilled our burgers and added American cheese slices to melt a bit. We prepped the salad separately (lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, shredded cheddar cheese – of course, you could add in whatever you like). At the last minute, we diced up the cheeseburger patties and added them to the salads. Yummy! We had pretzels on the side.
Also, I must note that I tried a new salad dressing with this meal:

I purchased this dressing at Kroger and it was very good, with a definite sweet and savory taste of cucumber. It would also make a great addition to a traditional cucumber salad.
Hugs & Yums, Laurie