Midwestern Taco Salad

Midwestern Taco Salad

I can pretty much guarantee that if you go to any Midwestern family party, potluck or church picnic, you will find this Midwestern Taco Salad. I know that some will find the ingredients….concerning…but trust me, this is delicious. In fact, this is such a popular recipe in my family, that we have it at every family gathering. My cousins and I always hide a plate before putting it out so that we have some to take home. It is very easy to make and it is just a fun salad to have at parties. I also can almost guarantee that if you make it for a party and save some leftovers in case you celebrate a little “too much” it can cure your hangover. What’s not to like?!

The Secret To Midwestern Taco Salad

Everyone makes this salad their own way. Even in my family, everyone has their own spin on this recipe. When I make this salad I like to use this Western French Dressing. It has a certain tanginess to it that I think adds to the flavors of whatever Doritos you choose to use. I personally think the perfect combo is Spicy Nacho Cheese Doritos and this Western French Dressing. This dressing is also really good on top of cottage cheese with a little bit of cheddar sprinkled on top and some black pepper.

Crumbled Is Cool

I won’t bore you with too many details for this simple salad but one tip I will give you is to make sure that your ground beef is finely crumbled when you cook it. I like to use a ground meat chopper for this but you can also just use your spatula to make sure the beef is finely crumbled. If you are not familiar with a ground meat chopper, you MUST get one. I will link one HERE from target but I got mine at Family Dollar for $3 and its perfect.

Picky Eaters Unite

My cousin’s are very particular about certain foods so I have gotten used to making my Midwestern Taco Salad with very basic ingredients. If you fancy more pizzaz in your salad you can add diced red onion, sliced black olives or even some sour cream on top.

Midwestern Taco Salad

I made this salad earlier for football Sunday for Mister and I am now in bed writing this blog post and making myself hungry again for this salad. I cannot wait for the leftovers tomorrow. The full, printable recipe is below. Enjoy!

Midwestern Taco Salad

Print

A Midwestern party staple. I guarantee you will find this taco salad at any family gathering or potluck in the Midwest. made with crisp iceberg lettuce, taco meat, nacho chips and french dressing. The flavors combined make it great and it tastes even better the longer it sits.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 lb of ground beef
• 8 oz of shredded taco flavored or cheddar cheese
• 1 packet of taco seasoning ( 1 oz)
• 1 head of iceberg lettuce
• 1.5 cups of finely diced tomatoes (optional)
• 2 cups of Western Brand French Dressing or a dark red french, Russian or Catalina
• 1 bag of any flavor doritos (9.5 ounce)

Instructions

1. Cook your ground beef and be sure to use a spatula or ground meat chopper so that it is in a fine crumble. Drain your beef if needed. Add your packet of taco seasoning and 1/3 cup of water and simmer according to the taco seasoning packet directions, approximately 20 minutes or until the water is absorbed.
2. Wash your lettuce and tear or cut it up into bite sized pieces and add to a bowl.
3. Let the taco meat cool completely then add the taco meat to the lettuce.
4. Crush your Doritos up into smaller pieces but do not over crush them into a fine crumble.
5. Add your dressing and toss well to coat.
6. Add your tomatoes and cheese and toss well to combine.

*You can also add minced purple onion and or black olive slices if you like.

For another delicious Midwest Salad, Try my BLT SALAD pictured above. CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPE