Recipe Background
Bold taco salad with seasoned beef and tangy dressing for easy sharing.
When you're heading to a potluck, this taco salad promises bold flavors mingling under a casual setting. Iceberg lettuce provides a crisp foundation, while coarsely crushed nacho-flavored tortilla chips add an unexpected crunch. As you toss in halved grape tomatoes, you're greeted with bursts of freshness that light up each bite. The aroma of seasoned beef, cooked until just losing its pink hue, melds seamlessly with the briny olives and earthy beans. Allow the beef to rest a few minutes before combining—it retains juiciness and depth when nestled into this vibrant mix.
Cheddar cheese weaves through, bringing a rich, sharp contrast to the sweet bite of chopped onions and mild heat from green chiles. As you bring the elements together with a tangy blend of Thousand Island dressing and salsa, a hint of sweetness from sugar rounds it off with flair. It's a combo made for sharing. Watch as the salad takes on a lively conversation of textures, each forkful delivering a different mix of crunch and creaminess.
Perfect for gatherings, this dish doesn’t just feed a group—it invites people to gather round and dig in, fork-first, into a bowl bursting with flavor. Colorful and hearty, it's a no-fuss wonder that’s likely to become a requested attendee at future potlucks. A recipe to rely on, offering a little something for everyone.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
- 2 (1-ounce) envelopes taco seasoning divided
- 1 medium head iceberg lettuce
- 1 (10-ounce) package nacho-flavored tortilla chips coarsely crushed
- 2 pints grape tomatoes halved
- 2 (16-ounce) cans kidney beans rinsed and drained
- 3 (2.25-ounce) cans sliced ripe olives drained
- 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese shredded
- 1 large sweet onion chopped
- 2 (4-ounce) cans chopped green chiles
- 1 1/2 cups Thousand Island salad dressing
- 1 1/3 cups salsa
- 1/3 cup sugar
Directions
- In a Dutch oven over medium heat, add the beef with 1 envelope plus 2 tablespoons of the taco seasoning and cook until the meat is no longer pink, for about 5-7 minutes.
- Drain the fat from the Dutch oven.
- In a very large serving bowl, combine the lettuce, the chips, the tomatoes, the beans, the olives, the cheese, the onion, the chiles, and the cooked beef.
- In a small bowl, combine the salad dressing, the salsa, the sugar, and the remaining taco seasoning.
- Pour the dressing mixture over the salad and toss to coat.
- Serve.
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