A Dish To Pass: Taco Salad

This week has totally gotten away from me. Where did it go, I wonder?

Last Saturday, we were invited to a party celebrating Hubby's cousin getting married in Vegas last November. It was so much fun. The happy couple supplied the burgers and brats, and the invited guests were asked to bring a dish to pass. Oh. My. Gosh. Such great food! Potluck parties are the best. There's always great variety, and nobody has to do a crazy amount of work.

Lora, the bride, bought these cool inflatable salad bars to keep the salads cold. Best invention ever! I, of course, didn't take a picture at the party, but here it is with the link to  the website where you can buy one.

Inflatable Salad Bar from Carol Wright

It was expected to be pretty warm so I decided to make a taco salad that my daughter absolutely loves. There's no mayo in it, so I thought it would be pretty safe for an outdoor get-together (and I didn't know about the handy salad bar keeping everything nice and chilled).

I actually had never eaten this taco salad before I met my husband. And it's still not one of my absolute favorites, but everyone else seems to LOVE it. And as an added bonus, it's pretty inexpensive.

Here's the recipe if you'd care to try it. 

Taco Salad

1 lb. ground beef
1 pkg. taco seasoning
1/2 head lettuce, chopped
1/2 c. chopped onion
1/2 c. chopped green pepper
2 tomatoes, chopped
8 oz. grated Cheddar
1 lg. bag of Nacho Cheese flavored tortilla chips, crushed into bite-sized pieces
8 oz. of french dressing*

Brown hamburger and add seasoning according to package directions. Set aside to cool to room temperature. Toss the vegetables and cheese. Just before serving, mix in the cooled meat and dressing. Add the chips last. Toss and serve.

My green peppers weren't quite ready so I used these beautiful banana and jalapenos that were ready.

Here's the finished product. I took the pics with my phone so they're not quite as good as I would like.

*Here's my recipe for French Dressing

1/4 c. vinegar
1/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1/2 c. ketchup
squeeze of lemon juice
2 Tbls. water
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 tsp. celery seed
1/4 tsp. garlic salt
chopped onion, to taste

Mix in bottle and shake well. Store in the refrigerator. Makes about 1-1/3 cups.

Have a great weekend!
Talk to you soon.
Angela