the ultimate frito taco salad

well, it's been quite sometime since our last post! instead of catching you up on the happenings, let's just get right down to business, shall we? basically, we still love cooking and baking and all things food related, and we love that you love our recipes! and after many requests from our dear friends, neighbors, and acquaintances, we're back!

i (laura here ;) ) recently attended a mission farewell for a darling neighbor and this is the taco salad that was served there. now I know you've made taco salad a million times in a million variations, but this one tops them all. this meat/rice mixture is to die for, and it even makes a perfect dip for those extra fritos you didn't crunch up into your salad. I made a ton with the intention of freezing it....and that didn't even happen because we ate it for leftovers for the next several days! it's delicious with the meat and rice combo and the sugar cuts that acidity of the tomato sauce nicely, go try it. I bet you have most of the ingredients already on hand!

the ultimate frito taco salad

1/2 medium onion, diced finely
1 lb ground turkey (or hamburger, your decision)
1 can tomato paste
1 15 oz can tomato sauce
3 cans water
3 Tbsp sugar
1 clove garlic
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp oregano
1 cup rice, cooked (measure out 1 cup rice, then cook as desired. i always use my instant pot to cook the rice quickly just in time to add it into this recipe!)

romaine Lettuce, chopped
tomatoes
fritos
ranch dressing (good dressing is a must! we like BYU ranch but we also love our own homemade version when there is time for that!)
beans (optional)
corn (optional)
green onions, chopped (optional)
black olives, chopped (optional)

saute onion until soft and translucent, then add ground turkey (or hamburger) and brown. then stir together all sauce and seasonings, except rice, and simmer for 5-10 minutes. then add cooked rice and simmer for an additional 20 minutes on very low heat, stirring often. The original recipe called for 1 cup cooked rice, but I accidentally measure it as dry, then cooked it. it added quite a bit more rice to the mixture, which i prefer now. use as much rice/meat ratio as you desire. Make sure to watch that the rice doesn't burn on the bottom of the pan, as it has a tendency to settle as it cooks. then serve over your choice of taco salad ingredients!

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