Hi, friends! It’s Tuesday, so we all know what that means. Yes! Taco Tuesday! One of my favorite ways to make a Tuesday happier is by having tacos, or really any other Mexican inspired cuisine. We LOVE Mexican in my house, and could honestly eat it every night of the week.
A layered taco salad is the perfect ending to a long day. It’s really easy to put together, and chances are you already have all the ingredients. This is a great way to change up the regular routine of soft or crunchy tacos, and go for something delicious, fresh, and simple.
I love the look of this salad in a trifle bowl. A very dear friend of mine gave one to me as a gift several years ago and I am always looking for ways to use it. It’s perfect for this recipe and any layered salads and desserts.
If you do not have one, make this recipe using a lasagna pan, or otherwise deep casserole dish.
The versatility is great with this recipe. Feel free to swap out black beans for pintos, canned tomatoes for fresh tomatoes, add more green chilies or none at all, etc. Really, customize it however you’d like. We eat it as a salad, however sometimes my kids eat it with tortilla chips or stuff it into a taco shell.
However you enjoy it, it makes plenty, can be made ahead of time if desired, and will satisfy all the hungry appetites. Enjoy!
Layered Taco Salad
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 1.5 pounds ground beef
- 1 can green chilies
- 1 1/2 tablespoons taco seasoning
- 2/3 cup water
- 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed, and mostly dry
- 1 can corn, drained
- 1 large can sliced black olives, drained
- 1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
- 1 head iceberg lettuce (approx 5-6 cups)
- 2 cups shredded cheese, cheddar, or a mixture of cheddar, jack, colby)
- 1/2 cup salsa
For Taco Dressing
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup salsa
- 1/2 teaspoon taco seasoning
Instructions
- Brown ground beef over medium high heat in a saute pan. Add green chilies. Drain fat. Add taco seasoning and water, stir until combined. Allow to simmer until thickened, 4-5 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- While meat is cooking, prepare dressing. Add sour cream, mayo, salsa, and taco seasoning to a small bowl, whisk until combined. Set aside.
- Chop the head of lettuce into bite size pieces. Spread over the bottom of trifle bowl or large pan.
- Add the black beans, then corn. Spread each layer to the sides of the bowl.
- Add cooked meat over the corn. Add dressing over the meat.
- Sprinkle shredded cheese over the dressing, followed by black olives, and grape tomatoes.
- Finish with 1/2 cup salsa and a dollop of sour cream on top. Enjoy!
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