How about enjoying a restaurant-style guilty pleasure, in a cleaner and bit healthier way, in this scrumptious Nacho Salad? I've been making it for some time now and it seems not often enough, according to the kids. It just goes that fast. Crunchy chips with taco flavored meat, spicy cheese, loaded with vegetables, sprinkled with extra shredded cheese and topped off with a sour cream dressing is a tasty and easily loved meal!
With a large handful of lettuce replacing a second handful of chips, you can feel good about not over indulging too much on calories. With this quick meal, all there is to do is prepare the meat and cheese, pile on the ingredients and appreciate it! Enjoy!
Ingredients:
2 Bags of chips
2.5 lbs. (1.25 kg.) – ground beef (I grind beef on my own, see the Lasagna post for details)
1 tsp. (5 ml) - sea salt
½ tsp. (2.5 ml) – garlic salt
¼ tsp. (1.25 ml) – black ground pepper
1.5 cups (375 ml) – water
½ cup (100 g) – Taco Seasoning
Cheese Sauce:
(I prefer homemade cheese, check this recipe out HERE)
2 lbs. (1 kg.) – Smooth Melting Cheese
½ tsp. (2.5 ml) – Cayenne pepper
Milk (optional)
Salad Toppings:
Shredded lettuce
4 tomatoes
Scallions
Shredded cheese
Sour cream
Instruction:
1. Pour water into a small bowl and add taco seasoning. Mix until well combined. Set aside until ready for use.
2. Place ground beef in a large pan and add olive oil. Brown meat on high temperature, mixing constantly. Reduce heat to medium. Add regular and garlic salt. Mix in and sauté for a couple more minutes. Increase the temperature to high and add taco seasoning mix. Saute on high for 5 minutes, mixing constantly until the liquid evaporates and meat sizzles. Turn the burner off and allow the meat to cook to well done. Cover with a lid to keep it hot. While the meat is sautéing, heat chips in the oven, dice tomatoes and prepare the rest of the salad toppings.
3. Cut the melting cheese into smaller pieces and place into a small pot. Turn the temperature to med/low. Stir the cheese constantly to prevent from burning at the bottom. (I’ve noticed that this brand of cheese doesn't always produce the same thinness. To thin the cheese, I add milk in small amounts until the cheese reaches the desired thinness. Sometimes up to a total of 2 cups. Use your judgment.)
4. Add cayenne pepper. Stir cheese for 30 seconds or until the pepper is well mixed in. Keep the cheese covered and over low temp on the stove throughout serving to prevent thickening.
Assembly:
1. Place a handful of chips on a plate or in a bowl. Drizzle with cheese. Add taco meat.
2. Top with lettuce, tomatoes, scallions, shredded cheese and sour cream.
Serve right away. Enjoy!
- 2 Bags of chips
- 2.5 lbs. 1.25 kg. – ground beef (I grind beef on my own, see the Lasagna post for details)
- 1 tsp. 5 ml - sea salt
- ½ tsp. 2.5 ml – garlic salt
- ¼ tsp. 1.25 ml – black ground pepper
- 1.5 cups 375 ml – water
- ½ cup 100 g – Taco Seasoning
- Cheese Sauce:
- 2 lbs. 1 kg. – Smooth Melting Cheese
- ½ tsp. 2.5 ml – Cayenne pepper
- Milk optional
- Salad Toppings:
- Shredded lettuce
- 4 to matoes
- Scallions
- Shredded cheese
- Sour cream
-
Pour water into a small bowl and add taco seasoning. Mix until well combined. Set aside until ready for use.
-
Place ground beef in a large pan and add olive oil. Brown meat on high temperature, mixing constantly. Reduce heat to medium. Add regular and garlic salt. Mix in and sauté for a couple more minutes. Increase the temperature to high and add taco seasoning mix. Saute on high for 5 minutes, mixing constantly until the liquid evaporates and meat sizzles. Turn the burner off and allow the meat to cook to well done. Cover with a lid to keep it hot. While the meat is sautéing, heat chips in the oven, dice tomatoes and prepare the rest of the salad toppings.
-
Cut the melting cheese into smaller pieces and place into a small pot. Turn the temperature to med/low. Stir the cheese constantly to prevent from burning at the bottom. (I’ve noticed that this brand of cheese doesn't always produce the same thinness. To thin the cheese, I add milk in small amounts until the cheese reaches the desired thinness. Sometimes up to a total of 2 cups. Use your judgment.)
-
Add cayenne pepper. Stir cheese for 30 seconds or until the pepper is well mixed in. Keep the cheese covered and over low temp on the stove throughout serving to prevent thickening.
-
Place a handful of chips on a plate or in a bowl. Drizzle with cheese. Add taco meat.
-
Top with lettuce, tomatoes, scallions, shredded cheese and sour cream.
-
Serve right away. Enjoy!
If you make this Nacho Salad Recipe please share a picture with me on Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest. Tag with #valyastasteofhome. I'd love to see your creations! 🙂
How do you heat chips in the oven? Thanks
Place chips on baking pan into preheated to 350 F oven and heat on bake setting for 10 minutes. I hope this helps.