Taco Salad with a Twist

Post courtesy of Debi from Who Say's 8 Is Enough? Debi was kind enough to share this recipe for Taco Salad made with natural ingredients. Make it and set it out for a quick yummy meal during your busy holiday season!

One of our favorite, favorite foods to eat at a party has always been Taco Salad.

So when we decided to switch to a natural diet, I was really depressed, thinking we wouldn't be able to eat it very often, as it contains lots and lots of "no-nos"...

Well, it got me thinking the other day when I was craving a little Taco Salad... surely I can find a way to make it healthy, can't I???

And, so I went to the market, shopped around and was thrilled to find that I can, in fact, make it healthy!

Best Ever Taco Salad! (trust me)

Normally, the recipe would call for a bag of Doritos, but that is a HUGE non-natural food and definitely not on our diet, so I found these super yummy and natural chips by Mission. These chips have a bit of a kick, as they have salsa in the flour, but boy are they yummy :)

Now, this might sound crazy, but you will need to take that lovely bag of chips, open it up, sample one or two chips and then crush the rest of them into bite-sized pieces.

Next, take a pound of ground beef or turkey and cook it through.

Add a 1/2 medium-sized onion and cook until translucent.

Drain the fat.

Add taco seasonings according to package for 1 pound of meat.

While meat is cooking, chop 1 medium green pepper, 1 pint of cherry or grape tomatoes, and one head of lettuce. (whatever type you prefer)

In a large bowl, add lettuce, green peppers and tomatoes.

Toss together.

Pour bag of chips on top of salad and toss together.

Add 6oz of shredded cheddar cheese and mix well.

Top with 8oz of Catalina dressing. This was almost the deal breaker for me as 99% of salad dressings contain high fructose corn syrup and we do not eat HFC. However, of all the dressings that Kraft makes, Catalina regular dressing contains none :)

So, I figured we could deal with a little food dye for one day....

If you want to avoid that as well, you can try any type of tangy french dressing, or make your own....

Mix all ingredients together until it resembles this.

Right before you are ready to serve, top with warm meat and toss together.

This is what it should look like :)

Serve and eat!

This makes a large quantity. Perfect for a side-dish for a party or a simple meal at home...

Debi Bouffard is mom to NINE kiddos and manages to come up with the greatest recipes. I am thrilled to have her contribute to the gift guide with some easy alternative recipes for those families with kids who need gluten free options. Debi writes over at Who Say's 8 Is Enough? Visit her and get to know more about her, her family, and her love of photography!