gather round to hear how I learned to love taco night with every fiber of my being.
because I used to not understand the fuss re: crunchy ground beef tacos. now i’m like THEY DESERVE A PARADE. a freaking PARADE.
🌮 find a from-scratch recipe you love. in other words, ditch the taco seasoning packet. i love love love this recipe. the extra few minutes it takes to use onion, garlic, spices, and tomato sauce elevates ground beef tacos to a whole new zip code. the first time I had them, Brett and I turned to each other like, “okay, this is the first day of our life if THIS is what ground beef tacos are supposed to taste like.”
🌮 i also love to use ground beef, ground turkey, or both. leanest meat possible since the homemade seasoning provides so much flavor that i can go healthier on the meat choice.
🌮 when i’m feeling feisty, I add in a whole slew of riced cauliflower when i’m sautéing the onion and garlic.* or i’ll dump in a whole slew of steamed, riced cauliflower at the end of the recipe.* BC YOU CANT EVEN TELL IT’S THERE. and if i’m feeling especially sassy, i’ll blend spinach into the tomato sauce*. BC YOU CANT EVEN TELL. hi, i’m a 31 year old picky eater - i need all the vegetable help i can get.
*I’m sorry, I don’t measure measure with measuring cups - I measure with my heart. start with a small amount and add more based on your taste preferences! i do a prettyyyyy generous amount, but you may like less (or more!)
🌮 you have to put out a spread of good toppings. don’t just set out some sour cream and call it a day. NO MAAM. we need a buffet of variety here. here’s a photo of ours! we love lettuce, tomatoes, pico, guac, avocado, cheese, crema, sauce, salsa, etc etc etc. a buffet of variety!
we even go the extra step and will get extra things for if we’re feeling crunch wrap supremes. or chalupas. or taco salad. or or or. taco meat is a beautiful thing.
also. do yourself a favor and buy one of my most-used kitchen gadgets. this handy avocado gadget.
🌮 and, and. i double or triple the hidden veggie taco meat and throw some in the freezer for the easiest, most delicious future dinner. because I’m already dirtying a pan, and it’s hardly any more work to make double or triple the amount. and taco meat freezes BEAUTIFULLY. cook once, eat twice! open my freezer at any point and there’s a good chance I have some taco meat in there. you’re welcome, future haley!
i freeze my taco meat in these containers, but you do you! when I’m ready to eat, I’ll run the container under water to loosen the block of frozen taco meat from the container, and I’ll dump the taco meat into a small crockpot and cook on low for a few hours. or, or! i’ll throw into a pan on the stove top and cook on lowwwww. or, or! I’ll put the taco meat in the fridge a day or two before I want to eat the tacos and let it slowly defrost there.
long live taco night!
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