Walking Taco Salad

“Walking” Taco Salad 

First, let me clarify….It’s not REALLY taco salad….It’s a Chip Dip!

I may have mentioned this before, but my grandmother taught me how to cook. Because she loved to cook, her idea of hospitality was a BIG meal, usually involving a large portion of meat, several veggies, bread and often DESSERT!

My mom on the other hand, doesn’t enjoy cooking as much…not to say she CAN’T cook, she doesn’t enjoy it. However, she does enjoy entertaining and showing hospitality. When she has a group to feed she makes “snack trays” as she likes to call them.  In fact, one year, a LONG time ago, we (my husband, infant daughter and I) were going to spend Thanksgiving with my parents.  My husband, who was used to the “traditional” meal, asked me respectfully,”Are we having real Thanksgiving or just snack trays?”  I assured him my Mom was planning the traditional meal.  A couple of days later I was talking to her on the phone and she asked innocently,  “Now I was just thinking to make some snack trays, that’ll be OK, won’t it?” For this reason, and because she does great snack trays, she has earned the affectionate title of the “Snack Tray Queen” – a title she is proud of.  (In case you are wondering, with my help we had a “traditional” Thanksgiving)

In honor of my mom, today’s recipe is “Walking Taco Salad.”  It’s one of my favorites (even though I don’t usually like sour cream or refried beans).  It’s very easy to make and uses things you may already have on hand.

Best served with Homemade Tortilla Chips.

Here’s the Recipe:                        

1 can refried beans (any brand)

8 oz. sour cream

1 package taco seasoning

*salsa – about half a jar

lettuce – shredded – about 1/4 head

2 cups shredded cheese – Cheddar or Mexican

1 tomato diced

Optional Toppings: guacamole, black olives or jalapeno

The dip is made by layering the ingredients.  I use a 12″ round platter.  It could also be done in a 9×13 glass dish or any platter.

First, mix sour cream and taco seasoning.  Set aside.

*The brand of salsa I used this time seemed to have a lot of liquid which can cause the dip to get “soggy”. Before layering on the salsa I strained it to eliminate extra liquid.

First layer – Beans

Sour Cream Mixture

Salsa

Lettuce

Cheese and Tomatoes

This can be made several hours ahead and kept in the refrigerator.  Serve with tortilla chips.

Great for making at home or taking to a party!  Maybe that’s why it’s called “Walking”?

***Gluten Free Option: We have friends with wheat allergies and this CAN be a great “gluten-free” option. Make sure your TACO SEASONING doesn’t contain wheat or wheat products. When looking at different brands I found that our local store’s brand was “gluten-free”.  It probably won’t say that on the front of the package so look at the list of ingredients.

Walking Taco Salad

2016-01-26 22:58:12

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Prep Time

20 min

Total Time

20 min

Prep Time

20 min

Total Time

20 min

Ingredients

1. 1 can refried beans (any brand)
2. 8 oz. sour cream
3. 1 package taco seasoning
4. *salsa – about half a jar
5. lettuce – shredded – about 1/4 head
6. 2 cups shredded cheese – Cheddar or Mexican
7. 1 tomato diced
8. Optional Toppings: guacamole, black olives or jalapenos

Instructions

1. The dip is made by layering the ingredients. I use a 12″ round platter. It could also be done in a 9×13 glass dish or any platter.
2. Mix sour cream and taco seasoning and set aside
3. Drain salsa, if needed
4. Layer ingredients in this order...
5. Beans
6. Sour cream mixture
7. Salsa
8. Lettuce
9. Cheese
10. Tomatoes

Notes

1. *The brand of salsa I used this time seemed to have a lot of liquid which can cause the dip to get “soggy”. Before layering on the salsa I strained it to eliminate extra liquid.

O Taste and See https://otasteandseeblog.com/