I just made Taco Salad in Tortilla Bowl Shells last night for dinner. You might think I am on a taco salad kick, since I shared the beach salad recipe recently. Well no, but I do really love them!
Have you ever tried making your own shell bowls out of tortillas? Years ago, I found a pack of cardboard forms at a local grocery store. They were okay, but there was a little bit of assembly required with flimsy, single-use cardboard. The next time you wanted to make taco salad, you would have to buy another pack of forms. And I wasn’t crazy about how you had to lay the tortilla over the form. It didn’t make for a pretty “bowl”, but it was all I had.
A few years ago, I found some forms on Amazon. They are non-stick, fluted metal and you fit the tortilla down into the mold. Much prettier and multi-functional–I have been know to use these for ingredients for a salad or taco bar or…wait for it…CANDY. Yes. I am sure you can find other uses, as well.
So, these molds are super easy to use. Preheat your oven to 400° F. and lightly spray with cooking spray. Yes they are non-stick, but these are the directions that I used. Set the tortilla–10-inch flour works the best–down into the mold. Place the molds on a cookie sheet and bake 8-10 minutes. Just be sure and check that the edges don’t get too brown. Let them cool a little, remove shell from mold, and place on a plate or bowl.
Next thing you want to do is fill the shell with your favorite taco salad ingredients. I used refried beans, taco meat, shredded cheese, lettuce, chopped tomatoes, and packets of Taco Bell sauce. You know, because they give you a bucketful at the drive-thru. You could also add chopped avocado. I didn’t have any at the time.
Here’s a tip about your taco meat. I use the TONE taco seasoning–1/4 cup to 1 lb. of ground chuck. And when you brown your meat, be sure and get a good toast on it. It will make a huge difference in the taste. Seriously, I have had compliments. You should remember to do that every time you need to brown meat for a recipe. Mmmmm….you’re welcome.
Oh, that’s the shell mold right there at the top of the photo.
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Taco Salad in Tortilla Bowl Shells
- Yield: Serves 4
Description
Restaurant-style taco salads at home. Fun for you and the family.
Ingredients
Instructions
- l lb. ground chuck, browned
- 1/4 cup taco seasoning
- 3/4 cup water
- 15-oz. can of refried beans
- shredded iceberg lettuce
- chopped tomatoes
- shredded fiesta-blend cheese
- taco sauce of choice
- taco bowl molds
Notes
- Preheat oven to 400° F.
- Prepare the taco shells according to directions in post.
- Brown the ground chuck well and drain. Mix the taco seasoning in the water and then add to meat, stirring well to combine. Simmer about 10 minutes.
- Once taco bowl shells have cooled enough to touch, remove from metal molds and set on serving bowl/plate.
- Fill with lettuce, tomatoes, meat, beans, cheese and sauce, in desired order.
