My kids LOVE Tacos, and we’ve found a tasty and healthy recipe to extend the family budget while giving them what they want. With a bag of Nacho chips, we’re able to feed a family of five at least 1.5 meals, sometimes two meals (if the boy’s aren’t hungry!)
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. ground meat (beef works for us, but I imagine you could substitute what’s available)
- 1 8-oz. can red kidney beans, drained (dried work fine, if you care to cook them)
- 1 8-oz. can black beans, drained (dried work fine, if you care to cook them)
- 1 8-oz. can crushed tomatoes (optional)
- 1 8-oz. can/jar salsa (optional)
- 1 onion, diced
- 3-4 garlic cloves, diced
- 1 cup shredded butternut squash (or similar, optional)
- Worcestershire sauce,
- salt and pepper,
- basil,
- garlic powder,
- cumin,
- paprika,
- cayenne powder,
- chili powder,
- Tabasco sauce,
- diced green chili,
- other seasonings, to taste.
Directions:
- Brown onions with a little oil on medium heat until golden.
- Add garlic, brown another few minutes.
- Add meat, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper; stir occasionally while cooking thoroughly.
- Add in the grated squash; it’s a great way to extend the meal, add some nutrition, and the kids will never know it’s there. Grate it using a food processor, or we typically chunk it up then send it through the cheese-grater by hand. Mix well with the meat, and cook another 5 minutes until tender.
- Add all canned ingredients (though dried beans must be thoroughly pre-cooked), including liquid from the tomatoes. (You can substitute a cup of Spaghetti sauce or similar, if kids cringe at tomatoes, but an acidic sauce component is important to help break everything down. Add a splash of ketchup, if nothing else.)
- Simmer for 10-30 minutes to drive off some of the liquid, or as long as needed, season to taste with all (or any chosen) seasonings to taste. (I like spicy, flavorful food. I dump in the cumin and basil and garlic, and liberally dash w/ the peppers and sauces until my eye’s start to water.)
- Simmer with seasoning for 15 minutes on low. Add a pinch of brown sugar to cut some of the spice. (Maple syrup and honey work well, too. Just a dash of sweetener will help cover some of the heat.)
Can be spooned over nacho chips, rolled up in a soft shell, or add a couple cups to a block of cheese in a crock pot for some seriously incredible meaty nachos cheese sauce.
There’s a pre-packaged 1 lb. block of ground beef from our local beef-farmer defrosting in the fridge right now. Guess what my kids are eating tomorrow? LOL!
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