Taco Salad in Tortilla Bowl Shells

Taco Salad in Tortilla Bowl Shells

by Anna
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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.

Taco Salad with Tortilla Bowl Shells

Restaurant-style taco salads at home. Fun for you and the family.
By:
Ingredients
  • 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
Directions
Step 1
Preheat oven to 400° F. Prepare the taco shells according to directions in post.
Step 2
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.
Step 3
Once taco bowl shells have cooled enough to touch, remove from metal molds and set on serving bowl/plate.
Step 4
Fill with lettuce, tomatoes, meat, beans, cheese and sauce, in desired order.

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