3 for 1 Dinners: Taco Night

 

Cooking for one really sucks. 

 

You make a great meal one night, you enjoy that meal and then you eat the same thing the next night, and then again the next night and you eat that same meal until you never want to eat it again. . . To avoid the repetitive nature of cooking for one you start to rely on take out more and more until you realize that you don't cook anything anymore.

 

So I decided to start a new series here "3 for 1 Dinners".  Three nights worth of different dinners from one night's meal. First up we have Taco Night.

 

What You Need:

• 1 pound of ground beef
• taco seasoning of your choice
• a head of iceberg lettuce
• a small onion
• a tomato
• a small can of corn
• a can of refried beans
• shredded cheese (I like a nice Mexican blend)
• a pack of tortillas
• sour cream
• lime juice
• salt & pepper

 

Prep:

• shred the iceberg lettuce by slicing it into very then strips
• chop up the onion & tomato, mix together
• separate a small amount of the onion & tomato mixture to be used on night 3
• drain the can of corn, add it to the onion & tomato mixture, sprinkle with salt & pepper to taste and a splash of lime juice (congrats, you just made a very rustic salsa)
• Brown the ground beef and follow the directions of your taco seasoning.

 

Night 1: TACOS

 

 

Heat up your refried beans.

Soften the tortillas by microwaving them for about 30 seconds under a damp paper towel.

 

Assemble your tacos with -

• seasoned meat
• refried beans
• shredded cheese
• lettuce
• salsa
• a dab of sour cream

 

Night 2: TACO SALAD

 

Assemble your salad with -

• the rest of your iceberg lettuce (this is why you needed an entire head of lettuce)
• the rest of your salsa mixture
• a scoop of seasoned beef (reheated)
• a dab of sour cream
• a sprinkling of shredded cheese

Night 3: MEXICAN PIZZA

 

This one actually involves a little more effort (not much), but it's totally worth it.

 

• Preheat your oven to 350.
• Assemble your pizza on a baking sheet.
• Mix together what's left of your refried beans and seasoned meat.
• Spread the bean & meat mixture evenly on a tortilla.
• Cover with a second tortilla.
• Spread your reserved onion & tomato mixture on top of the second tortilla.
• Cover the entire thing with shredded cheese.
• Bake in the preheated oven until all the cheese has melted & has started to brown (the edges of the tortillas will brown as well)
• Serve with a dab of sour cream.

There you go - 3 for 1 Dinners!

 

Oh, and I have to disclose that I did actually get a forth meal out of this week, I had tacos for lunch one day as well.