Lettuce Taco ‘Bout It
Food blogs are back and will be better than ever! I promise to share easy to make, healthy and delicious recipes that the entire family will love. I will only share what I’ve tried in my own home with my kiddos and talk about what we love and what we don’t. My kids aren’t really picky eaters but, my husband wins that title, every single time! He could eat a steak and fries for every meal and in between and never think twice. Me on the other hand, I love variety, mixing it up and trying new things. When we go to a restaurant I am the first to ask the waitress or waiter “what’s really good here?” So I can try their specialties.
Over the course of our marriage, we’ve always had a taco night. When we first met, this was premade taco kits from the grocery store but now, we are more comfortable making our own and love to mix it up by making them into lettuce wraps or taco bowls. Today, I’m sharing how you can make the easiest and most delicious taco bowls!
These taco bowls can be made with ground hamburger meat but I LOVE making them with salsa chicken and piling them sky high with toppings. Salsa chicken is something that anyone can make and depending on your preference you could cook it in the oven or your slow cooker. Make a lot or a little. Use it for dinner and include it in other recipes throughout the week (think: quesadillas, lettuce wraps, or in soup!) it’s so easy you’re going to probably roll your eyes at why you haven’t tried it before! Salsa chicken is exactly that… a can of salsa (we like the thick salsa with black beans and corn) poured over raw chicken breasts and cooked to tender perfection. I also add a little salt, pepper and garlic to it before I stick it in the oven. I cook at 350 degrees for 20 minutes (give or take, depending on how thick your breast are) until you can shred with two forks easily.
While the chicken is cooking, I make my black beans and quinoa. I’ve always loved black beans and white rice but I don’t eat a lot of “white” or “rice” anymore so I choose quinoa or freekuah – the grain I talked about on my Instagram the other day. My kids LOVE beans.. like they will just eat plain black beans out of the can, they love it so much! To make the quinoa I add to my pot with double the amount used for the quinoa in liquid form (water or bone broth), salt, pepper, a little butter and a can of black beans not drained. I cook for 15 minutes until the quinoa is finished and let it sit.
After the chicken is done, the fun can begin! You can make the base of your taco bowl with the black beans and quinoa, shredded salsa chicken and then get creative with your toppings. Some of our favs include: romaine lettuce, plain greek yogurt (for sour cream), guacamole, sautéed sweet potatoes, sliced avocados, sliced tomatoes, sliced peppers, a little cilantro and hot sauce. You can’t forget the hot sauce!
No matter what toppings you choose, this is a crowd pleaser and couldn’t be easier to make. The kids love being involved and making their own taco bowls. Let them get a little messy and create theirs. It will make dinner time fun and they will most definitely want seconds!
