Taco Salad/Mexican Stackups

I call it Taco Salad but my mother calls it Mexican Stackups.  Whatever you want to call it,  it's delicious.

Very simple ingredients.  I try to keep them all on hand so I can make a quick dinner when time is short.  Ground beef/chuck, black beans, onion, and some kind of taco seasoning mix is all you need.  You can use whatever kind of seasoning mix you like.  I prefer Taco Bell but Ortega is good as well and they make one that is light sodium as well.  You can also make your own. I don't like reinventing the wheel so I use a pre-made one.

Chop one onion. I am excited about getting to use something new today while I cut my onion.  I will share more about that another day.

You will want small pieces of onion this time.

Saute' the onion first with a little olive oil.

While the onions are cooking, open and drain your can of black beans.  The beans need to be rinsed until the water runs clear.  I started adding black beans to my meat about a year ago.  It adds a little extra fiber to the meat and make it a little more filling.

Add the ground beef to the onions and brown.

When the ground beef is browned get out your turkey baster and drain off the fat from the meat.  No matter how lean the meat is there is always a little grease in the bottom.  The baster is a great way to remove it.  If you don't already have one pick one up.  They are really cheap at Walmart.

Add 3/4 c of water and the seasoning mix.  You can add a little more chili powder if you like your meat a little more spicy.

Now add those drained and washed black beans.

Mix those together well.  Simmer on low until all the water is gone.

While the meat is cooking gather the wonderful topping that you are going to use on top.  You can add anything you want.  If you like black olives add those.  If you have some cheese dip add that too.  The sky's the limit.

Here's where I do something different. If you have a seasoned cast iron skillet use it to put a layer of chips and then put some cheese on top.

You can add a second layer of chips and cheese.  Then put it in a 350 degree oven for a few minutes until the cheese melts.

Once the cheese is melted you can start making your salad.

Layer with chips, meat mixture then your toppings such as taco sauce, sour cream, tomatoes and more cheese.
Hope you enjoy your dinner.