recipe of the week: taco seasoning and a couple of easy ways to use it (mexican pizza and taco mac)

that's right, folks. i have 3 recipes today, but they are all super simple and related :-)


i mentioned that i pretty much stopped using pre-packaged seasoning mix when i gave you my ranch seasoning/dressing recipe.  there are multiple reasons for this, but the added and very beneficial "side effect" is that i was able to tailor a seasoning mix exactly to our tastes. since i am on the "the spicier the better" side and anthony is on the "i'll drink milk with this medium salsa" side, that's trickier than you might think ;-) but i've found a blend that doesn't set his taste buds on fire and mine are happy with.

lora's taco seasoning

2 tablespoons ancho chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp dried cilantro
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper

and here are two very simple ways to enjoy it!


taco mac 
(basically a healthier & homemade version of hamburger helper)
1 pound ground beef 
1 tablespoon taco seasoning
elbox macaroni
salsa verde (i prefer herdez)
ranch dressing


brown meat with taco seasoning while cooking macaroni noodles according to package directions.  after draining both noodles and beef, build your bowls.  ladle in noodles, top with beef, and add salsa verde and ranch to taste. it's a very simple weeknight meal that takes all of 15 minutes to prepare.  

i wouldn't entertain with it, but hey. some days you need a 15 minute meal.


mexican pizza


1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 tablespoon taco seasoning
salsa (we used a fire roasted chipotle from whole foods)
pizza dough
cheese (i used the fiesta blend also from whole foods and fresh mozzarella)
cherry tomatoes, green onions, black olives, etc to top with
(this recipe would also be great with fresh corn, black beans, etc!)

 spread salsa onto pizza dough

 top with cheese

 brown meat with taco seasoning

 top the salsa and cheese with the ground beef

 add other toppings (apparently the night i took pictures i stopped here)

 bake at 350゜for 15-20 minutes. enjoy!

recipe of the week: lora's ranch mix/dressing

i have several recipes that are lined up to post...but since this is one of the bases to several of them, i thought i'd go ahead and share my ranch seasoning mix and dressing recipe.


i stopped buying prepackaged seasoning once i realized how much sugar and chemical additives there are in the vast majority of them. this was probably about a year ago, and i have tried several combinations to get my seasoning just the way i like it.  a friend sent me a recipe (and i have no idea where she got it, so i can't give the credit) but it was a little too bland for me...however, playing around with ratios and a couple of added spices did the trick!


not only is this healthier than prepackaged mixes, it's WAY cheaper.  and it's not time consuming at all.  you can whip up a batch of the seasoning AND a container of ranch dressing in less than 10 minutes.


so, here's my recipe.

2 tsp parsley

2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp salt

2 tsp pepper

4 tsp dill

4 tsp onion powder

1 tsp basil

mix and store in airtight container. i love the round spice tins for this, and they're less than $2

i love that this is truly a base recipe.  it's great on it's own, but it's also adaptable. if i want to make it a chipotle ranch, i just add a bit of chipotle along with the ranch mix when i make the dressing. i use a tablespoon of this mix in anything that calls for a packet of ranch seasoning. so far, that seems to be the correct ratio!

so for the dressing itself

1 tbsp dry ranch seasoning

approximately 1 cup each sour cream, olive oil mayo and skim milk

you know, mix together (i use an immersion blender). pictures are self-explanatory.

 

it'll keep in the fridge for a week or more, although it never (ever) lasts that long at our house.  enjoy!


(if you click on this picture, you're sure to find some tasty recipes. in fact, there's a lemon squares recipe that i'm salivating over at becky's blog!)