Light and Easy Taco Salad

When there are just a few of us at home for dinner, I don't like to make full course meals, it's a waste of food and time to make all that food and for no one to eat it.  So, I try to make meals that are hot, easy and that I know everyone will eat and there will be no leftovers. Taco's is one of those meals, everyone likes them, and everyone in my house will eat them in one way or another.  I make these a little bit lighter, using less fat ground meat, I make mine into a salad and use the taco sauce as the dressing.  This is how I make them:

On medium high heat in a frying pan, add 2 lbs lean ground meat.  Fry it up until all the pink is gone.

 After it's cooked and the pink is gone, I drain it in a colander to remove any fat off the meat.  Wipe the pan with clean paper towels. Pour the meat back into the pan and add 1 envelope of McCormick Taco Seasoning.

 Sprinkle it all over the top and stir it in while you are cooking it, until all of the meat is covered.

 The meat is cooked, now turn the burner to low and cover.  Chop up tomatoes, I use plum because they are meatier and less watery, iceburg lettuce and sweet onion.  I buy bagged shredded Mexican mixed cheese (it's easier than grating your self), taco shells, taco sauce and flour tortillas.  We love the La Tortilla Soft Wraps, low in calorie and they taste good!  They also come in a variety of flavors.

Everything is ready to build my salad and tacos.

 I like crunch when I eat, it makes me feel like I'm eating, call me crazy! So I either use tortilla chips, or I break up taco shells on my plate.  Next I start building with my meat

 Then the cheese on the warm meat so it melts, then the lettuce

tomatoes and onion, pour taco sauce over the top and a dollop of sour cream.  I didn't use low fat, light or low salt in this recipe, but I do make them that way.  You can purchase the seasoning in low salt, the sour cream in a light version and the cheese also comes light or low fat.  Whether they eat them as a salad, on a taco shell or on a warm tortilla, tacos are always a hit in my house!