Pages

Thursday, March 15, 2012

{Recipe} No Measuring Healthy Taco Filling and Seasoning


Funny, my kids aren't real crazy about meat but they love tacos!  Love tacos!  So this is my chance to feed them healthy ingredients since they will eat well when it's "taco night".

The two things I do:
1.  Add a can of black beans.
2.  Homemade taco seasoning

3 reasons for adding black beans:  it  almost doubles my quantity of filling, it adds good protein and fiber, and it reduces the cost.  (My kids prefer ground turkey but sometimes I use a good ground beef and they eat it all the same.)

3 reasons for using homemade taco seasoning:  I already have the ingredients on hand, waaaay less salt, and I know exactly what is in it.

I need to preface this recipe by saying the amounts of seasonings I use give the meat/beans a mild flavor and is not spicy.  My kids don't like spicy.  This is for a pound-ish of meat plus one can of beans...obviously add more seasoning if you use more meat or want a stronger flavor!

No-measuring Homemade Taco Filling:
Pin It

Ingredients:  OH, and I don't measure! (Because you don't have to unless it must be exactly the same every.single.time you make it.) 

  • A BIG palmful of chili powder...
  • Medium size palmfuls of the cumin, onion powder, oregano, garlic powder, and paprika.
  • Just a small amount of salt (unless you prefer more).  I give it a good sprinkle around the pan and use sea salt with large granules. 

I am using ground oregano because I bought it for something and am (still) trying to get rid of it.  Also, sometimes I increase the cumin to a big palmful if I feel like it.


Directions:

  1. Add everything to meat either during or after it is browned.  I tend to add seasoning to the partly cooked meat and then the beans to the fully cooked meat- in case you were wondering!
  2. If the meat is getting dry (maybe because it is lighter fat), add some water.  About 1/4 cup.  This will help everything mix.


{KITCHEN TIP}
Now with the doubled the amount of filling needed to feed my family, I put the rest in freezer bags once cooled.  And VERY often, I cook up 2 pounds of meat and 2-3 cans of beans.  It is just as easy to cook 2 or 3 pounds of meat as it is to cook one.  I just have to pull out the bigger skillet, that's all!

I cook once and have dinners in the freezer for later!!

Pin It

I am entering a contest to win a $75 Amazon.com gift card here:  My entry into Just Something I Whipped Up sponsored by Appliances Online and the Bosch Washing Machines, .

Linking here:

4 comments:

  1. You just gave me instant taco cravings. Look like it's taco Friday in our house!

    About a year ago I discovered how easy it is to make your own seasoning. So much better than the store-bought version. I'll give yours a go tonight. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  2. i'm so happy that you posted this - i've been wanting to make my own since the store-bought varieties just don't work out for me. visiting from the 'chic on a shoestring' link party.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I LOVE adding black beans to stuff like tacos when I can. I make my own seasoning too, but I make it ahead and use it later. I've never tried making it on the spot. The no measuring thing is such a good idea.:)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Creative idea-following you from finding fabulous- stop by for a visit!!

    ReplyDelete