Walking Tacos

Guest post by Jennifer of Loving Life at Home

Can you believe autumn is already upon us?

Grab your scarves and your warm, woolen sweaters. Whether you’re watching football, building bonfires, raking leaves or taking nature hikes, October is a wonderful time to be outdoors.

When you think of fall foods, what do you envision? Apples and cranberries? Turkey and dressing? Maybe a thick slice of pumpkin or pecan pie?

I think of tacos.

Granted, I live in Texas, so tacos are a staple food around our house. I can put a Tex-Mex spin on just about anything. I wean my babies on guacamole and have even been known to forgo roasting the traditional turkey for Thanksgiving dinner in favor of serving fajitas instead (with all the trimmings).

I’ll bet you didn’t know that October 4 is National Taco Day, did you? October 3 is National Soft Taco Day, but I prefer my tacos crunchy, so I’m going to wait and celebrate tomorrow.

Sometimes—just for fun—my family makes our tacos with no shell at all. We call these “Walking Tacos.” If you use snack sized Fritos, they can be eaten straight out of the bag, making clean-up a snap.

This easy meal always gets cheers from our kids, who think it’s the perfect dinner for tailgate parties or family campouts.

Since everybody can build their own taco to suit their individual taste, it’s a great choice for feeding a crowd. We serve a variation on this theme every year at our annual shoebox stuffing party and have enjoyed eating them at Reformation Day dinners, as well.

And if your little trick-or-treaters can’t wait for Dad to finish his dinner before hitting the streets, he can grab a fork and eat it on the go as he supervises their progress through the neighborhood!

The recipe is simple. Here’s everything you’ll need:

Walking Tacos

• single-portion bags of Fritos or an organic/GMO-free corn chip alternative (like Erin prefers! Make sure there is enough for everyone to have at least one!)
• 1-2 lbs. ground beef
• 1-2 tbsp taco seasoning (you can make your own!)
• 1 can black beans
• 1 can Rotel tomatoes (you can make your own!)

Suggested toppings for your tacos:

• lettuce (shredded)
• cheese (grated)
• sour cream
• tomatoes (diced)
• 1 red onion (diced)
• sliced avocados or guacamole
• pico de galo
• salsa

Brown ground beef with taco seasoning. Add black beans and a can of Rotel once the meat is thoroughly cooked and no pink remains. I’ll sometimes soak and cook dry beans when we’re making these at home, but for campouts, we like the convenience of canned.

Let the meat mixture cool slightly before serving, so it’s not too hot to handle.

Place the rest of the toppings in separate bowls, so that each person can build their own taco.

To assemble, carefully open one end of the bag, scoop some taco meat inside, and then add your favorite toppings: lettuce, tomato, onion, cheese, avocados, black olives, etc.

Grab a fork and dig in!

Print

Walking Tacos

Ingredients

• Single-portion bags of Fritos or an organic/GMO-free corn chip alternative (like Erin prefers! Make sure there is enough for everyone to have at least one!)
• 1-2 lbs. ground beef
• 1-2 tbsp taco seasoning
• 1 can black beans
• 1 can Rotel tomatoes
• lettuce (shredded) - optional
• cheese (grated) - optional
• sour cream - optional
• tomatoes (diced) - optional
• 1 red onion (diced) - optional
• sliced avocados or guacamole - optional
• pico de galo - optional
• salsa - optional

Instructions

1. Brown ground beef with taco seasoning. Add black beans and a can of Rotel once the meat is thoroughly cooked and no pink remains. I’ll sometimes soak and cook dry beans when we’re making these at home, but for campouts, we like the convenience of canned.
2. Let the meat mixture cool slightly before serving, so it’s not too hot to handle.
3. Place the rest of the toppings in separate bowls, so that each person can build their own taco.
4. To assemble, carefully open one end of the bag, scoop some taco meat inside, and then add your favorite toppings: lettuce, tomato, onion, cheese, avocados, black olives, etc.
5. Grab a fork and dig in!

What are your favorite fall foods, and your favorite places to eat them?

Jennifer Flanders is the author of several popular books, including the award winning 25 Ways to Communicate Respect. She blogs about marriage and motherhood at Loving Life at Home. You can also connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest, or find her at her family website, where she publishes a lot of free printables and writes on the topics of organization, homeschooling, and large family living.