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READY IN 20 mins

Messy Taco Salad

Read Reviews (22)

"A wonderful picnic, potluck or 3-day dinner. Quick and easy and everyone seems to love it. Optional toppings include chopped tomatoes and olives. I love to have this heated a bit the next day or two!!!" — KITALITA

Ingredients Edit and Save

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Original recipe makes 8 servings Change Servings

1 pound lean ground beef
1 pound shredded Cheddar cheese
1 (15 ounce) can ranch-style beans
1 head iceberg lettuce, shredded

1 1/4 ounces taco seasoning mix
16 ounces thousand island dressing
14 1/2 ounces tortilla chips

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Directions

In a large bowl, toss the lettuce and cheese.
In a separate bowl, mix together the dressing, taco seasoning, and beans.
Brown ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat, and drain. Add the ground beef and the dressing mixture to the lettuce and cheese, and mix well. Refrigerate until just before serving, then crush the tortilla chips while still in the bag and combine them with the salad.

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PREP 10 mins
COOK 10 mins
READY IN 20 mins

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Reviews More Reviews

Most Helpful Positive Review

Jan 26, 2009

This is the way I make my taco salad, except I prefer to add the taco seasoning to the meat(as if for tacos), and I don't add the beans. You definitely need to let the meat cool a bit before putting it with the lettuce and cheese. I use taco or nacho flavored Doritos for the tortilla chips. We love this and I make it often.

—bellydancer

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Most Helpful Critical Review

Feb 18, 2009

This was just too sweet for my taste.

—dee nelly

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28 Ratings

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May 04, 2003

I also add tomatoes and black olives. We add the cheese and the tacos individually so we do not ruin the leftovers. Our dressing is half Italian and half Catalina and can be added at the last minute so it does not become too soggy. My family has loved this dish for years!

—JCURLEY

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Jun 08, 2003

Liked the recipe a lot and the dressing was delicious. I would suggest putting the nacho chips individually on the servings and not mixed with the salad at the end. They were soggy then in the other-wise good leftovers.

—BEEGOWHITE

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Feb 08, 2005

I made this for our superbowl party and it was great. I used ranch dressing and doritos instead and it worked wonderfully.

—Chrissy Fessler

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Jan 24, 2011

This was good. I didn't need 8 servings, so I kinda halved it (no precise measurements). I could not for the life of me find ranch-style beans (perhaps one of the many products we don't get in Canada) and couldn't really find anything close either. I ended up using BBQ beans and rinsing most of the BBQ sauce off of them. That ended up being alright, but there was a bit of a BBQ-y taste with the dressing (not necessarily a bad thing - we still ate it). I think next time (and there will have to be a next time because my dad loved this.. even took leftovers for lunch the next day which he NEVER does, not even when it's something he cooks) I would just use plain beans and try to jazz up the dressing in a different way. A lot of reviewers mentioned using ranch dressing - I liked the Thousand Island, but I wonder how it'd be with a little of each?

—Alex

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Jul 23, 2005

I added canned corn and and diced tomatoes and skipped the beans only because I didn't have any on hand. I also used Ranch dressing and Fritos. We took it to a picnic on a hot day. The only thing I would make sure of is that this salad stays pretty cold. Otherwise the lettuce will wilt. This was pretty good but messy. I bet it would taste good with Catalina or French dressing too. Mix the dressing in at the very last minute so the chips and lettuce are nice and crisp.

—MYKIDSMOM5

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Jul 17, 2005

I did make a few changes. Instead of Thousand Island dressing, I used 16 oz of sour cream. I mixed the taco seasoning and a little salsa with it. I already had these ingredients on hand. The family loved it!

—Criscoh

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Nutrition

Calories
904 kcal
45%

Carbohydrates
60.2 g
19%

Cholesterol
113 mg
38%

Fat
61.1 g
94%

Fiber
6.3 g
25%

Protein
31.5 g
63%

Sodium
1819 mg
73%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Messy Taco Salad

Serving Size: 1/8 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 8
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 904
Calories from Fat: 550

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 61.1g 94 %
Saturated Fat 20.2g 101 %
Cholesterol 113mg 38 %
Sodium 1819mg 73 %
** Potassium 383mg 11 %
Total Carbohydrates 60.2g 19 %
Dietary Fiber 6.3g 25 %
Protein 31.5g 63 %
Sugars 14.4g
Vitamin A 20 %
Vitamin C 3 %
Calcium 66 %
Iron 35 %
** Thiamin 11 %
** Niacin 60 %
** Vitamin B6 18 %
** Magnesium 37 %
** Folate 24 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.