Baked Tacos

We really love tacos in this house. We'll turn anything into a taco flavored version of the original - taco pizza, taco salad, you name it! Tonight, we just wanted plain tacos. We've always had soft tacos. For some reason, I've never made hard shell tacos in the entire 10 years Matt and I have been together. Come to find out, the corn taco shells actually have a lot less carbs in them than the soft flour tortillas. I think we'll be making these a lot more often now!

I got the idea to bake the tacos from a friend. And they turned out great! I hope you like them.

Baked Tacos
Makes: 4 servings

8 corn taco shells
1 lb ground beef, turkey, or chicken
taco seasoning
1 cup shredded cheese such as cheddar or Monterey Jack
Taco toppings such as lettuce, tomatoes, scallions, salsa, hot sauce, etc.

• First, bake the empty taco shells so they get warm and crispy. Place the taco shells on a baking sheet and bake at 325° F for 5 - 6 minutes.
• While the shells are baking, brown up the meat in a skillet on high heat until thoroughly cooked and no longer pink, about 4 - 5 minutes. Stir in the taco seasoning and remove from the heat.
• Remove the taco shells from the oven, stuff them with the taco meat, then top them all with shredded cheese.
• Place the tacos back in the oven for about 2 - 3 minutes until the cheese is melted.
• Top with your favorite toppings!

Open-Faced Cowboy Burger

I had to find a way to use the left-over ciabatta bread from my BLAT sandwiches. What a terrible problem to have hehe. Ciabatta bread makes such a nice home for a cheeseburger. And so, the cowboy burger was born!

Open-Faced Cowboy Burger
Makes: 4 burgers

1 lb lean ground beef
salt
cracked black pepper
onion powder
garlic powder
2 ciabatta rolls
4 slices cheddar cheese
4 slices bacon
barbecue sauce
burger toppings such as lettuce, tomatoes, onions, etc

• Cook the bacon until crispy (see my tip for perfect crispy bacon). Set aside.
• Form the hamburger into four patties. Sprinkle the patties with some salt, pepper, onion, and garlic.
• Grill the hamburgers until well done and no longer pink. Meanwhile, cut the ciabatta rolls in half and place them on the grill to toast.
• Place a slice of cheese on each burger about one minute before they are finished cooking to allow time for the cheese to melt.
• Top each ciabatta roll with desired toppings such as lettuce, tomato, onions, etc. Then top with the cheeseburger, then barbecue sauce, then bacon. Serve!

I know I say this every time I post about hamburgers, but it's because it's important. Click here for an explanation on why you should always cook ground beef to well done.

Tips & Tricks: Perfect Hamburgers

Hamburgers are a super easy weeknight dinner. They're especially great during the summer. Have I mentioned that I love grilling? Haha! Anyhow, I've discovered a trick for forming the perfect hamburger patty. This method will make your hamburgers all come out the same size and shape which means they will all cook for the same amount of time. The pre-formed hamburger patties also cost more per pound than just bulk hamburger; by making your own patties, you can also save some money! So, what's my secret trick? This handy little plastic tub that contained crumbled bleu cheese at one time.

I saved the empty tub and washed it out. It's been so handy that I've had it for a couple of years now. If you need a reason to purchase bleu cheese, try making my Black and Bleu Cheeseburgers. You can get the same kind of tub when you purchase feta cheese or mascarpone cheese. Just remember to save the tub the next time you buy one of these items. In the picture, you can see that I've lined the tub with some plastic wrap. I learned the hard way that the hamburgers are much easier to get out if you use plastic wrap. If you skip this step, you'll have to really give the tub a whack to get the hamburger to come out.

Once you've got your tub lined with some plastic wrap, get the hamburger ready. For a pound of ground beef (or turkey or chicken), separate the meat into 5 evenly sized balls. Then take each ball and gently pat it down into the plastic tub.

Once you have a perfectly shaped hamburger patty, gently lift the plastic wrap out of the plastic tub and peel the plastic wrap off of the hamburger patty. Place the patty on a plate and set aside. Once all of your patties are formed, season them and cook them! It's that simple!

Here are my two favorite hamburger recipes:

Black & Bleu Cheeseburgers

Cheeseburgers with Sriracha Aioli

Black & Bleu Cheeseburgers

Cheeseburgers? Again? Yes!

Cheeseburgers can be a really easy weeknight meal and totally customizable. If you mix up the flavors, it won't seem like you're eating the same thing all the time. Here are a few of my favorite ways to customize a burger.

Add-ins (added right in to the ground beef): onions, garlic, peppers, cheese, worcestershire sauce, steak sauce.
Spices (sprinkled on top of the burgers before cooking): cajun seasoning, steak seasoning, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, onion powder.
Toppings: guacamole, avocado slices, bacon, lettuce, tomato, mayo, aioli, mushrooms, onions, peppers, various cheeses (pimiento cheese, bleu cheese, cheddar, havarti, gouda, pepper jack, fresh mozzarella, etc).

Black & Bleu burgers are a favorite of this family.  But if bleu cheese isn't your thing, you can leave it out and the burgers are still great on their own with the cajun seasoning!

Black & Bleu Cheeseburgers
1 lb lean ground beef
4 oz crumbled bleu cheese
1 tsp cajun seasoning (a.k.a. blackened seasoning)
5 slices american cheese
5 hamburger buns

• Mix the crumbled bleu cheese into the ground beef. Be careful not to over-mix or this will cause the burgers to come out dense and dry.
• Form the beef into 5 even patties.
• Sprinkle the cajun seasoning on both sides of each burger.
• Grill on medium high heat until cooked well-done.
• Remove from heat and place a slice of american cheese on each burger.
• Serve on toasted hamburger buns.

I'm almost embarrassed to call that a recipe because it's so ridiculously easy. But it can be easy to get stuck making the same things all the time. I hope this inspired you to revamp some of your go-to recipes.

See this article for an explanation of why you should always cook your hamburgers well-done.

Chalupas

Matt and I love Chalupas from Taco Bell. There, I said it. 

We're not big on fast food but for some reason those darn chalupas are so addictive! Whenever I eat something really yummy at a restaurant, I always try to recreate it at home. Some attempts are more successful than others. Before I make my first attempt, I'll usually search the web for the copy-cat recipes that already exist - no need to reinvent the wheel, right?! I usually read the comments which reveal how true to the original the recipe really is. When I did my initial Google search for chalupas, I realized the web is sadly lacking in any decent recipes. So, here's my attempt at a Chalupa. It's not in the same shape as you would find at Taco Bell and the shell tastes a little different. But, mine tastes better if I do say so myself - ahem! Tell me what you think!

Chalupas:
For the shell:
I actually stole this flour tortilla recipe from Smells Like Home. However, instead of cooking them in a fry pan, I deep fried them with the deep fryer on 375° F for about 2 minutes on each side. They will puff up super huge but don't worry. Once you take them out, they'll flatten out. Once the shells are golden brown, remove them from the oil and let them drain on a paper towel before topping them.

For the topping:
1 lb ground beef
1 packet taco seasoning
4 oz shredded pepper jack cheese
shredded lettuce
1 tomato, diced
4 green onions, chopped
Salsa con queso

• Brown the ground beef in a skillet over high heat until cooked through and no longer pink.
• Drain the ground beef, return to the pan, then mix in the taco seasoning according to the directions on the package.
• Top the chalupa shell with desired combination of taco meat, cheese, lettuce, tomato, green onions, salsa con queso, etc.