Simple Taco Potatoes

One of our co-workers told us about Taco Potatoes a few months ago and dinnertime has been way better ever since!

 

The base is always – spoiler alert – taco meat and potatoes. But then your choice of toppings are pretty much endless from there. Toppings like cheese, salsa, beans, olives, sour cream, guacamole, jalapeños, ketchup – ok wait, maybe not ketchup but you get the point. These taters are pretty diverse.

While I absolutely love tacos, there is one things I can’t stand- when the crunchy shell breaks and falls apart and you are left with a big taco mess. If you are an avid taco eater like me, I’m sure you know exactly what I am talking about. One bite into a taco and the shell inevitably cracks down the bottom, spilling out the entire contents of the taco onto your plate. There has to be a better way to get that taco taste without the crunchy, messy shell! Well, there is! Taco potatoes is the answer.

Combing Taco Meat with Potatoes

Now this recipe came about completely by chance but has quickly become a staple in my household. I was planning on making tacos for dinner one night and I had already started cooking the meat when I realized that I had no taco shells, no burrito wraps, no tortilla chips… nothing that would traditionally resemble tacos. So what now? What do I do with all the taco meat I just cooked and all the toppings I had patiently prepared?

While the tacos were planned mainly for my husband and I, my daughters dinner consisting of roasted potatoes (and taco sides) was also in the oven. The smell of her potatoes made me start thinking…so guess what, she has to share her potatoes! That’s when the idea came to me to simply put the taco meat and toppings on the potatoes. Similar to a burrito bowl with rice and burrito filling, I would make a taco bowl with potatoes and taco fillings! I chopped up a few extra potatoes and into the oven they went.

Preparing the Meal

Once the potatoes were nicely roasted and just turning golden brown, I removed them from the oven and separated the potatoes into bowls. I topped them with the cooked taco meat and added a little cheese (okay a lot of cheese) for good measure. I microwaved the bowls for about twenty seconds to melt the cheese and look at that, dinner is ready!

And my favorite part is that my young daughter will eat these taco potatoes too (I mean cheese, potatoes and yummy ground beef, who wouldn’t love that!). Any meal that I can cook that suits the whole family is a definite win!

Adding the Right Taco Toppings

Of course tacos aren’t really that great without a whole bunch of toppings to go with them. I usually keep my toppings separate and serve them in small bowls at the table. It’s like a fancy taco bar just for us at home! Chopped tomatoes, diced jalapeños, shredded lettuce, black beans and canned corn are just a few of the usual taco toppings that still go perfectly with these taco potatoes.

Oh, and don’t forget the sour cream and extra cheese! Both are very important to taco potato success. If you are feeling very ambitious, whip up some guacamole to take these taco potatoes to the next level. Any topping you would want on your regular tacos will be perfect.

Needless to say, my taco bowls were a hit that night and have become a standard in our house. I have made them with ground beef, ground turkey and also with ground chicken and each time they get gobbled up. This is also a great dish for dinner parties as it is quick to throw together and the assortment of toppings will let your guests personalized their meal. Perfect for absolutely any occasion!

Easy Taco Dinner

While there will always be a special place in my heart for traditional tacos and those hard to handle taco shells, taco potatoes are my new favorite dinner. They are easy to make, easy to eat (no taco shells breaking and making a mess) and my entire family can enjoy them together. Go ahead and give this recipe a try the next time you are craving tacos and I promise you will not be disappointed!

Hope you Enjoy! =)