It's at home on the appetizer table or as a casual dinner! Taco Salad with Catalina Dressing has loads of fresh, chopped veggies, spicy ground beef, and a sweet-spicy flavor.
Put the corn kernels into a large bowl. Prep the tomatoes by slicing them in half, scooping out the seeds, and then dicing the tomatoes. Add the diced tomatoes to the bowl.
Slice open the green and red bell peppers, remove the membranes and seeds, then dice the peppers. Add these to the bowl with the corn and tomatoes. Pour the green chiles (with the liquid) in as well, and stir all of the veggies together. Hold this aside while you cook the beef.
Cook the beef:
Crumble the ground beef into a medium-sized skillet and brown it over medium heat. When all of the beef is browned, drain off the excess grease then add the spices to the pan: the chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt, onion powder, black pepper and oregano, along with ½ cup of water.
Stir the spices and water in with the beef and bring everything to a simmer. Cook the mixture for about 5 minutes, then remove the pan from the heat.
Assemble the salad:
Spoon the beef and sauce into the bowl of veggies. Pour in the cup of Catalina dressing, and stir to combine the beef, veggies, and dressing. Sprinkle in the shredded Mexican-blend cheese and fold it into the salad.
Serve the taco salad immediately with tortilla chips, portioning some into smaller bowls if you're having it for dinner like we do!
Leftover salad can be stored in a covered container for up to 2 days. Makes about 10 cups.
Notes
I like to use fresh sweet corn sliced right off the cob. If it's not available, use good-quality canned or frozen sweet corn instead.
I like Roma tomatoes because they have fewer seeds and thick walls—so you get a lot of diced tomato with less mess! Romas are great to use in salsas, too.