Southwest Beef Taco Salad

Another Publix recipe winner!  I adapted the recipe slightly by leaving the tortilla chips whole instead of crushing them. Also, instead of plating each serving separately, I layered everything in a huge serving bowl and let everyone serve themselves.  Either way is perfectly fine.

If you want to use a can of your favorite flavor of Rotel tomatoes instead of salsa (which I did), the end result is just as delicious.

12 - 16 oz. lean ground beef 

2 T. taco seasoning

1 lime, for juice

1 (15.5-oz) can reduced-sodium black beans, drained

3/4 cup medium salsa or 1 can of Rotel tomatoes

1 (10-oz) package frozen chopped spinach (thawed)

2 romaine hearts, coarsely chopped

1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped

2 cups baked tortilla chips, crushed

3/4 cup diced red onions

1/4 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend

Preheat large, nonstick sauté pan 2–3 minutes on medium-high. Place beef and seasoning in pan; cook 4–5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until no pink remains. Squeeze lime for juice (1 tablespoon). Drain beans.

Add salsa, beans, spinach, and lime juice to pan, then stir to blend; cook 4–5 minutes or until spinach is tender. Remove pan from heat and set aside to cool. Chop romaine and cilantro (1/2 cup). Crush tortilla chips.

Divide romaine in a pile on each serving plate; top with even amounts crushed tortilla chips and beef mixture (about 1 cup), then sprinkle with onions, cheese, and cilantro. Serve immediately.

From Publix Apron recipes