Taco Salad with Catalina Dressing
The ultimate summer potluck side, taco salad with catalina dressing is always a crowd favorite!! Crisp fresh lettuce, crunchy nacho cheese chips and seasoned ground beef are all topped off with a drizzle of tangy Catalina dressing.
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 363kcal
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 packet taco seasoning
- 1 head iceberg lettuce
- 1.5 cups shredded Mexican style cheese blend
- 1 ½ cups chopped tomatoes
- 8 ounces Catalina dressing
- 5 ounces nacho flavored Dorito chips crushed into bite sized pieces
Instructions
- Cook the ground beef, breaking into pieces. Drain any fat and return to the pan. Add taco seasoning and cook according to package directions.
- Chop the iceberg lettuce and make sure it's thoroughly washed. I like to use a salad spinner to make it easy. Add to a large mixing bowl.
- After the taco meat is no longer piping hot, add it to the lettuce along with the shredded cheese blend and chopped tomatoes.
- Toss all the ingredients and add a portion (not all) of the Catalina dressing. Toss again to lightly coat the salad to your liking.
- Add the crushed dorito chips to the salad.
- Toss to combine. If additional salad dressing is desired, add it and toss once more.
Notes
Leftovers: Store leftovers in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. If the chips have been added they will get slightly soggy but still delicious.
Make ahead: Chop and prep everything, then put all the ingredients in different baggies. When it's time to serve, assemble and add the chips last.
Variations
- Vegetarian - make as directed but omit the ground beef. I'd add some cooked black beans or kidney beans to the mix.
- Deluxe - let your diners top with a additional taco toppings. Diced avocado, chopped red onion, diced bell peppers or pickled jalapeno peppers.
- Bulk it up - add diced bell peppers, corn off the cob or sliced black olives.
Substitutions
- Protein - instead of ground beef you can substitute ground pork or ground turkey.
- Chips - use cool ranch Doritos or Fritos corn chips for a fun variation
- Dressing - to sub the catalina dressing you can use French dressing, Russian dressing or western dressing for a similar vibe.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 363kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 727mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 10g
