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Easy Taco Casserole

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Double the recipe next time it’s taco night and use the leftovers to make this easy taco casserole. It’s cheesy, filling, and can be on the table in under 30 minutes.

Is Taco Tuesday a thing at your house? It is at ours. We always have leftover taco meat because I plan it that way. Isn’t leftovers the best part of Taco Tuesday, anyway? You can make nachos, Mexican pizzas or, now, this easy taco casserole.

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It isn’t hard to see why this recipe is so appealing. It takes all your favorite Mexican flavors and layers them in the comforting familiarity of a casserole. The refried beans are filling and inexpensive, especially if you make your own. The salsa and sour cream mixed together form a light, creamy sauce, and the cheese gets perfectly melted and oozy. Tortilla chip crumbs add just the right amount of crunch- and the perfect way to use up the rest of the bag.

This easy taco casserole might call for essentially the same ingredients as regular tacos, but I promise, when you make it, no one will complain about eating leftovers.

Double the recipe next time it's taco night and use the leftovers to make this easy taco casserole. It's cheesy, filling, and can be on the table in under 30 minutes.

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Easy Weeknight Chicken Tacos

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Tender chicken, tossed with the perfect blend of Mexican spices and served on a warm tortilla with fresh salsa and cool, homemade ranch.

Tender chicken, tossed with the perfect blend of Mexican spices and served on a warm tortilla with fresh salsa and cool, homemade ranch.

We eat tacos nearly once a week at my house. We hold our Taco Tuesdays near and dear. There’s just no beating the convenience, the tastiness, or the crowd-pleasing factor of ground beef smileys (that’s a Friends reference, y’all).

But can I share a secret? I’m not a huge beef lover. I love tacos, and I enjoy a well-made hamburger every once in a while, but chicken is my jam. For months, each time I made regular tacos, I’d long for chicken.

I don’t really know why it took me so long to get around to making these. Mostly, I think, it was because I imagined the process would be laborious and not quite worth the effort. Part of the reason beef tacos are so popular is because they’re so easy. I thought making them with chicken would suck all the convenience out of the situation.

Turns out I was wrong. The chicken took even less hands-on time to prepare than ground beef or turkey. The quick salsa came together quickly and was the perfect snack to munch on while finishing the meal. And since I’ve been putting this homemade buttermilk ranch dressing on everything since I discovered it a couple months back, I decided to use it here, too.

The result is moist, flavorful chicken, shredded and with your favorite taco fixings. The salsa and ranch recipes are ones I’ve shared before here on the blog, but I’m including the recipes here for convenience’s sake. You can top your tacos with whatever you prefer, but I can’t recommend this recipe highly enough.

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Quick and Easy Fresh Salsa

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Quick and easy fresh salsa is ready in minutes. It’s perfect for tacos, nachos, or just with tortilla chips.

Quick and easy fresh salsa is ready in minutes. It's perfect for tacos, nachos, or just with tortilla chips.

I did not expect to like this salsa.

I don’t care for tomatoes and I typically prefer smooth restaurant-style salsas to chunky ones. But I love this stuff.

The tomatoes are diced, so you aren’t getting huge chunks of them. The red onion adds a full flavor and crisp crunch, and the jalapeño gives the whole thing the perfect amount of heat.

When you toss the whole mixture with lime juice and salt and pepper, the flavors meld together for a quick and easy fresh salsa that tastes like it took hours to make.

Since first making this recipe, I’ve made it another half dozen times at least. I’ve enjoyed it on quesadillas and taquitos, on nachos and chimichangas. I’ve eaten more than my share of tortilla chips because I just want to shovel it in.

For those who love chunky salsa, this stuff is a no-brainer. For those who profess their love of the puréed version, I beg you to try this. I bet my quick and easy fresh salsa will be your new go-to condiment.

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