Taco Salad

I was channeling my childhood the other day and the one thing I loved more than anything was a good Old El Paso taco.
I know most of you who grew up with authentic Mexican are cringing at the thought of the kit and I understand, but you'll never know what that taco kit meant to a kid growing up with British parents in cold Canada. We didn't have taco night very often but when we did I went crazy. But never one to conform to the norm, I always crushed up the shells and turned my taco into a taco salad. While I've since progressed to homemade tortillas and pork carnitas, I will never turn my back on those delicious crispy shells covered in ground beef, cheese and sour cream. Okay, in re-reading that I may have to give it up as the aging process progresses but for now, while I can still pull it off, I will take advantage of it.

Recipe:
1 lb ground beef
1 small onion, finely diced
1 package taco seasoning
4 cups shredded lettuce
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
sliced pitted black olives
sour cream
salsa
tortilla chips

Directions:
1. In a medium skillet, cook and stir ground beef and onion over medium-high heat until meat is brown and onion is tender. Drain thoroughly. Return the beef mixture to the pan, add the taco seasoning and 1/2 cup water. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer. Simmer the beef until the water has completely been cooked off. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly.

To assemble:
Place tortilla chips or broken up taco shells on a plate. Top the chips with ground beef, salsa, sour cream, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and olives. Serve with extra tortilla chips.

Serves 4.