For many Americans, May 5th is a day to celebrate Mexican culture and heritage. All over the country, Cinco de Mayo parades and parties are underway with traditional mariachi music, folk dancing, and of course, food!

To commemorate the occasion, I’m whipping up a festive Mexican-inspired Ground Beef Taco Salad for dinner tonight. This hearty entrée is a healthy and delicious one-dish meal that everyone in your family will love. Better still, it comes together quickly using readily available ingredients you probably have on hand in your kitchen. It’s perfect for busy weeknights when you need to get dinner on the table without a lot of fuss.

The combination of warm sautéed onions and seasoned ground beef, spooned over thinly sliced Romaine lettuce and topped with shredded cheese, sour cream, salsa, and avocado, is a winner! If preferred, you can substitute ground turkey or your favorite meat-free alternative in place of the beef with equally tasty results. Beans and sliced olives are also nice additions.

You can watch me make this applause-worthy meal in less than 3 minutes by tuning into Episode 8 of Cooking Guru Season 2. I’m excited to host this YouTube video recipe series, filmed and produced by the talented folks at Food Guru Channel, which helps cooks of all skill levels make simple, satisfying meals in a snap.

One final note (since we’re celebrating): This dish goes nicely with an icy Margarita.  Buen provecho!

Farminista’s Ground Beef Taco Salad      

Prep time: 20 minutes; Cook time: 10 minutes; Serves 4

Printable recipe: Farminista’s Ground Beef Taco Salad

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon olive oil
1⁄2 large onion, chopped
1 pound grass-fed ground beef
1 tablespoon organic taco seasoning blend
1 head of Romaine lettuce (bottom removed), leaves washed and cross-cut into thin strips
1 to 1 1⁄2 cups grated, packaged Mexican blend or pepper jack cheese
Prepared fresh salsa—hotness to taste
1 large ripe avocado, quartered and cut into small chunks.
Sour Cream

Directions:
1) Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onion and cook until softened—about 2 to 3 minutes.
2) Add ground beef, breaking into small pieces with a utensil. Allow beef to cook and brown lightly with the onion, continuing to break up into small chunks, until no longer pink—about 5 minutes.
3) Stir in taco seasoning, mix to blend, and remove from heat. Drain any excess oil and set aside.
4) Assemble 4 dinner plates with a mound of romaine lettuce in the center of each plate.
5) Top with 2 large serving spoons of seasoned warm beef/onion mixture.
6) Sprinkle 1⁄4 to 1/3 cup shredded cheese on top of beef.
7) Spoon 2 to 3 tablespoons of salsa over cheese.
8) Top with 1⁄4 avocado per serving and 2 to 3 tablespoons sour cream.