dorito salad*

This recipe came from one of the students and it was a HUGE hit! I am sure this will be a menu item for years to come. Normally we would just do a taco salad with a tortilla shell bowl, but I think Doritos are the perfect substitution!

Dorito Salad
from a Heritage Student

Yield:  4-6 servings

1 lb. ground beef
1 pkg. taco seasoning
1 - 5 oz. package of lettuce (we used spring mix)
1 can kidney beans
1/2 cup diced red onion
1/2 cup sliced olives
1 cup cherry tomatoes
2 cups crushed Doritos
2 cups shredded cheese
cilantro ranch
salsa
sour cream

In a pan over medium-high heat put 2 tbsp. of oil, then add the ground beef. Cook until brown. Add taco seasoning and stir until evenly coated over ground beef.

In a large bowl add the lettuce, kidney beans, diced red onions, olives, cherry tomatoes and crushed Doritos. Toss until all ingredients are well distributed.

On your serving plate put 1 cup of  the Dorito salad mixture. Put 1/2 cup of taco meat on top of salad. Top with 1/4 cup shredded cheese, salsa, sour cream and finished with some delicious cilantro ranch. ENJOY!

How do you make cilantro ranch, you ask?? Well, I don't know the technical way, but I will tell you what I do. I make my buttermilk ranch dressing, but I put all of the ingredients in a blender and add one bundle (my grocer sells cilantro in "bundles" - at least that's what I'm calling them haha) of cilantro in the blender with the ranch and blend away! Keep blending until the cilantro is blended evenly into the ranch, and the ranch turns a lovely color of green! I know there are lots of recipes with green salsa, green chiles, limes, etc. etc., but I have been just keeping it simple. It's still very delicious, but I will be on the search for a good "cafe rio" type dressing in the future! If you have any cilantro ranch dressing that you use and love, please share it with me! THANKS!

-alyssa*