If you haven’t already, please make sure you check out the Red Cross of Central Texas Raffle that I’m holding. You could win amazing prizes from Keurig, KerryGold, Chicago Metallics, Scharffen Berger Chocolate, and Miss in the Kitchen!

 
Who doesn’t love a good taco salad? I don’t know if they’re very authentic, but you can certainly find them on the menu of most Tex-Mex restaurants I’ve been to back home.

Usually, the tortilla bowl is deep fried to crispy perfection. I remember when I was younger, my mom had one of those specific tortilla fryers.

It looked a little something like this, and the tortilla bowls that came out of it were tasty, but terribly unhealthy and the house smelled like frying oil for *days* afterwards.


Image Courtesy of Amazon.com

Recently, Chicago Metallics asked me to be one of their Partners In Baking. As part of that, I got to choose a few pans that I’d like to develop recipes with. The other day, I posted my Nanny’s Kahlua Pie, which I baked using their adorable Pie Cup Set. The other specialty pan that caught my eye immediately was the Large Tortilla Shell Set.

How could I not fall in love? Perfectly crisp and delicious taco bowls for taco salads, anytime I want, without deep frying?

One thing you must know about me by now is that I truly believe you don’t need brand names like Old El Paso to bring Tex-Mex to your kitchen.

I’ve put together the simplest of taco seasonings for you. You can use ground turkey, chicken or beef, whatever takes your fancy. We used turkey because it’s much better for you than ground beef, and we truly can’t taste a difference when it comes to highly spiced dishes like Taco Salad or Bolognese Sauce. You can use this spice mix for any taco, enchilada, empanada, or taco salad creation that you’d like. You will never resort to an Old El Paso spice packet again. I promise.

We hadn’t had taco salads in years – probably the last time was at a restaurant in San Antonio when we were dating. But I am in love with these Chicago Metallic Tortilla Shell pans. To get the crispness I wanted, I placed large tortillas in each pan, pressing down and into each crevice to make sure the tortilla took form. I lightly sprayed each tortilla with cooking spray, and baked them in a 350F oven until they were golden brown – about 15 minutes.

You can also make your shells ahead of time and keep them in an airtight container or bag. Just throw them back in a hot oven for a few minutes to reheat.

Come join The Salad Social at TidyMom sponsored by The Olive Council’s Add Some Life!

Disclosure: As a Chicago Metallics Baking Partner, I was provided with the Large Tortilla Shell Set for free to experiment and cook with. I was not monetarily compensated in any way, and the views expressed here are my own, from my own experience with the Tortilla Shell Set. [wpurp-searchable-recipe]Turkey Taco Salad – – – [/wpurp-searchable-recipe]