Recipe: Beef and Bean Taco Salad With Creamy Salsa Dressing

Serves 4, with extra beef and bean topping.

Note: You'll only need a portion of the flavorful beef and bean topping for these salads. Save the rest to fill burritos, tacos, quesadillas and more later on in the week. The beef and bean mixture freezes beautifully for up to a month. From Meredith Deeds.

Crispy tortillas:

• 2 large whole grain flour tortillas

• 1 tbsp. vegetable oil, divided

Creamy Salsa Dressing:

• 1/2 c. prepared salsa

• 1/4 c. low-fat or nonfat milk

Beef and Bean Topping/ Filling:

• 1 1/2 lb. extra-lean ground beef

• 1 medium onion, chopped

• 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and diced

• 2 tbsp. chili powder

• 1/2 tsp. salt

• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

• 1 (14-oz.) can low-sodium diced tomatoes

• 2 (14-oz.) cans pinto beans, rinsed

• 10 c. shredded romaine lettuce

• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered

• 1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro

• 1/2 c. shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

Directions

Brush both sides of each tortilla with 1 teaspoon oil. Place on large baking sheet and bake for about 6 minutes or until browned. Remove from oven and let cool and break into large pieces.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the salsa, sour cream and milk. Keep covered and refrigerated until ready to use.

Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef and sauté, breaking up with the back of a wooden spoon, until browned, about 5 minutes. Add the onions and peppers and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables soften, about 5 more minutes. Add the garlic, chili powder, salt and pepper and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the canned tomatoes and beans and cook for another 10 minutes or until the liquid is mostly evaporated. Remove from the heat.

Divide the lettuce among 4 dinner plates. Top each with cherry tomatoes, cilantro, cheese, dressing and 1/2 cup of the beef mixture (save the remaining mixture for another use). Serve immediately with the crispy tortilla pieces on the side.

Nutrition information per serving:

Carbohydrates37 gSaturated fat7 gCalcium266 mg

Protein23 gCholesterol47 mgDietary fiber9 g