Ground chicken and baked tortilla chips make this taco salad a healthier way to fulfill
your taco craving. (photo by Jenn Harris)

When I was little my favorite night of the week was taco night.  My family would buy all the ingredients for tacos, let my sister and I cook then set up a taco bar in the kitchen.  We would make seasoned ground beef and fresh guacamole, have sour cream, shredded lettuce, onions, cheese, salsa and of course, crispy corn tortilla taco shells.

As I got a little older, I realized that taco night, although deliciously satisfying, was probably the most unhealthy dinner night of the week.  We eventually stopped the tradition but every now and then I'm nostalgic for the old taco bar setup.

This week I conducted a little taste experiment with my family.  I told them I was bringing taco night back but with a new twist.  I went to the market and bought ground chicken instead of the beef, baked tortilla chips instead of fried taco shells, fat free sour cream, and the rest of the taco fixings: sharp cheddar cheese, lettuce, onion, and avocados.  The end result? A taco salad supreme, with so much good schmutz it will do cartwheels in your mouth and make you let out a nice loud "mmmm  mmmm."

Not only is this taco salad a fiesta of flavors, it's so much better for you than actual tacos.  This way you get the bold taste of traditional tacos, without all the fat or grease.  The salad is also super affordable.  It's huge, feeds at least five people and only costs about $20 to make.

Taco Salad Ingredients:
Feeds 5 to 6

1.5 to 2 lbs ground chicken
1.5 cups grated cheddar cheese
2 heads romaine lettuce, chopped
1/2 red onion, sliced
1 large tomato, chopped
Lots of crushed baked tortilla chips
1 small package of fat free sour cream
1 bottle Hidden Valley Light Ranch dressing
1 bottle Kraft Catalina French dressing
Guacomole Recipe from The Food Chronicles archive
1 small packet Lawrys chicken taco seasoning
2/3 cup chopped green onion

Directions:

Take the ground chicken and brown in a medium skillet with a drizzle of olive oil over medium heat.  Cook until cooked through, about 10 minutes.  Add the taco seasoning and stir.  Remove from the heat and set aside.

Put the lettuce in a large bowl and pour the chicken on top.  Add the crushed chips, cheese, tomato, red onion and green onion.  The dressing is a little odd but trust me, it's delicious. There is no real measurement for the dressing, but what you want to do is dress your salad with half ranch and half catalina, then toss.  The ranch is creamy and the catalina is a tad sweet and tangy.  The mixture sounds ridiculous but tastes amazing. Top each serving with a little sour cream and voila!