Nothing beats Taco Tuesday, but perhaps you made a bit too much taco meat and are taco'd out. Here's some inspiration when you are wondering what to do with that leftover taco meat. Next time you're wondering what to do with taco meat besides tacos, here's ten delicious recipes to inspire you in the kitchen.
1. Mexican Lasagna
Mexican "lasagna" subs layered lasagna noodles with layered tortillas and adds in salsa or enchilada sauce for tomato sauce. You'll need about 1 lb of leftover taco meat and can start this recipe at step three after heating the leftover meat in a skillet. Proceed to adding the black beans and follow the rest of the recipe!
2. Tamale Pie
While this tamale pie doesn't have anything to do with the arduous process of making tamales, it's delicious and the ultimate in Mexican-inspired comfort food. Use your taco meat leftovers as the base in this cozy tamale pie. You'll need a few additional ingredients that you can add to the meat. I would consider omitting olives and raisins but tailor to your own tastebuds!
3. Healthy Taco Salad
If you're craving a lighter take on tacos, consider whipping up a taco salad with any leftovers. This is a perfect Summertime dinner with a healthy ratio of protein to veggies.
4. Taco Bowls
Deconstruct the taco into a healthy, simple taco bowl. All the taco ingredients sit atop a bed of rice. For a lighter option, consider swapping out white rice with brown rice or cauliflower rice.
5. Baked Taquitos
Everyone loves the crunchy goodness of taquitos and they're super easy to make! Sub in your leftover taco meat into this recipe and you've got a lighter option than traditionally fried taquitos. Serve with a dollop of guacamole and sour cream and dinner is made.
6. Beef Empanadas
Hand pies and empanadas are a favorite in our household, especially in colder months when comfort food is on the menu. This taco meat empanada recipe is perfect for using up leftovers and keeping things creative in the kitchen.
7. Nachos
Keep things casual with a big plate of nachos to share family style. Feel free to get creative with your toppings or follow this simple yet delicious ground beef nachos recipe. It's great for entertaining or for an easy, low-key dinner.
8. Mexican Pizza
This copycat Taco Bell Mexican pizza recipe is beyond easy. If you are a fan of this fast food favorite, try making it at home. It just take a few ingredients including seasoned taco meat.
9. Ground Beef Enchiladas
While very similar to tacos, these enchiladas are a great way to use up leftover taco meat when you are all taco'd out. These only take a few minutes to assemble and just 25 minutes to bake.
10. Ground Beef Burritos
Think of burritos as a taco's big brother. Fill up these burritos using taco meat, refried beans, and cheese and you've got a hearty Mexican dinner. Consider adding cauliflower or brown rice for some extra fiber.
Can I Freeze Taco Meat?
You sure can and freezing extra taco meat is a great option! We like to portion out the meat by one-two dinners worth and freeze separately to make for easy defrosting. It's more convenient to only defrost what you need for a dinner or two rather than defrosting a large chunk of meat to only have to refreeze much of it.
Taco meat is good up to three months in the freezer. Go ahead and double that recipe and freeze for easy dinners!
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