Ok I’m posting this up for two reasons. 1 – Inspiration. That is to say it’s a reminder because pretty much everyone knows that tacos are a good flash dinner. You just get a taco kit and some ground whatever, a tomato, shredded cheese, and some lettuce and BAM! Tacos. But 2 – I want to share this home-made taco seasoning recipe that I found on allrecipes.com because it’s super-awesome! And, like sauces, I think having a good seasoning mix on hand helps speed things up when you’re being creative with what you’ve got. It’s great if you don’t happen to have a taco kit or seasoning packet on hand. And honestly, I don’t think I’m ever buying a seasoning packet again.
Make a batch or two in advance and store it in that extra now-empty jar that you haven’t thrown out yet in your spice cabinet (obviously clean it out first – especially if it used to house cloves). If you want more spicy, add more crushed red pepper, or use spicy paprika. But for little kids, this is a great mixture. And you don’t have to use red pepper flakes at all. I would recommend about 2 tablespoons of this mix to a pound of ground turkey. I don’t eat red meat but I’m pretty sure the ratio is about the same. You may have to add a little water or olive oil to the turkey to keep it from being too dry. Even the 9 month old loved this one. Add the chopped tomato, some lettuce, shredded cheddar (We bought a block and shredded it in the Cuisinart. Tastes better and saves some money), we used small flour tortillas because they’re less messy, and BAM! Tacos.
I have also used this mix to season sliced, pan-fried chicken to toss in salad, or in a rice dish. I haven’t used it for a slow-cook shred yet but it’s on my list. And I’m seeing in the allrecipes comments that it also makes a great dip.
Makes 1 ounce
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper