Mini Fritos Taco Salads

Name: Mini Fritos Taco Salads
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 1 pound ground beef; 1 package taco seasoning; 1/2 cup water; Toppings:; Tomatoes (diced); Lettuce (shredded); Salsa (store bought or homemade); Mexican Cheese or Cheddar Cheese (shredded); Sour Cream (if desired); FRITOS (whole or crushed); Cilantro (if desired); Optional if serving cold:; 1 cup Italian dressing

May 15, 2016 By Kim Beaulieu 51 Comments

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These individual Mini Fritos Taco Salad in Jars are the perfect dish to whip up for potlucks or picnics. They are incredibly easy to make and you can customize them to your own taste.

This post has been sponsored by Frito-Lay. All opinions are my own, as always. Thanks to all the companies, and readers, who help support Cravings of a Lunatic.

This recipe goes back to my teenage years. It’s been around that long. I actually learned how to make a different version of this in home economics while I was in high school. Let’s not even talk about how long ago that was.

When Frito-Lay asked me to participate in their campaign for summer recipes I knew this Mini FRITOS Taco Salad was a perfect fit. Then I jumped up and down a little. I’m a huge fan of Frito-Lay products.

Of course I acted professionally and did not say things like “I’ve been training for this my whole life” or “It’s like my home planet is calling me home”. That would be a dorky thing to do. We all know I’m above making a fool of myself. Always.

The goal here was to make something perfect for summer entertaining. Something that would be easy for others to whip up at home, or while out whooping it up during holiday weekends. This fits the bill, and then some.

This recipe is super easy to make and very customizable. You can add things that speak to you. Not literally, because that would be weird. You can also subtract things you don’t like.

Although I’m not sure how you could not find this to be anything but perfection. You know, in my humble opinion, and all that jazz.

If you like olives toss those bad boys in there. If you like beans, those can get thrown in there too.

If you like chicken better than ground beef, well, knock yourself out. Add chicken. No biggie. It’s all good in the hood. Or jar. Whatever.

One thing I will highly recommend is if you are making these ahead of time do NOT add the FRITOS until you are ready to serve these cutie-patootie little jars of happiness. If you add the FRITOS too soon they will be soggy.

So wait. Seriously. Trust me on this one thing. You want your FRITOS crisp and perfect. As they should be. Always.

I serve mine hot so this is something I try to make right before we have company. Having said that you can also serve this cold. Many people do.

There’s a slight alteration if you serve this cold. Add a little Italian dressing to it. Shake it all up and it becomes magical.

Many people use Catalina dressing in their versions of FRITOS Salads. I just happen to be more of an Italian dressing kind of gal. No harm, no foul if you’re a Catalina type of person. You do you.

Use whatever works for your own taste buds. You’re the one eating it, so feel free to adjust to your own taste. That’s the beauty of cooking.

This recipe is the perfect way to kick off summer. Frito-Lay products are served at every single summer function we throw at our house. Since as far back as I can remember. They are a staple in our house for entertaining.

If you’re looking for more awesome summer hacks for Memorial Day, or summer entertaining in general, be sure to check out the Frito-Lay Summer Hacks Pinterest Board. You’ll find oodles of inspiration for your next soiree.

In the meantime whip up some Mini FRITOS Taco Salads. I assemble mine in tiny mason jars so everyone gets their own individual jar.

Then you just flip that bad boy upside-down into a bowl, and blammo, you have a delicious meal to dig into. Perfection in tiny little mason jars. Enjoy!

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