Taco Tuesday for a Crowd
From following me on Instagram, you all know by now that there are two things that are very important to me: tacos and cooking for friends and family. Growing up in a family that continuously hosts others, it is one of my favorite ways to use our apartment. Last week when I was heading home from Florida I fired out a quick text to see who wanted to join us for dinner and put our new and very overdue dining room table to work. In an effort to show how easy it can be to throw a dinner party together when serving this crowd-pleasing spread, I’m here to show you all the necessary steps. From creating a grocery list on the plane all the way to the final product, this video and corresponding recipe is here to assist you host your own classic Taco Tuesday with all the fixings.
Before I dive into the recipe, I want to provide some history and context on tacos. According to this piece in Vallarta Eats, the word taco comes from the word “tlahco”, which means “half or in the middle”. However, according to this article, there are also beliefs that the name taco was first referred to dynamite used in mines, which was wrapped tightly in paper, much like the modern-day taco is wrapped in a tortilla. It is believed that the classic corn tortillas were originally used as a spoon-like structure to hold the food they were eating (dating back to 1,500 BC). In the early 1900s, the revolutionary era brought the emergence of the classic and original taco. Then, during an economic crisis in the 1950s, residents began selling the famous dish on the streets to workers. Evidence is believed that tacos first made their way over to the US by an influx of immigrants in the 19th century into the Los Angeles area. Today, you are able to find Americanized versions of tacos in just about every city. The first telling sign of an authentic taco would be the shell, which should be corn-based, and the second would be the fillings, which should be a few simple ingredients: meat, lettuce, and a small amount of cheese. For a lot more information on this topic, here is a book devoted to the investigation of Mexican food: Global Taco - A Global History of Mexican Food. While this recipe is not traditional, it is my take of the Americanized version of a taco.
Ingredients (serves 8):
Chicken breast (4)
Ground beef (2lb)
Cheese of your choice (1/2 cup shredded)
Greek yogurt or sour cream (2 cups)
Bell mushroom (2 containers – around 6 cups)
Avocado (6)
Grape tomatoes (1 case)
Romaine (1 head)
Bell pepper (3)
Yellow onion (2)
Jalapeno (2)
Lime (1)
Chicken broth (4 cups)
Salsa (1 jar)
Hot sauce (1 bottle)
Refried beans (2 cans)
Tortillas – I did a combination of hard and soft (both corn and flour) (~24 total, enough for 3 per person)
Olive oil
Avocado oil
Ghee
Chili powder
Cayenne pepper
Red pepper flakes
Chili lime seasoning (from Trader Joe’s) – if you don’t have this, add an additional lime to the grocery list
Salt
Pepper
Directions:
Place the chicken breasts in the instant pot with the 4 cups of chicken broth and season with chili lime seasoning, salt, and pepper
Place the instant pot on “poultry mode” for 6 minutes and allow it to begin
Wash and chop all of the vegetables
Chop the bell peppers into ½ inch pieces
Cut the onions into thin slivers
Cut the mushroom stems off and slice them in half
Slice off the top and bottom of the romaine and thinly chop then set aside
On two separate hot skillets, add 1 teaspoon of avocado oil to each and then add the peppers and onions to one and the mushrooms to the other
Season both skillets with salt & pepper and sauté them, continuously stirring, until they are cooked through and the peppers/onions combination is lightly charred (~10 minutes)
Prepare the guacamole by slicing open the 6 avocados and removing all of the pits and cutting the grape tomatoes in half lengthwise
Scoop the insides of the avocados into a bowl with the tomatoes, juice of 1 lime, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil
Season the guacamole with 1 teapoons chili lime seasoning, salt, pepper, ½ teaspoon of chili powder, and ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper, and mash together until smooth then set aside
Using one of the same skillets from the vegetables, preferably a cast iron, get hot and then add 1 teaspoon of ghee
Once melted and the skillet is hot, add the ground beef and season with ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, ½ teaspoon of chili lime seasoning, and salt & pepper
Mash down the beef, using a wooden spoon, and allow it to cook and brown on one side before flipping and continuously mixing with the spoon to break it up into smaller crumbles
Once the beef is fully cooked through, remove and set aside
When the instant pot is done cooking, remove the chicken breasts on to a cutting board and shred them into small pieces using two forks
Place the shredded pork in a bowl with some of the remaining liquid from the instant pot in order to keep it juicy
Place the refried beans, salsa, and Greek yogurt or sour cream all in separate bowls
Shred the cheese and set aside in a bowl
Chop the 2 jalapenos and set aside in a bowl
On the open flame of your stovetop, place the tortillas down and flip after ~20 seconds, or once they begin to char. Continuously flip until charred to your preference on either side
Set everything up on the counter allowing your guests to build their own tacos. I prefer to put the shells and tortillas at the front of the line, then the refried beans and guacamole as the spreads, then the proteins and vegetables as the base options, and then the cheese, salsa, romaine, jalapenos, and hot sauces as the toppings
Allergen Information:
Gluten Free (if a corn or GF tortilla is chosen)
Dairy Free (without the shredded cheese)
Soy Free
Nut Free