Wednesday, February 18, 2009

So...buck-stretching tacos

Ok, so I know tacos are not the most costly dinner, but I'm always looking for ways to get the most meals out of the food that I buy and to save money anywhere I can on groceries. Now, the pricey part of tacos is definitely the ground beef (well, and the cheese, but you don't need to use very much, so it's not very costly). Tonight I added black beans (super cheap) to the meat, which not only made more taco filling, but required less meat (less money) and they were delicious! I was thinking, you could also add rice (super cheap) and maybe even corn to add more nutritional value. I'm liking where this is going...

So, what I made tonight was:

Tacos
3/4 lb. ground beef
1 can black beans
1 taco seasoning packet
3/4 c. water

Spoon filling onto warm tortilla. Top with your favorite toppings and/or sauce. Yum!

I even thought the tacos tasted even better than plain 'ole regular tacos.

**What I do also to save on time, (since I usually have less than 30 min. after lessons to prepare a meal) I cook all of my ground beef the day I buy it and then freeze it in approx. 1/2 lb portions. I can then put the frozen meat straight in the pan with the seasoning and water until it's defrosted and fully cooked. Takes about 10 minutes. I also freeze my tortillas and grated cheese. I just take them out before I start teaching lessons, or around lunch time, and they are ready to go for dinner. I am ALL ABOUT pre-prep and freezing ingredients, or even whole meals. Saves SO MUCH TIME!

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