Bean & Beef Taco Dinner 

Go easy on yourself tonight and make crunchy, delicious tacos for dinner.

For the kiddos that don't like spicy taco meat filling, feed them bean & cheese tacos. Grown ups can enjoy crunchy tacos loaded with meat, beans, spicy salsa, sour cream, lettuce and jalapeños!

HERE'S ALL IT TAKES

• 1/2 pound fresh extra lean ground beef
• 1/4 cup chopped onions
• 2 to 3 teaspoons chili powder & cumin, as much as you prefer
• salt & pepper

• 1 box of taco shells
• 1 (15oz.) can of pinto beans, drain & reserve liquid
• 1 (2 cup) package of shredded cheddar cheese
• shredded lettuce
• lite sour cream
• jalapeños
• your favorite salsa

Preheat oven for heating taco shells (see directions on box).

Start by browning beef in a medium size skillet over medium heat until fully cooked (there's no pink meat); stir occasionally. Add onions, chili powder, cumin, pinch of salt and pepper, and approximately 1/4 cup water; cook until onions are translucent; stir occasionally. Remove from heat and set aside.

Between the moments of stirring and cooking the beef, blend pinto beans in a one cup food processor until semi-smooth with chunks of beans here and there. If the consistency is too thick, stir in the reserved bean liquid a tablespoon at a time to thin. Careful not to add too much liquid or it gets soupy after it heats up. Move the blended beans to a microwaveable bowl and heat until hot, 1 to 2 minutes depending on your microwave.

Whether you stick clean spoons in the salsa, sour cream and jalapeno jars or you put each in their own small bowls, prepare a taco assembly line so everyone can build there own tacos.

Once the meat mixture is ready, fill taco shells with beans or meat or both, and shredded cheese and lay them on their sides on a cookie sheet. Bake for the amount time designated on taco shell box, 6-8 minutes usually. Then it's time to EAT!

For dessert, serve up fat free Vanilla Yogurt with a crushed cinnamon granola bar sprinkled on top.