The Frito Bandito
Aunt B. has a full repertoire of "Grandma Food." What is Grandma Food? It's a special category, you won't find it in the index of any cookbook. They don't have a Top Chef episode that teaches you how to prepare food this way. Unless you have a Grandma who shares her secrets, you are just out of luck. Aunt B. is a master chef in Grandma Food. Under wraps, stashed away are a wealth of recipes that you can't find anywhere. Last week I mentioned I needed the recipe for her delicious Mexican Salad that uses Catalina dressing. If you were around during the 1970's you know just the one. She had shared it on Jay Harshaw's Potluck column in the Southwest Times at Fort Smith a while back so she just sent me the clipping. That's the kind of person she is... generous to a fault! Here's the best "Taco Salad" you will ever put in your mouth, share it with others...it's the right thing to do!
lettuce, cut in small pieces
tomatoes, chopped
onions, chopped
Ranch style beans, partly drained
Taco sauce
Catalina dressing
grated mild cheddar cheese
corn chips
Mix together to suit your tastes.
*Amounts of each ingredients are omitted from Good Cook's recipes, they don't need exact amounts...they just "feel" the right amount and can make almost anything taste good by using a dash of this and a sprinkle of that!
Dear to my heart...Aunt B. is my husband's Aunt, sister to his Mom Juanita! She is a fabulous cook and has taught me a thing or two through the years! Try this salad and it will become one of your favorites!
ReplyDeleteUnless I am making something where measurements are critical I never use measurements.
ReplyDeletePeople take cooking too seriously.
This sounds good.
I remember this salad! We also made one where you added ground beef & used Italian dressing instead of French. Mmmmm....guess what we will be having for supper? : )
ReplyDeleteGrowing up in a small town close to the Canadian border this was a staple at family potlucks... we of course thought this was "real" mexican food... let's just say when I was 21 and went to a mexican restaurant for the first time I was a little surprised at the lack of ground beef and frito brand corn chips!
ReplyDelete~Chris
You won't believe this but I was just thinking about Taco Salad the other day. I haven't made it in a long time. Maybe in the near future though.
ReplyDeleteChris, I thought I was the only one who hadn't had mexican food until I was grown! Once I did find it, I made up for all those years of doing without. This recipe was a popular one that was in all the Woman's Day/Family Circle magazines in the 60's and 70's. I usually add taco meat or shredded chicken but it's good just like this...the combination of Fritos, lettuce and Catalina is pure Heaven in a salad bowl!
ReplyDeleteI'm going to try this because I LOVE Taco Salads!
ReplyDeleteMy mom made this salad all of the time back in the 1970s. I think she got the recipe from my Oklahoma grandma. I love it but my Hispanic husband won't eat it because it is too sweet. I always added Tabasco to it to spice it up a bit. Black olives are another good addition.
ReplyDeleteI will be saving this one; it sounds delicious.
ReplyDeleteLOVE LOVE LOVE this recipe! Right up my alley...
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