Introducing the new Karen Especial Taco Ensalada! — now with more homemade!
Ish. Homemade-ish. 😉
Who doesn’t like the taste of a good homemade dish? I love homemade, but I don’t necessarily always love to make it.
Sorry! It’s true though… I got a kid, I’m 42, and I’m tired.
Well, even before I had the kid I was tired, but one thing I do like to do and always have is take something pre-made, especially something from Trader Joe’s, and put my own homemade, fine-tuning spin on it. I like making pre-made meals taste the way I want them to, and it’s kinda fun to make something your own.
I got the idea for this DELISH salad from an Instagram post by vlogger Stephanie Nicole. She posted a taco salad, and the picture made me weak in the knees. I wanted that salad immediately, but I didn’t wanna do a bunch of chopping…
So it was time to hack that ish!
It all starts with a Trader Joe’s Southwest Salad. Then I make my own dressing (I also got the recipe from Stephanie Nicole), add some extra flair, mix it all up, and devour.
I’ve had it for lunch twice this week. I would say that it serves two…but, you know, I can happily eat all of it by myself. 🙂
If this sounds intriguingly delicious to you, here’s what you do!
First, open the Trader Joe’s Southwest Salad. There’s a whole bunch of tasty treats in it, like diced peppers, cheese and whatnot… I usually toss the sliced onion, though, because I’m not a fan of raw onions in my salad.
I usually also ditch the dressing that comes with it, because it’s not my fave, and I like to make my own.
Then, plop the salad into a big bowl.
Next, drain and rinse some organic kidney beans, and add as many as you want.
Chop some cherry tomatoes, and throw ’em in.
Now add some chopped avocado, and I usually use a half, then give the other half to Connor because she’s always down for some avocado.
Then, add some corn and sliced black olives…
Next, add a big handful of Trader Joe’s Fancy Shredded Mexican Blend Cheese, or whatever other kind of shredded cheese you want (or have on hand).
This is a good time to stop and take a pic for the ‘gram, ’cause it’s soooo pretty.
Now, for this next part, it helps to keep an open mind. If you like the dressing that comes with the pre-made salad, go ahead and add it to your bowl, but if you wanna try something new, mix equal parts mayonnaise and ketchup…
Stay with me here. I know that can sound gross if you haven’t had a ketchup-mayo dressing before, but it’s actually really good. It’s tangy and sweet like Thousand Island.
Next, take that dressing, pour it into your salad, and mix it up. Now crumble some tortilla chips, and place them on top.
Now, serve!!!
It’s quick and pretty darned delicious. 🙂
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Jan says
I make ketchup and mayonnaise dressing often. Yummy. If you want to spice it up a little, add a little Worcestershire sauce.
Isabella says
I love that salad, its one of my fave things from TJ’s
but where I come from mayo+ketchup is 2/3 of russian dressing relish being the other 🙂
I will try your idea to gussie this up thanks
Rachel says
I am drooling! I love beans on a salad, and I loved that dressing that came with the southwest salad! Sadly I don’t live near a TJs anymore. I am waiting for a squash to cook in the oven (first one I’ve ever made) which I’m going to eat with leftover lasagna. No wonder I need to lose weight!
Chris25 says
This looks yummy!
CL says
I’m with you on skipping the ranch dressing. Ranch is extremely popular in Texas, but I don’t like it at all. This salad looks like something I would like, and there is a Trader Joe’s about a 15-minute drive from where I live.
smeegal9 says
OOOMMMGGG, so this is a great post about the salad and all, but there is no way you are 42!!!! My head movie has you at 28, seriously. You are amazing!
Oh and thanks for the salad tip.
Christine says
Yum! I already love this salad & these tips would make it even better!!! Thanks for the recipe 😉
Kim says
This looks divine! I’m a big fan of homemade Thousand Island dressing for taco salad (and grilled pastrami “reuben”s with coleslaw instead of kraut). Mine has a bit more stuff – relish, lemon juice, finely chopped onion – but the base is ketchup and mayo. 🙂
Trude says
You’re making me hungry! Looks so yummy. I always keep a batch of my own hacked Southwest dressing in the fridge – Ranch, salsa, lime juice and a bit of cilantro if you’re feeling fancy. 🙂