Ground Beef Taco Filling

I will never again use a taco seasoning packet to make taco filling!

I saw this Martha Stewart recipe featured on this blog and tried it out. I have to admit, I'm not a huge Martha fan, but I had a pound of ground beef that needed to be used, and when I saw the recipe, I made out of convenience. Surprisingly, It was a hit. I loved it, and so did everyone I fed it to. This will absolutely be my go-to taco recipe.

you will need:

1 tsp vegetable oil

1 large oinion, chopped

2 bell peppers (I used one green, one red) chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 pound ground beef

tortilla's

taco garnishes: lettuce, olive's, sour cream, guacamole, salsa, cheese, etc.

In a large nonstick skillet, add beef. Cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Drain fat from beef and set aside. In the same skillet, add onion and bell peppers; cook until crisp-tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Add 1 cup water; cook until water has evaporated and vegetables are softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add garlic, tomato paste, chili powder and cumin. Season with Salt and Pepper. Cook, stirring. Add the cooked beef, stir and re-season with salt and pepper if needed.

When I made this, we piled the meat mixture onto tostada's instead of taco's. The only difference is I baked my tortilla's on a cooling rack which sat on top of a jelly-roll pan (cookie sheet). I lightly brushed them with oil on both sides, and sprinkled them with a little bit of salt. I then Baked them on one side (375 degrees) for 4 minutes, then turned them over for another 4 minutes. It took a while to make 8 of these since I had only one cooling rack and had to cook 2 at a time. When they were done, we spread refried beans onto our tortilla's, then the meat, then the garnish. It was delish, and even kid friendly!

*Feel free to substitute the beef with ground turkey; the mixture is so moist and flavorful, nobody will notice.