Easy Crunchy Mexicali Tacos is a 15 minute recipe for those nights that you just don’t feel like cooking! It could be that it has just been “one of those days,” or life is so crazy that you just couldn’t even think about dinner until it was 7pm and you have a ravenous bunch on your hands!! Classic mexican tacos get a southwest vegetable spin from some very helpful pre-chopped frozen vegetables bumping up the vegetable content and still keeping these tacos quick and easy!
Last week I realized that my one year blogging anniversary was coming up. I knew that it was sometime in June of 2013 that I started Becky’s Best Bites. I looked at my posts and realized that my first ever post Meet Your New BFF Water was published on June 17, 2013. Now I have gone back and edited it since then, so the post you see today isn’t really my “first” post anymore. But you don’t really care, do you?
So today is my one year blogging anniversary! Happy Anniversary to me!!
A year ago, I thought this day might find me a full-time food blogger, making plenty of money to support myself. Wow! How naive was I? I am only getting started and only making a small amount of money on my blog. I am trying to find my determination to keep going at this, but I have to be honest that I have been in the “bloggy blues” here lately. And that is why this post on Easy Crunchy Mexicali Tacos is a departure from a lot of my posts. I didn’t really make any changes to the original recipe(what!?!), I used frozen vegetables (yikes) and the picture was snapped of my actual dinner plate and there was absolutely no food styling. Sorry folks.
However I will jump in on the frozen vegetables and reference WebMD and this article that explains that frozen vegetable might be as good or even better for us that fresh. Why? Fruits and vegetables chosen for freezing tend to be processed at their peak ripeness, a time when—as a general rule—they are most nutrient-packed.
I like the idea of adding southwest flavors and in the form of vegetables to a classic mexican dish. Quick and easy, this meal comes together in just 15 minutes. It is a healthy meal for your family that hands-down beats running through any fast food drive through. I hope you will keep it on hand so when you have “one of those days,” you can reference it. Hopefully it will save dinner for you 🙂
Here is the recipe and nutritional information for Easy Crunchy Mexicali Tacos:
- 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large sweet yellow onion, chopped
- 2 fresh garlic bulbs, pressed or minced
- 1 lb. 93% lean ground beef
- 10 yellow corn taco shells
- 1 bag (12 oz.) Birds Eye® Recipe Ready Southwest Blend
- 1 envelope (1 oz.) Reduced Sodium Taco Taco Seasoning
- ¼ cup water
- Sour cream or greek yogurt
- salsa of your choice
- Shredded lettuce
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add onion and garlic. Saute until onion is transparent, approximately 3-4 minutes.
- Place taco shells on a baking sheet and bake for approximately 5 minutes or until crispy. Taco shells can remain in the closed oven to keep warm until it's time to fill and serve them.
- Add ground beef and continue to cook until no pink remains in the the ground beef.
- Add Recipe Ready Southwest Blend vegetables, taco seasoning and water. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
- Serve in tortillas and taco shells topped with taco sauce, salsa, shredded lettuce and sour cream or greek yogurt.
What’s your thoughts? Do you like this kind of recipe? Does it work on Becky’s Best Bites?
Just found your blog from the social saturday link up party. soooo I’m a few days late but hey, better late than never right? haha. I’m super excited to be following along via bloglovin! Especially because my brain tends to go to sleep when it comes to trying to figure out dinner. Your blog is gonna help a LOTTTT haha
Thanks so much Whitney! So glad that you stopped by and I hope I can help with dinner 🙂 lol 🙂