Copy Cat Taco Bell MexiMelt: SRS

Welcome to the second Surprise Recipe Swap!!!

This month, I was assigned Meghan’s blog, The Tasty Fork.  Meghan is a Chicago girl who is passionate about cooking.  And her passion shows with all the beautiful photography and delicious (and usually healthy!) recipes she posts on her blog.

When it came time to decide on a recipe, I was thisclose to choosing a vegetarian recipe (and I probably will in the near future, being Lent and all), but ultimately, I chose a quick meal that called for pantry staples (read: no need to run to the store with feverish little dudes).

All in all the Meximelts were a delicious twist on a taco!   These were a hit for the whole family. Thank you, Meghan, for a great recipe!

Recipe Notes:

*Being February & a Northern state, decent tomatoes & herbs were impossible to find, so I used some roasted tomatoes with herbs that I had in the freezer; leftover from this past summer

Copy Cat Taco Bell MexiMelt

Adapted from The Tasty Fork

Meat

1 lb lean ground turkey or beef

1 taco seasoning packet

Or

Taco Seasoning

5 green onions, sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tbsp chili powder

½ tsp salt or to taste

1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce

Pico de Gallo

4 plum tomatoes, diced (see note)

¼ cup red or white onion, diced

1 jalapeno, diced; seeds & ribs removed

¼ cup cilantro, chopped (see note)

1 tbsp lime juice

Salt & pepper

Flour tortillas

Shredded Mexican cheese, reduced fat if possible

Place the meat in a skillet over medium heat.  Cook until browned and drain off any excess liquid.  Stir in the green onions and garlic and cook for about 1 minute or until fragrant.

Stir in the cumin, chili powder, salt, and tomato sauce.  Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes or until most of the liquid had reduced.

While the meat cooks, prepare the pico de gallo by combining the tomatoes, onions, jalapeno, cilantro, lime juice, and salt & pepper in a bowl.  Set aside.

Once the meat is fully cooked, place 3-4 tablespoons of meat on to a tortilla and top with a sprinkling of cheese.  If desired, microwave for 20-30 seconds to melt to cheese.  Top the Meximelt with pico de gallo and serve.

Make 8-10 Meximelts

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