Taco night is a favorite at our house. Is it at yours too?
There are so many reasons to love it! First, it’s a meal most of my family will happily eat. Second, it’s usually easy to separate out the ingredients for my kids if they don’t want certain foods mixed together.
Third, most of these recipes include a good amount of vegetables, which I’m a fan of. And finally, the best reason? All of these dishes are easy to make, which makes me oh so happy after a long day!
For easy sides, I usually make rice or maybe chips with salsa or guacamole! These recipes below are tried and true family favorites. I hope they become favorites at your house too! Enjoy!
Taco Night Favorites
Quesadillas – So easy, yet so good! I usually give my daughter a cheese & black bean quesadilla and then add meat and/or other veggies for my husband and I. Just put a tortilla (I use whole wheat) in a large non-stick pan on the stove over medium heat, top with cheese and other fillings, place another tortilla on top and cook 1-2 minutes. Flip and cook another few minutes until everything is melted. Cut and serve!
Easy Black Beans – Add one can of black beans (drained and rinsed) to a saucepan on the stove over medium heat, add 1/2-1 cup salsa and stir to combine. Cook until heated through. Feel free to mash the beans a bit, if you want a thicker, refried bean consistency.
Alternatively, for a more “homemade” version, use two cans of beans (drained and rinsed) and add one small can of crushed tomatoes along with 1/2-1 teaspoon of each cumin and chili powder. Taste and add salt, if necessary. Sometimes I like to finish by adding diced tomatoes and cilantro on top, as shown below.
Burrito Bowls – Add Easy Black Beans, (recipe above) along with other toppings like corn, peppers, avocado, diced tomato, shredded lettuce, sour cream/Greek yogurt, chicken and cheese, along with rice in a bowl. Trader Joe’s has an awesome bag of peppers/onions as well as roasted corn in their freezer section, which I frequently heat and use for this meal. The whole family loves this one. It’s especially kid-friendly because the items can easily be separated if they have aversion to their food being mixed together and there are lots of options for them to have.
Enchiladas – Spray a baking dish with cooking spray and pour a small amount of red enchilada sauce to coat the bottom. Use small-medium sized tortillas and roll up with cooked meat (rotisserie chicken works great!) and/or veggies like peppers, black beans and corn. Don’t overfill. Place them seam side down in the pan. You’ll fit six to eight in a 9 x 13 inch pan and four to five in an 8 x 8 inch pan. Pour remaining sauce over to cover – you’ll need one can for an 8 x 8 inch pan and two for a 9 x 13 inch pan, maybe more depending on how much sauce you like. Top with shredded cheese, cover pan with aluminum foil and bake about 30 minutes at 400 degrees. Uncover and bake another five to ten minutes or until cheese is melted. This is also easy to separate the foods out (before assembly) for toddlers. Although I find when something’s covered in cheese, kids are more likely to eat it and makes it one of our favorite easy meals!
Crockpot Fiesta Chicken – Add two to three defrosted chicken breasts (about 1.5 lbs) to a large crockpot. Pour in a large jar (24 oz) of salsa, a can of black beans and corn (both drained and rinsed). Stir the mixture together and cook on high for about four hours, or until the chicken is cooked through (165 degrees). Remove the chicken and shred it. Return it to the crockpot and stir. Serve with brown rice and toppings like shredded lettuce, cheese, avocado and sour cream/Greek yogurt and you have an easy meal ready to go.
Do you have any easy Taco Night recipes your family loves? I’d love to hear your favorites in the comments below!
For additional recipes, click here.
For a night out on the town, check out our favorite taco places in Columbus!
