I had been in the mood for tacos, but kept forgetting to buy hard taco shells at the store! So I used some of my regular fix-ins’ for tacos – cheese, lettuce and tomatoes and turned it into a layered salad…or dip? This dinner came together in no time at all.
We ate this by scooping it up with tortilla chips even though I had added seasoned tortilla strips to the top of the salad (you can usually find them in the aisle with the croutons). Which is why I thought of it as a dip or a salad. I used chicken because I don’t eat ground beef, but you can very easily substitute it. I also tossed in the black beans to cook a bit with the chicken when I added the taco seasoning.
In a medium skillet over medium, heat the olive oil and add diced chicken. Cook until browned, add the black beans, taco seasoning and water. Simmer for about 10 minutes until sauce is slightly thickened. Spoon chicken and black bean mixture onto the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch pan.
Top chicken with lettuce, followed by tomatoes, cheese and tortilla strips. Dish out to individual plates or bowls (or scoop right out of the pan with a tortilla chip!). Serve with sour cream and salsa if desired.