Mexican Haystacks

I am pretty sure my brother lived off of this in college. And I can't blame him.  It is easy to make and has basic ingredients that you can dress up if you have the extras. 

My husband thinks these are "Taco Salads", but in my family, taco salads are way different. I will show you our taco salad another time. In my book, this is a Mexican Haystack. Top it with whatever you want, I will just give you some ideas. 

Mexican Haystacks

Filling

1 lb ground beef

2 (16oz) cans pork and beans

1 tsp garlic salt

1 tsp black pepper

Cook ground beef in skillet. Drain grease and return to pan. Add remaining ingredients and let simmer for 10 minutes. 

Lay a base of tortilla chips. Top with warm meat mixture. Add any of the following

Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Chopped lettuce

Salsa

Sour Cream

Ranch Dressing

One Tasty Salad

Do you remember when you used to go play at a friends house and you were there around dinner and so the mom would invite you to stay? And then you would have to borrow the phone (house phones of course) and call your mom and ask if you could stay for dinner. Good times.

This recipe reminds me of eating at my childhood friend's house. They used to have this salad at almost every meal. To be honest, it was good, but not my favorite as a kid. But as I got older and wiser, I really came to love it. What really makes this salad is the dressing. It is simple, easy to adapt to your tastes and very healthy. Give it a go.

Salad:
1 head Red or Green Leaf Lettuce (chopped)
1- 2 tomatoes, large dice
1 avocado, sliced
1/8 red onion, thinly sliced

Dressing:
1 Tbsp lemon juice (FRESH!)
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp red wine vinegar
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp garlic salt
2 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp black pepper