Recipes Worth Sharing - Linda's Taco Salad

Some of you may have noticed that I have a second blog going on. It's nothing fancy, just a collection of recipes that I've found, some that I've even used, and that I want to have access to in the future.

I've had a lot of fun working on it, and still do when I make the time for it. Some of the recipes there are from friends & family, and someday soon I hope to include the recipes I have for the good, "old world" Italian cooking that's been passed on through the generations.

I've decided to occasionally pic one of my favorites, and share it here (since I KNOW I have a whole lot more readers here than on the other blog). Here's the first installment:

Linda's Taco Salad (Linda is my cousin, and she makes this salad for most family gatherings & parties during the summer. She & her brother fight over who actually created the recipe, but she was the one that FINALLY responded to my request for it, so she gets the credit!)

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 lg head iceburg lettuce, shredded (or 2 bags ready to use shredded iceburg, or 2 16 oz bags of salad greens, chopped smaller)
• 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 16 oz bottle ranch dressing (I prefer sour cream & onion flavored ranch)
• 1 can pitted black olives (optional), diced/sliced to a size you like
• 3-4 green onions, chopped (use the whites of the onion, too)
• 1 qt grape tomatoes, diced to a size you like
• 1 pkg mild taco seasoning mix
• 1 bag Taco Doritos

1. Brown the ground beef until just cooked, drain. Return it to frying pan & follow directions on taco seasoning mix. If the mix calls for liquid, drain again once added & cooked (you don't want the beef to be too wet).
2. Place all ingredients except dressing & Doritos into a large serving bowl, mix well.
3. Just before serving, add about 1/2 the bottle of dressing and crushed Doritos. Serve with remaining dressing in case people want to add some.

***Note: I try to only mix dressing & Doritos into the salad that I know will get eaten at that serving. The salad keeps ok in the fridge for a few days without them, but once they're in, you've only got about 24 hours before it turns into an icky slimy mess.