Taco Scramble

Ever wanted a taco, but didn't want to bother with the hassle of eating it out of a crunchy (falling apart) taco shell or a soft corn (falling apart) tortilla? Or perhaps, like me, you don't like to bother with getting all the different veggies and fixings out so that everyone can build their own custom taco, which only results in more mess to clean up and more leftovers (that will probably never get eaten) because you weren't sure how much to put out.

Meet the one-stop taco. My family first came up with the idea for this dish while we were in the Virgin Islands, so we called it "Virgin Gorda beef." But since no one would understand what that is, I'm calling it "taco scramble." Basically, it's most of the stuff you'd want in a taco, without the shell, in an easy-to-clean-up mixture.

Observe:

This is a tasty, filling meal that is made even more desirable to me because I don't have to put it away leftovers in 10 separate little baggies... Just scoop and dump it into one container! (Minus the container for lettuce or rice, anyway.)

TACO SCRAMBLE

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef

1 small onion, diced

3 large stalks celery, diced (about 1/2 cup)

1/2 a large green pepper, diced (about 1/2 cup)

3/4 cup water

1 packet or about 2 tbs. taco seasoning

1 tsp. oregano

1 (15-oz.) can beans (black, pinto, kidney... whatever suits your fancy)

1 cup frozen corn (optional)

2 medium tomatoes, diced

lettuce and/or rice as desired

shredded cheese (optional)

Directions:

1. Begin browning beef in a large frying pan. Add onion, celery, and pepper and cook until beef is browned and veggies are almost tender. Drain beef fat.

2. Add water and seasonings and bring to a boil. Lower heat. Add beans and (if desired) corn. (To be honest, I definitely would have added corn, but I didn't think about it until after I made the meal and took the picture above. Doh!) Simmer, stirring occasionally, until water is mostly absorbed and beans and corn are heated.

3. Remove from heat. Add tomatoes and stir to combine. Serve as is, or over lettuce or rice (or with added lettuce over rice... whatever). Top with cheese if desired.