Bon Appetit: Taco Dump

Disclaimer: The name of this dish is a testament to what you do to cook it, not how it tastes! It’s truly delicious.

This is such an easy Mexican dish. I call this a “Taco Dump” because of what you do to cook it. You could also call this a “Pantry Dump” if you wanted to as well. Everything that goes into this dish is a staple that I keep in my pantry at all times. It super easy to throw together. If you’re hosting or attending a Taco Tuesday or fiesta of any sort, making  a dish like this also takes out the needs for a few sides!

Taco Dump

Ingredients:

• 1 C quinoa
• Onion, chopped
• Garlic, minced
• 1 can shredded chicken – You can also find Tyson varieties in a bag.
• 1 can black beans
• Salsa
• Queso
• Ortega Taco Seasoning
• Paprika
• Pepper
• Chili Powder

Instructions:

Prepare quinoa as directed on the bag/box. My bag is from Costco and is one of the smartest purchases I’ve made. It’s 1C quinoa to 2C water. Season as desired. 

Saute onions and minced garlic in olive oil until onions are translucent. My favorite. 

Drain chicken and add. Cook until 99% of the pink is gone. My burner stayed on very low heat for the entire duration.

Season to taste.

Drain corn and add. I used about 1/2 of the can for the 1 can of chicken.

Drain black beans as much as possible and add. Again, it was about 1/2 of the can.

Stir to combine. The black beans will bring some moisture to the dish.

Add salsa.

Add queso.

That’s  it. I know it’s nine steps, but it’s seriously such an easy Mexican recipe. You can change it up too. I’ve added some green chiles before. You could add some fresh jalapeno too. I prefer to do this with the quinoa. However, you can do rice or even use the mixture for tacos or nachos! Since it is so versatile, this is one of my favorite meals if I’m looking to have a hot lunch every day at work. I mentioned that you could take the meal to Taco Tuesday too. Put the corn and black beans in a tupperware…look at how much you’ve contributed now! What’s your go to easy Mexican recipe?