Our life is busy these days. Along with working full time, I also teach Zumba two nights a week, teach Bible study on Wednesdays, my husband works odd hours, and I’m pregnant and exhausted. Getting a delicious home-cooked dinner on the table can be tough.
One way I make life and dinnertime a little easier is slow cooker recipes. We love making taco meat and using it different ways. The first night we might have traditional tacos. Then I might make enchiladas or quesadillas with some of the meat. Then we might make a pasta dish with the final leftovers. Using the slow cooker is a great way to cook a bunch of yummy protein at once.
I’m sure you’re familiar with the salsa slow cooker tacos, but using My Brother’s Salsa puts a tangy spin on it. Created in Bentonville, it’s a fresh, delicious alternative to other jarred salsas. I like that they are smoother and almost act more likea sauce. My house smelled AMAZING while these were cooking. In fact, I tried to nap on Sunday afternoon while they were cooking, but the smell was so good that my stomach kept growling and I couldn’t nap! My Brother’s Salsa has a big variety of options to try. I used fire-roasted salsa for my tacos, but I think the traditional or tomatillo would be great options.
I enhanced the salsa flavor with a few spices and added a can of tomatoes and chilies for some texture.
You can use frozen or fresh roast. While I used beef, I’m sure you could use pork or chicken.
Brittney is a native Arkansan with a love for bright lights and big city. She often escapes her 20-acre home in a small town to shop, eat and catch a concert in the big city nearby. She blogs about her life, her faith, her adventures, her dogs and her country home at Razorback Britt.
My Brother’s Salsa was founded by ARWB member Helen Lampkin.
What’s holding you back from entertaining more? Opening up your home? Planning a brunch date? On your porch? In your living room? Or, in your backyard?
What’s holding you back from picking up the phone, sending out an invite, texting, or sending a message? Is it too much effort? Too much money? Too much pre-cleaning? Or, post-cleaning? Too much to even think about?
These are questions I often ask myself. I mentally kick myself when another week goes by and seven days skip along without breakfast/brunch/lunch/dinner/coffee and dessert guests. Excuses? Oh, I’ve got them. Tons of them. Some of them are perfectly legit.
Yet.
Yet… I still hold back.
One way to ease back into entertaining mode with friends and family is to just pull that Band-Aid off. Pick up that phone, get your fingers typing, and just do it.
Taco night is a family favorite of ours. Whether at our home, my in-laws, or my brother and sister in-laws house, tacos are a guaranteed crowd pleaser. Everyone knows what to expect and everyone can find a combination that fits his or her dietary needs.
Ready to jump in with me and get this party started?
Let’s talk through the logistics. Taco night is a great get-together where everyone can jump in at the level they feel most comfortable with.
Not sure where to start?
Here are my seven tips on hosting a multi-family taco night.
1. Identify your foodies. Do you have a family member or friend that likes food exploration? Great, they will be the one who will bring that extra-special touch. Assign them salsa. Yes, salsa is also great for the bachelor in the group, but trust me, a foodie is the one who will make their own salsa or shop to find just.the.right.one.with.the.great.story. Don’t have a foodie friend? Okay, give the task to your bachelor friend. He’ll know what to do.
2. Moms. Got a mom on the invitation list? She is going to be your shredded cheese hero. And sour cream. Check and mate. She’s going to bring the Sams Club size, guaranteed.
3. Veggie Prep. Ouch, this one is not everyone’s favorite. Save the messy tomato job for you, no one wants that job. Besides, tomatoes and avocados are the two things you want to save for last due to juiciness and spoilage. Ask for volunteers for lettuce shredders, onion mincers, jalapenos slicers, and cilantro choppers. If you have a mid-life no-children couple, they will take this challenge on with relish. Relax, they’ve got this covered.
4.Beef. This is where you come in. Make the event easy and pre-cook these an hour before guests arrive and keep it in the warmer or crock-pot. No one will complain and that’s more time for margaritas. Speaking of….
5. Margaritas. Seems about the right time to mention this. Set up a station and let it work for itself. Assign the first person that walks through the door to get their blender on. Just make sure they are twenty-one. And eager to help.
6. Chips and Dip. You’ll want some chips and dip with that margarita. Cue your bachelor friend. Generic salsa will work just fine for this. If your foodie person wants more on their to-do list, assign them this. Who knows? Maybe you’ll end up with sweet potato/chili/lime/vinegar/cilantro flavored tortilla chips.
7. The Tortilla Station. Last but not least… the most dreaded assignment of them all… the tortilla station. If you are a purist, plan for an hour at the stovetop cooking corn and flour tortillas over the stovetop with olive oil. Plan half that time grilling tortillas on the grill. Do these two hours before and wrap them in tin foil and place in the warmer. That way all you have to do is when guests arrive is to kick back, enjoy chips and salsa, and let that eager beaver first-arriving-guest make you a margarita. See how easy this is?
You see, the moral of this story is simple… humans need other humans. We want, no we need, each other. We need to connect, to laugh, to eat, to drink, and to just goof off a little bit. We don’t need to worry about complicating everything.We can do this.
You in?
Happy taco night.
Lyndi Fultz, nwafoodie
Arkansas Women Blogger member Lyndi Fultz writes about living and eating well from her life in beautiful Northwest Arkansas at nwafoodie. Much of her blogging inspiration comes from this gem of a place, which she refers to as the proverbial land of milk-and-honey. Read more related to cooking, entertaining, gadget suggestions, ingredient explorations, local finds, local restaurant treasures, kitchen tour spotlights, and always with a healthy and simplistic approach.
Lyndi Fultz, nwafoodie