Mexican Haystacks

This is the first dinner David ever made me, when we started dating in 2006.  It was a family favorite of his growing up, and has definitely become a staple meal in this house as well.  It's one of those meals that ALWAYS sounds good.  And it's fairly easy as far as cooking time goes.  The toppings take a little bit of time to prep, but it's definitely worth it. :)

We have a rice cooker (a wedding gift from David's best friend, Stig, and his now-wife Jess), :) so I start by just putting on 3 cups of rice.  We use Calrose rice, which is yummy sticky rice.  We've stuck with the Botan brand for years, which you should be able to find at any grocery store.

Next, cook up a pound of ground beef, drain grease, and add a taco seasoning packet with cold water.  (Cook according to packet directions.)

Now for the prep:

*dice tomatoes
*chop Romaine lettuce
*grate Cheddar cheese (we used Colby this time)
*make dressing: mix mayonnaise and ketchup in a small bowl till orangey-pinkish (do a taste test to see if needs more ketchup)
*grab your favorite salsa

And now for the yummy layering... There is a particular order David taught me that maximizes its deliciousness, so don't. deviate. ;)

The other thing, is just know that no matter how small of an amount of rice you start with on your plate, it will explode by the end.  (When this happens, do not fear--you will still eat every bite.)

Step 1: Rice.

 Step 2: Cheese.  Don't miss this.  

 Step 3: Meat. (See this--now the cheese will melt perfectly between the heat of the rice and the meat, glueing it all together.  Mmmmmm....)

 Step 4: Lettuce (this is where it really explodes!)

 Step 5: Tomatoes.

 Step 6: Drizzle sauce with a spoon.

 Step 7: Salsa

And, voila!  Absolute deliciousness.  David's other tip is to take a bite on one end and work your way through (that way you're getting everything in each bite), rather than taking a bite off the top and working down through the layers.

Our picky-eater-Ellie even takes a couple bites of her "Taco Rice" when we have this.  For the kid version I just did rice, cheese, taco meat, and a little of the sauce--all mixed together.  Add tomatoes, too if your little one eats those!  Add some whole wheat toast and a veggie or fruit for a yummy meal.

When you have your next planning day (FlyLady chooses Tuesdays), add this to your meal plan for the week and let me know how you like it! :)

You'll know why I married my guy.