Help for deciding between salad or tacos or chili is here.
If you've ever had a Frito pie, then you know. If not, google knows. This salad tastes like you're getting away with something you'd eat at a sports bar with loud TVs, cheap drinks, and quarter Keno, yet it's not heavy. No sad-stomach aftermath!
When you need the sort of flavor that whacks you over the head with savory tang and also satisfies your teeth with great texture, this is it. And lashings of my scratch black pepper ranch are the ultimate thick and creamy flourish but be warned: it's extremely hard not to just spoon the stuff straight into your mouth.
Love this salad for game days. Put it out with cold beer and a generous amount of crispy chicken tenders or wings.
Notes: Ground turkey is 93% lean.
FRITO PIE SALAD WITH SCRATCH BLACK PEPPER RANCH
Ingredients: 1 lb. lean ground turkey, 1 tbsp. olive oil, one diced green bell pepper, 1/2 cup diced onion, 1 tsp. sea salt, 1 tsp. pepper, 4 tbsp. tomato paste, 1 tbsp. yellow mustard, 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp. garlic powder, 1 tsp. onion powder, 6-8 cups shredded romaine lettuce, 2 cups halved grape tomatoes, two sliced green onions, 2 cups shredded Mexi-blend cheese, and 2 cups Fritos. For the Scratch Black Pepper Ranch: 1/2 cup sour cream, 1/2 cup Greek yogurt, 1/2 cup milk, 1 tbsp. lemon juice, 2 tbsp. dried parsley, 1 tsp. onion powder, 1 tsp. garlic powder, 1/2 tsp. dried dill, 1/2 tsp. sea salt, and 2 tsp. pepper.
Serves 4-6.
1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat until glossy. Add diced bell pepper and onion and cook until onion is softened. Remove from pan.
2. Add ground turkey to the skillet along with sea salt and pepper and cook until almost done- some pink remains. Drain. Add back to the skillet along with peppers and onions. Stir in tomato paste, mustard, Worster sauce, garlic powder, and onion powder until well combined. Turn down to low and occasionally stir until assembling the salad. (Alternatively, add cooked turkey, peppers, onions, and everything in step two into a slow cooker if using later- set to low and stir in 1/2 cup water.)
3. Assemble individual salads or one big one. Lettuce, ground turkey, cheese, tomato, green onions, and Fritos.
4. Make the Scratch Black Pepper Ranch: add all the ingredients to a bowl and whisk well. Or, shake it up in a tall jar. Serve salads with the dressing on the side.
Tips
*Stretch it: Feed more people by adding a drained can of beans, chili, or black works great.
*Alternative meat/vegan preference: use ground chicken or beef or thawed vegetarian "meat" crumbles; you'll need the same amount, 16 ounces (1 lb.)
*Give it more heat: Add sliced jalapenos to the salad and 1/3 tsp. cayenne pepper to the dressing.
*Dairy-free: Replace the cheese in the salad with Daiya brand shredded cheese; replace yogurt and sour cream in the dressing with 1 cup of vegan Mayo (such as by Hellmann's) and the milk with plain, unsweetened nut milk.