Most everyone on the planet knows Tuesday is none as #TacoTuesday and in my home Taco Tuesday isn’t fancy. It’s not styled. It’s not perfect. It’s not something I plan three days ahead with matching plates and Pinterest boards. How about you?
It’s more like this: we open the fridge, and we see what we’ve got, and turn it into something that makes everybody come back through the kitchen at the same time. Because that’s really what Taco Tuesday does—it gathers people around the dinner table.
For my family there is something about building your own plate that makes even teenagers pause for a second and join in. One adds extra cheese, one loads up on salsa, somebody forgets the shells and goes back for more, and suddenly the kitchen feels like the center of the house again.
Taco Tuesday doesn’t have to be expensive to feel like a tradition. Ground meat, tortillas, toppings you already have—it turns into a meal that feels bigger than the ingredients. And maybe that’s why Taco Tuesday sticks. Not because it’s complicated. But because it brings everybody to the same place at the same time, even if just for a little while.
Simple Taco Tuesday Ground Beef Filling (our go-to)
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 packet taco seasoning (or 2 tbsp homemade seasoning)
- 1/3 cup water
- Optional: chopped onion or bell pepper if you’ve got it
Brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium heat until no longer pink. Drain any excess grease if needed. Add taco seasoning and water, stir well, and let it simmer for about 5 minutes so all the flavor soaks in.
That’s it. Nothing fancy.
We usually serve it with whatever is in the fridge or pantry:
tortillas or taco shells, shredded cheese, lettuce, salsa, sour cream, sometimes rice if I need to stretch it further.
Some nights it’s full-loaded, some nights it’s bare bones—but it always works.
A lot of times, that turns into our simple ground beef taco night, because it’s quick, it’s filling, and it works with whatever we’ve got on hand.
We keep it basic on purpose.
Simple Taco Tuesday Ground Beef Tacos
1 pound ground beef
1 packet taco seasoning
1/3 cup water
Tortillas or taco shells
Cheese, lettuce, salsa, sour cream, tomato’s (or whatever you’ve got)
In a skillet, brown the ground beef until it’s fully cooked. Drain if needed. Stir in the taco seasoning we use what ever is on sale and water, then let it simmer for about 5 minutes so everything blends together.
Warm up your tortillas or shells, and set out whatever toppings you have. Everyone builds their own, and that’s usually how it goes—quick, easy, and no one is waiting long for dinner.
Some nights we have a full spread, and some nights it’s just meat, cheese, and a tortilla. Either way, it gets the job done.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
