Name: The Double Decker Tacos that make weeknight cooking a breeze
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 500g beef mince; 1 onion, finely chopped; 1 small red capsicum, finely chopped; 2 tbsp taco spice mix; 1 cup refried beans; 8 Stand ’N Stuff Taco Shells; 8 mini tortillas; 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend; 1 baby gem lettuce, shredded; 2 small tomatoes, diced; 1 Lebanese cucumber, diced; Fresh coriander leaves, tomato salsa, sour cream, lime wedges, to serve

Believe me, being a Food Editor doesn’t make me immune to the weeknight dinner dilemma.

Truth be told, I should be able to conjure up at least a week’s worth of meals with my current supplies, but it’s the lack of planning that catches me out. After a busy workday, it’s often a late afternoon supermarket dash, easily setting me back a further $50 on top of our already high weekly grocery bill.

With prices going through the roof, this needs to change, so I’m trying hard to utilise what I already have on hand.

When my son, Alvin called last week to say he’d be popping in for a mid-week visit, I perused my pantry, fridge and freezer to see what I could whip up for a fast meal. Revealing a good selection of Mexican-themed ingredients – tortillas, taco shells, refried beans, shredded cheese, beef mince etc., our New Idea recipe for Double Decker Tacos sprung to mind.

Inspired by Lewis, the son of our Recipe Developer Kez, this clever creation was a hit with our Test Kitchen team, and I knew Alvin would approve.

Alas, I was missing one crucial ingredient – the taco spice blend!

But, with an array of half empty jars of dried herbs and spices crowding up my pantry and quickly nearing their expiry date, this was easily fixed by whipping up a DIY Mexican spice blend. See ours here.

May I suggest you do yourself a favour by doing the same. Whether it’s Mexican, Moroccan, Cajun or whatever takes your fancy, making your own fragrant spice blends has no added nasties, and uses up leftover spices in the process. It’s a win win!

And while you’re at it, try the family-friendly, Double Decker Tacos recipe. The kids will love it!

If you want to make other taco recipes, see our recipe collection here.

Ingredients

500g beef mince

1 onion, finely chopped

1 small red capsicum, finely chopped

2 tbsp taco spice mix

1 cup refried beans

8 Stand ’N Stuff Taco Shells

8 mini tortillas

1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend

1 baby gem lettuce, shredded

2 small tomatoes, diced

1 Lebanese cucumber, diced

Fresh coriander leaves, tomato salsa, sour cream, lime wedges, to serve

Method

Step 1

Heat a lightly oiled, large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add beef, onion and capsicum. Cook, stirring to break up mince, for about 8 mins, until browned. Add spice mix. Cook, stirring, for 1 min. Stir in ½ cup water. Simmer for 2 mins.

Step 2

Meanwhile, heat taco shells and mini tortillas according to packet directions.

Step 3

Spread each mini tortilla evenly with 1½ tbsp refried beans. Stand warm taco shells on tortillas. Fold up tortillas to stick to sides of taco shells.

Step 4

Fill shells with mince mixture, cheese, lettuce, tomato and cucumber. Serve with coriander, salsa, sour cream and lime wedges.

Jane Ash Food Editor

Jane’s love of food began at a young age and led to her studying home economics at TAFE before embarking on a career in food media and TAFE hospitality teaching that has spanned over 30 years. Today, as a Food Editor across New Idea, New Idea Food and Woman’s Day, she’s all for sharing fresh, delicious and achievable recipe ideas, plus the tricks of the trade so everyone can experience the joy of cooking. Attaining a certificate in Nutrition and Diet from Beck Health & Nutrition, Jane has a sound knowledge of the role a wholesome diet plays in overall health and wellbeing, and a growing interest in developing recipes for those on special diets. A believer in everything in moderation, her love of food extends to sweet treats too, especially cakes and desserts, of which she’s developed hundreds while working in numerous leading magazine test kitchens. She knows she’s in the right job when she finds herself still dreaming up new creations to share and inspire others.