Taco Haystacks

Taco Haystacks (some call it taco salad) have been my favorite weekend meal since childhood. Growing up, we had it often at home, school, and at church potlucks. Now, it's one of my kids' favorite meals too.

Who wouldn't like taco haystacks? There's corn chips, tortillas, or Doritos; beans, veggie meat sauce, or veggie meat crumbles; and veggie cheese shreds or cashew cheese sauce—a combination made in heaven. Add to this lettuce, tomatoes, olives, and sour cream, and you have a fun, tasty meal.

Over the years, I've made so many variations of this taco salad—I've added brown rice, covered it with a cashew cheese sauce, and baked it like lasagna. Sometimes I've used just beans, or I've used just the veggie meat sauce. And then sometimes I've used both. There's no right or wrong way to make taco haystacks. The combinations are endless.

Basic layers:

• Corn chips, tortilla chips, Doritos, etc.
• Beans (pinto, red, or black)
• Vegan cheese shreds
• Tomatoes
• Onions
• Lettuce
• Sour cream or Ranch dressing

If you want to jazz it up a bit, here are some additional items to layer on or swap out:

Additional Toppings

• Taco shell bowl
• Brown rice
• Olives
• Cashew cheese sauce
• Meat sauce
• Vegetarian meat crumbles
• Guacamole
• Salsa
• Raisins (don't knock it before you try it!)
• Corn
• Green onion
• Jalapenos

You can use canned beans or make your own from scratch. I usually use my Instant Pot to make the beans. It really speeds up the time. However, you can use a crockpot or a pot on the stove—whatever floats your boat.

Have fun with this recipe. Let your kids pick out toppings or have all of the toppings available for each person to choose from. Look for oil-free options to help keep it low-fat and enjoy!