This reminds me a lot of a dinner I make at least once a month. We call it taco salad, and I omit the cheese, use impossible meat, and ranch dressing instead of French. It’s a favorite in my family. I’ll put my method below Idella’s. Whoever Idella was, people liked her recipe enough to ask for it. Must be good!

Tostada Salad a la Idella

Chop 1 onion, 4 tomatoes & 1 head of lettuce. Toss with 4 oz grated cheddar cheese & 8 oz French dressing. Hot sauce to taste. Crunch in 6 oz tortilla chips. Put in avocado slices. Brown 1 lb ground beef then add 1 can (15 oz) kidney beans drained & 1/4 t salt. Simmer 10 minutes & mix with cold salad.

Taco Salad a la Mrs Marvel

1 lb ground beef (or 12 oz impossible meat)

15 oz can refried beans

1 head iceberg lettuce chopped (or 2 bags of salad mix)

Small can black olives

1 small tomato quartered

1/4 c red onion, diced

Taco seasoning (or, 1 t each: paprika, cumin, garlic, chili powder, cilantro, onion)

Tortilla chips

4 T ranch dressing

Hot sauce

Cook the meat with the taco seasoning. While that is simmering, prepare the salad – mix together lettuce, black olives, onion & dressing. Microwave refried beans for 2 minutes. On plates or in shallow bowls, layer 6-10 tortilla chips, 1/3 cup refried beans, salad, then some meat. You can top with cheese if you eat that. Serve immediately with taco sauce/cholula/tapatio/whatever you like available. Makes 3 large or 4 medium servings