Taco Salad (Clubhouse Version)

Taco salad is one of those dishes that has as many variations as there are cooks.  It's quick and easy to make, low cost and always a crowd pleaser so it isn't surprising to see this particular dish as a popular pub food. I started making taco salad years ago when the kids were small as an easy, sure to please camping meal.  Some restaurants and pubs have a nice presentation using a deep fried tortilla shaped into a bowl like the  taco salad at Magnolia's.

We stopped for dinner at the clubhouse where I ordered the taco salad.  Their presentation is a bit different in that the edible bowl is shallow and the meat covers most of the toppings rather than forming the base.  Instead the base was refried beans.  Additional toppings included a tex-mex blend of shredded cheese, chopped tomatoes, lettuce, salsa with sour cream on the side.

I really need to do a bit of experimenting with making the tortilla shell bowls.  I haven't seen any forms for making these but I have a couple of ideas that should work.  I also found a method for making baked tortilla bowls so I will be trying those as well.  Deep frying gives the lovely, flakey air pockets in the finished bowl while baking gives a denser, crunchier bowl so it will be interesting comparing the two methods.  I will post my results as I make them.