In The Kitchen With Kat-Bulk Taco Seasoning

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This weekend we have to chaperone a 4-H campout. As if that wasn't enough of an undertaking, each family is also responsible for providing a meal for the attendees once during the event.

My dear friend and I were teamed up together, and we both were thinking nachos before we even spoke to each other regarding menu collaboration. When you are cooking for a big group, especially when you are camping, nachos is a no brainer.

That said, I needed to make a large amount of taco meat for nacho adornment purposes, a thing which really isn't a big deal, other than when I went to cook the large pile of ground beef, it occurred to me that I needed to make more taco seasoning.

Now, I know, the taco seasoning packets at the store a super duper convenient. They are also super duper loaded with some additives that I don't really want to eat all the time, stuff like anti-caking agents and preservatives. I'm sure that there are some that don't contain such things, but honestly, at the end of the day the reason I make my own taco seasoning is I am lazy.

You read that right, I am lazy. Why in the world would I want to hop in the little blue car and drive up the hill to town for something as minute as a taco seasoning packet (or four as was in my 4h nacho dinner cookout case). There's a reason I keep a very well-stocked kitchen and pantry.

Homemade taco seasoning is a breeze to make, and doesn't require any exotic ingredients. In addition to being lazy, I am also a touch on the frugal side, and tend to buy whatever herbs and spices I don't grow in bulk at the restaurant supply store. I love the restaurant supply store. I am not going to type the name of ours because its name has changed about 3 times in the last two years and honestly it's always going to be Cash and Carry to me no matter what they title it.

Weird name change things aside, I went to my spice cupboard and selected a bunch of bottles of spices for the job. Seriously, making bulk taco seasoning takes about as long as it does to wash your hands after working on a Toyota Tacoma in the front yard (A thing that indeed did happen here today).

Let's get into the methodology of it, shall we?

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To start the really non time consuming process, I got out a largish glass bowl. You could probably get away with mixing up your taco seasoning in a small to medium bowl, but I am a bit of a mess maker if I don't give myself plenty of compositional room.

Into the bowl I added dried, minced onion:

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Chili powder:

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Salt:

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Cornstarch:

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Powdered garlic:

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Cumin:

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Pepper flakes:

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Beef bouillon granules:

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And last but certainly not least, dried oregano:

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Usually I have grown and preserved at least a couple of the ingredients that I add to my taco seasoning, so bonus Homesteader points to you if you have any of the needed ingredients on hand that you've put up yourself. If you don't have the needed herbs and spices and must procure them by other means, please don't beat yourself up over it, the world is already full of so much negativity. You are still special!

Okay, aside from that little pep talk, which I think might be excessive heat induced, after all of the ingredients are in the bowl, you just give the mixture a good whisking and VOILA! You have homemade taco seasoning!

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Now, I use about 2 Tablespoons of seasoning and a 1/2 cup of water to a pound of whatever I am taco-fying. Ground meat, potatoes, chicken, the list goes on. This seasoning mix is good on all sorts of things! I haven't put it on ice cream though. Yet.

And now that I have a couple of gallons of soon to be devoured by 4-H heathens taco meat in my freezer, I am all smiles. In fact, I am thinking it might be time for an icy beverage, and as good as the taco seasoning is, I think I'll leave it out of my tea. For now.

Bulk Taco Seasoning

1/4 cup minced dried onion
1/4 cup chili powder
1 TBSP salt
4 tsp corn starch
2 tsp powdered garlic
1 TBSP cumin
1-2 tsp pepper flakes *see note
2 tsp beef bouillon granules
1 tsp dried oregano

Add all ingredients to a mixing bowl and whisk thoroughly.

To use, for every pound of meat (or other things!), use 2 TBSP of taco seasoning to 1/3-1/2 cup of water. After browning meat, add seasoning and water and simmer for at least five to ten minutes on low to medium heat.

Note: I like spicy things, so I have used up to 3 teaspoons of pepper flakes, but for those who don't like things too hot, 1 teaspoon of pepper flakes makes a very mild taco seasoning.

Store your taco seasoning in a jar or plastic bag in a cool, dry place! This recipe makes enough to season at least 6 pounds of meat/veg, and I have doubled the recipe a time or two for even more taco seasoning magic.


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And as most of the time, all of the images in this post were taken on the author's sorta salty, especially when it needs updated, iPhone.

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