Start the potatoes, then worry about the rest
Prick four russets, microwave them eight to ten minutes, and brown a pound of beef or turkey with taco seasoning and a third of a cup of water while they cook.
Split each potato, fluff it with a fork, and load it with meat, cheddar, and salsa, and let each kid add their own sour cream. A whole russet is a lot of dinner for a nine-year-old, so split one between two little kids and give the teenager their own.
Ingredients
The recipe serves 4. Plan on about 20 minutes.
- 4 medium russet potatoes
- 1 lb lean ground beef or turkey
- 1 packet (1 oz) taco seasoning
- 1/3 cup water
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup salsa
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 green onions, sliced
How to Make It
- Pierce each potato several times with a fork and microwave on high for 10 to 12 minutes, turning once, until tender.
- While the potatoes cook, brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium-high heat for 6 to 7 minutes until it reaches 160F.
- Stir in the taco seasoning and water and simmer 2 minutes until thickened.
- Split each cooked potato lengthwise and fluff the insides with a fork.
- Spoon the taco meat into each potato and top with cheddar, salsa, sour cream, and green onions.
Timing Before Practice
The microwave does the slow work, so start about 25 minutes before you leave.
- T-minus 25: microwave the potatoes and brown the meat
- T-minus 12: split the potatoes and load them up
- T-minus 5: water bottles and shoes, no new cooking
Make It Ahead or Save Leftovers
The taco meat is the make-ahead hero and works in a dozen other meals.
- Brown and season the taco meat a day ahead
- Microwave potatoes fresh since they reheat unevenly
- Use leftover taco meat in tacos or quesadillas the next night
- Serve with: a green salad, corn
Parent Tip
Start the potatoes in the microwave first thing; they take the longest and everything else comes together while they cook.
Make it fit tonight
Small changes that make this one fit your night
Taco meat browned on Sunday
A pound cooked ahead sits in the fridge four days and turns three separate dinners into microwave jobs.
Potatoes cooked fresh every time
Russets reheat unevenly, going leathery on the outside and cold in the middle, so start them from raw.
Sweet potatoes for the kid who prefers them
Smaller ones finish in about seven minutes, so start checking earlier than you would a russet.
Green onion on the adults' plates
Two sliced onions go over yours and nowhere near the eight-year-old who inspects everything.
Leftover meat into quesadillas tomorrow
Whatever is left in the skillet becomes Wednesday between two tortillas with a handful of cheese.
Plan the next step
Plan a potato-bar night
Keep a loaded-potato formula handy for the nights a growing kid needs real staying power.