RECIPES Gluten Free Taco Bar

Have you ever been so excited about two things and you can’t decide which to be excited about more?

That’s me.

I want to share this entire taco bar and how I made it and all the ingredients (and how you can make it gluten-free).

And then?

I want to share with you all how I conquered my fear of meat.

Seriously.

I think that’s where all my entire non-cooking thing started all those years ago. Remember the roast? Remember the chicken fiasco? Remember my macaroni and cheese kitchen? I think everything started because literally cannot figure out meat.

How to prepare it? How to fix it? What type of meat to buy? How much meat to buy?

And on and on and meat challenge on.

Truth?

Most main dishes start with meat—which can set you back fixing dinner if you don’t speak meat.

But now?

I am dancing and singing and planning recipes and I’ve prepared MEAT dishes for us for THREE NIGHTS IN A ROW. What in the world is happening here at Thistlewood?

And it’s all because of this.

It’s a subscription company called Just Meats.

They reached out to me several months ago to try their subscription service. I actually have an AMAZING DEAL right now if you want to try it like me. You can get 25% off your first subscription (cancel at any time) and then another $15 off with my code that stacks: FTTHISTLEWOOD

When you click this link it will automatically add all your discounts at checkout.

I was a little worried.

I was a little concerned.

Just the word MEAT made me shiver.

But now? I am a BELIEVER.

Truly. Truly. Truly.

In full disclosure—Just Meats is sponsoring this post—but now? I’m a customer for life. I’m going to be ordering meat from them way long after the sponsorship is over.

Why?

Let me count the ways:

1. I ordered the meats and a box showed up to my front door. Inside, there were packages of meat completely frozen in containers like this.
2. I could order as little or as much as I wanted and I got a 25% discount on my first order (plus I have a $15 off coupon that stacks on top of that for us today, too).
3. I can cancel or pause or change my order to adjust to parties, company, etc. every single month.
4. It’s restaurant quality at grocery store prices.
5. And here’s the best part—the MEAT IS FULLY COOKED and SEASONED and ready to go—its SO EASY—all you have to do is heat it up and it’s ready for any recipe or salad or dish or even just by itself with a vegetable.
6. AND IT IS DELICIOUS (like the yummiest of the yummiest—seriously I’m having the chicken tonight with lettuce wraps leftover from the taco bar and my mouth is watering just typing this).

I stacked the meat in the freezer and I had two weeks worth of MEAT meals just waiting for me.

Every couple of days, I take a package out and let it defrost in the refrigerator.

Then I just opened the lid to the packaging (you can take out the amount of meat that you want to use) and just closed the packaging back up.

Here’s what the chicken looked like after I defrosted it.

Every package has all the calorie and nutrition information on it, too.

There’s a sauce packet that comes with each package of meat.

It’s just there for extra flavor.

You can use it when you reheat the meat.

Or you can use it when you initially heat up the meat. It’s up to you depending on the amount of flavor that you want.

Here’s what it looked like when I heated up the meat.

This is the Carne Asada and it is NEXT LEVEL.

My husband went back for thirds.

Here’s the Ranch Rub Chicken.

SO YUMMY.

Each piece is thick and juicy and not dry at all.

And the flavors.

So I got my chicken ready and my beef ready.

What’s a meat cooker like me to do?

Put together a taco bar.

Here’s how I created it.

Gluten Free Taco Bar

Ingredients:

• salsa
• pico De Gallo
• lettuce (for wraps)
• grated cheese (I used cheddar)
• black beans
• refried beans
• rice
• tortilla chips
• small corn tortillas (gluten-free)
• diced tomatoes
• diced onions
• limes
• avocado
• fresh jalapanos
• sour cream
• grilled chicken
• grilled beef

1. Prepare the fresh ingredients

• Dice the fresh tomatoes
• Dice the onions
• Slice the avacado
• Half the limes or cut into wedges
• Slice the jalapenos
• Tear the lettuce into pieces to use for wraps

2. Prepare the rice

• Follow the instructions on the package and prepare the rice

3. Heat the black beans

• Follow the instructions on the can and heat the black beans

3. Heat the refried beans

• Follow the instructions on the can and heat the refried beans

4. Heat the Ranch Rub Chicken from Just Meats

• Defrost the chicken in the refrigerator
• Remove the chicken from the vacuum-sealed packaging
• Heat in a skillet
• Add the sauce that comes with the chicken (if you’d like extra flavoring)

4. Heat the Carne Asada from Just Meats

• Defrost the meat in the refrigerator
• Remove the meat from the vacuum-sealed packaging
• Heat in a skillet
• Add the sauce that comes with the meat (if you’d like extra flavoring)

5. Assemble the taco bar

Place vegetables, meats, beans, sour cream and tortilla chips into containers and plates.

Use a large basket or tray or cutting board as a base for your taco bar.

Add serving pieces to dishes.

Enjoy.

That’s it.

It was the yummiest taco bar (and we took it outside and ate it in the new outdoor eating area out front).

I hope my excitement leapt off these pages.

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this new subscription service.

My mind is spinning with all the possibilities for recipes and ideas and things I can make.

If Just Meats seems like the subscription service for you? I’d love to invite you to join me and sign up!

You can get 25% off your first subscription (cancel at any time) and then another $15 off with my code that stacks : FTTHISTLEWOOD

When you click this link it will automatically add all your discounts at checkout.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

And you know where to find me?

Cooking dinner.

disclosure: this post is sponsored by Just Meats.

All opinions are my own.

Please see my disclosure page for more information.

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