Homemade taco seasoning is easy to make, and can save you money. With this recipe it costs less than half of what you would pay for the pre packaged stuff. Plus, no preservatives!

This homemade taco seasoning mix tastes exactly like the packaged version. It’s versatile and easy to make. Listed below the homemade taco seasoning mix are 5 delicious recipes that you can use your taco seasoning on. Try them out for dinner, or a great dip for the ball game!

Taco Seasoning Mix Recipe

Yields: About 1/2 a cup.

• 6 teaspoons of chili powder
• 4½ teaspoons of cumin
• 5 teaspoons of paprika
• 3 teaspoons of onion powder
• 2½ teaspoons of garlic powder
• 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper

Mix all the ingredients, and store in an airtight container. The homemade mix is twice as strong as the store bought one, so add only half as much. 7 Teaspoons is equal to one store bought package.

And now, the recipes.

Once again this homemade taco seasoning mix is twice as strong as the store bought brand, i’ve made it easy for you by converting each package to 7 teaspoons in the recipes, but just keep this in mind for any other recipes you find online. Basically 1 package = 7 teaspoons of the homemade seasoning.

Easy Homemade Tacos

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1/4-1/2 of cup water
• lettuce (shredded)
• cheddar cheese (shredded)
• onion (chopped)
• tomatoes (chopped)
• soft and/or hard taco shells
• hot or mild sauce (bottled, optional)

Directions:

1. Brown ground beef and drain off fat.
2. Add water and 7 teaspoons (or 1 store bought package) of Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix.
3. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 20-25 minutes.
4. If mixture gets too thick before cooking is complete, add a small amount of water to thin.
5. Serve on soft or hard taco shells topped with your favorite vegetables and sauce.

Enchilada Casserole

• 2 lb. of ground beef or turkey
• 1 can of tomato sauce
• 1 cup of salsa
• 7 teaspoons (or 1 store bought package) of Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix
• 1 cup of corn (thawed)
• 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper
• 2 cups of grated Cheddar Cheese
• 1 can of refried beans
• 4 medium soft flour tortillas

Directions:

1. In skillet, brown and drain ground beef or turkey.
2. In same skillet with meat, add: tomato sauce, salsa, taco seasoning, corn, and pepper.
3. Mix and let simmer.
4. In round 2 quart covered round casserole dish (Corningware) begin to layer:  Flour tortilla, Heaping tablespoon refried beans (spread), Meat mixture (as above), Grated cheese.
5. Continue layering until out of above mixture. (Does approximately 3-4 layers)
6. Make sure top with cheese.
7. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until cheese bubbles.
8. Serve with sour cream and tortilla chips!

Touchdown Taco Dip

Yields: 4 Cups

• 1 (2 lb.) loaf  ofVelveeta cheese
• 2 lb. of lean ground beef
• 1 large jar of  salsa (your choice green or red)
• 1 packet of taco seasoning mix
• 1 cup of water
• 1/2 cup of chopped green onion (optional)

Directions:

1. Brown ground beef and drain.
2. Add taco seasoning and water. Simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Add Velveeta to drained ground beef and taco meat mixture cook on medium low heat make sure to stir until cheese is melted.
4. Add jar of salsa. Cook slowly over low about 5-8 min until all the cheese it is all melted and mixed together well with salsa and ground beef.
5. You can keep this dip in a crock pot on low. Top with Green Onion (optional) and serve warm with tortilla chips.

Taco Nachos

• 1 pound of ground beef
• 7 teaspoons (or 1 store bought package) of Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix
• 3/4 cup of water
• 3/4 pound of processed cheese (cubed)
• 1 tablespoon of milk
• 1 (12 ounce) of package tortilla chips
• 1 (16 ounce) pf can re fried beans
• 1/2 cup of chopped fresh tomato
• 1/3 cup of chopped green onions

Directions:

1. Place ground beef in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain and mix in homemade taco seasoning mix and water. Continue cooking 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
2. Place processed cheese and milk in a small, microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high until melted, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir until blended and smooth.
3. Place tortilla chips on a large, microwave safe dish. Spread with refried beans. Top with beef and cheese and mixtures.
4. Microwave approximately 2 minutes on high, until the cheese has melted into the beef. Top with tomato and green onions. Serve warm.

Taco Chili

Yields: 8 Servings

• 1 1/2 to 2 pounds lean ground beef
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 7 teaspoons (or 1 store bought package) of Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix
• 2 cans (14.5 oz ea.) of diced tomatoes
• 1 can (10 oz) of diced tomatoes with green chilies
• 1 can (15 to 16 oz) of pinto beans (rinsed and drained)
• 1 can (15 oz) of chili beans in sauce
• 1 cup of frozen whole kernel corn
• shredded cheese (mozzarella, Monterey Jack or Cheddar)
• tortilla chips, slightly crushed

Directions:

1. In a large skillet, cook ground beef and onion, one-half at a time, till meat is browned and onion is tender.
2. Drain off fat. Transfer to a 3 1/2- to 5-quart crockery cooker.
3. Stir in homemade taco seasoning mix, diced tomatoes, diced tomatoes with green chilies, pinto beans, chili beans in chili sauce, and corn.
4. Cover; cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours.
5. Sprinkle each serving with some cheese and chips.

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The average cost of school lunches are only getting more expensive. Last year alone the price jumped almost 10% due to the school districts not wanting to compromise nutritional integrity. I figured it was time to take the nutritional integrity into my own hands, and save myself upwards of $10 a week. Here are some of the great recipes and ideas that help break up the monotony of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

Monkey Mix

Yields 18 Servings

• 9 cups of Chex™ cereal (any variety)
• 1 cup of semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup of peanut butter
• 1/4 cup of butter or margarine
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar

In a large bowl, measure cereal; set aside. In 1-quart microwavable bowl, stir together chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter. Microwave uncovered on High 1 minute; stir. Microwave about 30 seconds longer or until mixture can be stirred smooth.

Stir in vanilla. Pour mixture over cereal, stirring until evenly coated. Pour into 2-gallon resealable food-storage plastic bag. Add powdered sugar. Seal bag; shake until well coated. Spread on waxed paper to cool. Store in airtight container in refrigerator.

Pasta Fagioli – Thermos Style

A great meal for a cold fall day. Delicious, hot Italian soup, in a thermos!

• 1 tablespoon of olive or vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion (chopped)
• 1 stalk of celery (diced)
• 1 carrot (diced)
• 2 cloves of garlic (minced)
• 1 can of diced tomatoes (with juice)
• 2 cups of chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 tablespoon of dried basil (or 3 tablespoons of chopped fresh basil)
• 1 teaspoon of crumbled dried oregano
• 2 cups of water
• 1 can of white kidney beans (drained and rinsed)
• 1 cup of small dried pasta shells (or other small-shaped pasta)
• salt and pepper to taste

Start off by heating the oil in a large saucepan or over medium heat. Next, add the onion, celery, carrot and garlic. Let this cook, stirring, for about 5 to 7 minutes or until the onion is soft. Then add the tomatoes, broth, basil and oregano. Bring all of this to a boil over high heat, then cover it, lower the heat to low and let this simmer for about 30 minutes.

Stir in the water, beans and pasta, then return to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring once or twice, for about 5 minutes or until pasta is almost tender. It will continue to soften in the liquid, so you should undercook it slightly just so that it doesn’t turn mushy. Taste and add salt and pepper, if necessary.

Ladle into thermos and pack a small container of grated Parmesan cheese to sprinkle in at lunchtime. The soup will thicken when refrigerated, so you may have to stir in additional broth or water when you reheat it.

Peanut Butter Rice Snacks

Yields 16 servings

• 1/2 Cup of light or dark Corn syrup
• 1/3 Cup of firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 Cup of chunky peanut butter
• 3 Cups of Rice Crispies™ (or the generic brand) cereal

Grease an 8 by 8 by 2 inch baking pan. In a 3-quart saucepan, stir together the corn syrup and brown sugar until the mixture becomes smooth. Stirring frequently, bring mixture to a boil over medium heat. Remove from heat. Stir in the peanut butter until it is well blended. Stir in the cereal until it’s well coated. Press into a prepared pan. Cut into 2-inch squares. Store tightly in a covered container.

Ants Hiding in a Log

• 2 slices of enriched white or whole wheat bread
• 4 tablespoons fat-free cream cheese
• 1/4 cup raisins, unpacked (ants)

Remove crusts from the bread. Spread half the cream cheese on each slice. Cut each slice into 3 strips (logs). Place 15 to 20 raisins in a line on two strips. Stack the two strips together, cheese and “ants” side up. Place the third strip on top to form a triple-decker. You now have ants hiding in a log from the anteater. Feed them to your little “anteaters.”

Mini Sub Sandwiches

A very easy recipe, that is fun to eat as it is to make. All you need for this one is a hot dog bun, some deli meats, cheese slices and lettuce. Add all of the ingredients together for a delicious little mini-sub. Don’t forget to pack some dressing to pour on the sub! Goes great with chips, fruit slices or crackers.

Great ideas from around the web

And last, but certainly not least, here is some great advice I found on this topic from juju_mommy over at the Dollar Stretcher Forums:

Sandwiches (about the cheapest option)

Cold Fried Chicken (for example, if you have leftovers)

Salad (not always the cheapest option but it’s healthy and something “different”)

Tortilla Wraps (make your own: one example is fried chicken strips w/ lettuce and Ranch dressing)

For snacks/sides: opt to make your own servings in baggies rather than purchase all those single-serve (and expensive) options. Make your own trail mix (nuts, cereal, M&Ms, pretzels, etc.) and use whatever items you can find on sale to pick your ingredients. Make your own granola bars or often you can find them on sale for pretty cheap. Another cheap snack is jello or pudding.

Drinks: use a water bottle to fill up with their favorite drink (milk, water, koolaid, etc.).