Taco Salad

A taco salad consists of taco  ingredients placed in what is often an edible tortilla shell bowl.
   
 
Wikipedia: Taco Salad
The taco salad is a Mexican inspired dish whereby the classic taco taste is enjoyed in an alternate form. Taco salad is pretty much the contents of a taco on a bed of lettuce instead of a tortilla. Some forms of taco salad are served in an edible tortilla shell bowl. 
 
20 September 1964, Los Angeles Times, “My Best Recipe: Taco Salad Uses Lettuce, Corn Chips” By Mrs. Marilyn Jones, pg. 18:
“This is one of my family’s favorite hot weather dishes,” says Mrs. Marilyn Jones. “We often make a meal of this salad with refried beans, milk and fruit.”

TACO SALAD
1 head lettuce, shredded
1/2 cup grated Cheddar cheese
1 medium onion, chopped
10-oz. can steamed tomatoes
1 lb. ground beef
1/4 cup taco sauce
6-oz. pkg. corn chips
 
Place lettuce, cheese and onion in salad bowl. Drain tomatoes well. Save juice, add tomatoes to salad mixture. Brown ground beef, breaking it up as it browns. Pour off fat. Add juice from tomatoes and taco sauce to meat and simmer 5 min. Add to salad along with corn chips. Toss lightly and serve at once. Makes 6 ample servings.
MRS. MARILYN JONES,
8355 Leroy St.,
San Gabriel.
 
11 March 1965, Washington Post, “Add a Touch of Old Mexico,” pg. C19:
LOOKING for a hearty salad to serve with steaming bowls of soup for a church, club or school luncheon for 40 or 50 people?
 
Try Taco Salad. It’s different and delicious. Made with shredded lettuce, grated cheese, ground beef, tomatoes, corn chips and Taco sauce, the main dish sald satisfies hearty appetitites.  (...)

TACO SALAD
4 heads coarsely shredded lettuce
4 cups grated cheddar cheese
1 cup onion, finely chopped
8 medium fresh tomatoes, cut in chunks, or 2 cans (1 lb., 12 oz.) whole tomatoes, drained
3 pounds of ground beef
1/3 cup Taco Sauce
24 ounces tortilla corn chips
Black olives
 
Wash, drain and chill lettuce. Shred lettuce heads with knife or use a machine medium vegetable shredder disc. Keep lettuce cold. Meanwhile, saute onions and ground beef. Break up the meat with a fork while cooking. Put shredded lettuce, grated cheese and tomatoes in large salad bowl; toss lightly. When ready to serve, add hot meat and corn chips. Toss ingredients together lightly. Garnish with black olives. Makes 3 gallons or 40 one-cup servings.

NOTE: The meat mixture goes into the main dish salad ingredients while hot. If serving a large group of people, have the cold and hot ingredients prepared, toss together in small batches.