Fancy Tacos

Not to be confused with Easy Soft Tacos, this recipe involves frying your own tortillas into a hard shell and frying spiced ground beef.  Food for thought: people who buy taco seasoning packets are spending way too much for delicious flavor.  I only ever use generous amounts of chili pepper and cumin.  Maybe throw in some garlic if you like.  Those are the main ingredients in those packets, but for about 25 cents worth of spice from a bottle.

Ingredients:
Corn or Flour tortillas
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 16 oz can refried beans
1/2 lb ground beef
Cumin and Chili Pepper to taste
Cheddar or mexican blend cheese
Salsa
Lettuce

Directions:
1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan at medium heat (I know it's ready when it pops if I put a small drip of water on it.)
2. Using tongs, place tortillas flat on hot oil.  This should lightly brown one side of the tortilla (it will be the inside of the taco shell). Remove that side from the heat and bend in half to brown one half of the opposite side (the first side of the taco shell should be removed while it is still soft enough to be folded without cracking).  The crease should be a soft curve, not a hard fold if possible.  Once the first outter side of the shell is golden brown and crispened, turn the taco shell over to do the same to the second outter side.  Remove from oil with tongs and place on a paper towel covered surface, allowing the excess oil to drip off the taco shell.  Repeat for as many servings as desired.
3. Brown ground beef on frying pan, generously seasoning with cumin and chili pepper.  Remove from pan and cover to keep warm.
4. In the same frying pan as the ground beef, heat can of refried beans, seasoning similarly to taste.  Add 2 tbs of vegetable oil if more spreadable beans are desired.
5. Add servings of refried beans and ground beef to cooled taco shells.  Top with salsa, cheese, lettuce, and other topings as desired (onions, cilantro, sour cream, guacamole, etc).

Serves:
5-7 adults if you use all ground beef and refried beans in an appropriate number of taco shells.

Time to table:
30-45 minutes