Delicious Stuffed Avocado Tacos

Happy taco tuesday! Our family loves tacos, but every once in a while, we like to shake it up and try different variations of tacos. This one is served in an avocado half, so make sure that you get avocados that are ripe. Unless your avocados are unusually small or unusually large, plan on one half avocado per person. Here's what you'll need to make 8 avocado halves:

Photo byJennifer

Ingredients for the meat:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 small onion, diced
• 1/2 pound lean ground beef, or turkey
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder or 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste (or 6 Tbl tomato sauce)
• 1/4 cup water*
• 1/2 cup black beans

• 4 avocados (halved to make 8)

Optional toppings:

• Lettuce finely chopped
• Shredded Mexican cheese blend or cheddar cheese
• 1 fresh tomato, chopped
• 1 bunch cilantro, chopped
• Sour cream
• Tortilla strips, optional

Warm the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, stirring occasionally, until it’s browned, about 5-7 minutes. Drain off any excess fat. Add the diced onion and sauté for 2 minutes.

Next, mix in the chili powder, cumin, dried oregano, paprika, garlic powder, salt, pepper, tomato paste, and water. Stir everything together and simmer over medium-low heat until the sauce thickens, approximately 3-5 minutes.

When ready to serve, slice avocados in half lengthwise and remove pits. Spoon taco meat into the middle of each, then top with desired toppings and enjoy!!

Storage: Keep any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. They’ll stay fresh for up to 4 days and can be reheated on the stovetop. To prevent the taco meat from drying out when reheating, add a splash of water.

Freezing Instructions: Let the taco meat cool completely, then transfer it to freezer-safe containers or ziplock bags. It can be frozen for up to 3 months.

* Notes:

If using tomato sauce instead of tomato paste, additional 1/4 cup water is unnecessary.