FOOD: Enjoy these options for Taco Tuesday

Do you remember those Bisquick recipes from the ‘70s and ‘80s? I dug out my Bisquick cookbook and took a stroll down memory lane. I changed a few ingredients to suit our taste, and it was fun to have this retro dish again.

1 pound ground chuck

1 medium yellow onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)

1 clove garlic, minced

1 envelope taco seasoning

1 can (4-ounce) chopped green chilies, drained

1/2 cup Bisquick

1 cup milk

2 eggs

3/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese

Toppings: chopped tomatoes, sour cream, cilantro, salsa, lettuce

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 9-inch glass pie plate with cooking spray. Cook beef, onion and garlic in a large skillet over medium-high heat, occasionally stirring until meat has browned; drain. Stir in seasoning mix. Spread in the pie plate. Top with diced chilies, if using. Whisk together Bisquick, milk and eggs until blended. Pour over the meat/onion mixture. Bake about 25 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake two to three minutes, or until cheese is melted. Let stand five minutes before serving.

Chorizo and black bean tacos

For this recipe, choose Mexican chorizo, made with fresh ground pork and seasoned predominantly with chilies. Add more jalapeños if you like the heat.

Ortega Taco Flat Shells

1 pound chorizo, casings removed

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup chopped onions

1/4 chop diced jalapeños

1/3 cup diced tomatoes

1/2 cup shredded white quesadilla cheese

Begin by browning the chorizo in a medium skillet over medium heat. Break the chorizo into pieces with a wooden spoon and allow to cook for six to eight minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain well. While the chorizo is browning, heat the beans in a small saucepan. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the taco shells in a medium baking dish. Spoon black beans into the shells and top with the chorizo.

Divide the onions, jalapeños and tomatoes over the chorizo. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the tacos and place in the oven for 3 to 5 minutes to melt the cheese. Serve with your favorite taco toppings.

Southwest cornmeal crusted catfish tacos

This is a fun twist on traditional fish tacos. Use either soft tortillas or crunchy taco boats.

1 cup yellow cornmeal

2 tablespoons taco seasoning mix

1 1/2 pounds catfish fillets, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

2 cups peanut oil

1 can pinto beans, drained

1 teaspoon minced garlic

A few drops of your favorite hot sauce

Tortillas or taco shells

Shredded cabbage or coleslaw mix

Taco sauce

Mix cornmeal and taco seasoning on a shallow plate. Working in batches, coat the pieces of catfish with the cornmeal mixture.

Preheat peanut oil in a cast-iron skillet over high heat. When the oil reaches 375 degrees, add just enough catfish to not crowd the skillet. If you add too much at one time, the oil will cool off quickly and the fish won’t brown properly.

Allow catfish to cook for four to five minutes until the fish will flake easily with a fork. Lower heat slightly if fish begins to brown too quickly.

Continue frying in batches, draining cooked fish on a paper towel-lined plate. Lightly sprinkle the cooked fish with salt. While catfish is frying, drain pintos and place in a small saucepan over low heat. Add minced garlic and hot sauce and warm through. Prepare the taco shells or tortillas according to package directions. Place a layer of shredded cabbage in the bottom of the taco shell, add a spoonful of pintos, top with the catfish and finish with taco sauce.

Laura Tolbert, also known as Fleur de Lolly, has been sharing recipes, table decor ideas and advice for fellow foodies and novices on her blog, fleurdelolly.blogspot.com for more than eight years. She won the Duke Mayonnaise 100th Anniversary nationwide recipe contest for her Alabama White BBQ Sauce. You can contact her at facebook.com/fleurde.lolly.5, on Instagram and fleurdelolly@yahoo.com.