Take-out Tuesday, Taco Lettuce Crunch Wrap

This is a lighter version of the popular Tex-Mex Crunch Wrap Supreme

Instead of tortillas, the filling is wrapped in fresh crisp romaine lettuce,

cutting some calories and making it a refreshing summer meal

Tacos are super popular at my house

 I think the common phrase, Taco Tuesday, was born

because not only are tacos loved by many, there are a zillion ways to make them,

And they can be a quick and easy weeknight dinner

First assemble the refried bean dish

{This also makes a great appetizer with sweet peppers and chips for dipping}

Pop the beans in the oven to bake while you make the rest of the filling

Saute the ground beef until browned and cooked through

Add taco seasoning, onions and water and turn heat to simmer

Cut the corn kernels off the cob

{stand the ear in a bowl and cut vertically so the kernels will land in the bowl}

Add corn to beef

Cover pan and continue to cook on low for 10 more minutes

Now the fun begins!

Lay out the lettuce leaves and toppings for a colorful buffet,

Cheesy baked refried beans, crunchy Fritos, sturdy crisp romaine,

chopped tomatoes, avocado and more grated cheese

Place a layer of refried beans down the center of a leaf

Top with ground beef mixture, tomatoes, avocado, grated cheese and Fritos

Now you can fold the edges together forming a taco

or top with an additional leaf and wrap the edges under the bottom leaf,

forming a “package”

Cut it in half like a sandwich

The warm filling does soften the lettuce,

so I recommend serving this with a knife and fork

With all the flavorful fillings and toppings you won’t even miss the tortillas!

This is the ultimate in easy, tasty, and satisfying!

.

Taco Lettuce Crunch Wraps

The taco filling is encased in crisp romaine leaves instead of tortillas
Prep Time 30 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Tex-Mex
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb. ground chuck or ground beef*
  • 4 Tbsp taco seasoning divided
  • 1 sweet or yellow onion diced
  • 3-4 ears fresh corn cooked or 2 cups canned or frozen corn, thawed
  • 6 oz. extra sharp cheddar cheese* grated, divided
  • fresh tomatoes or cherry tomatoes chopped
  • diced avocado or guacamole
  • 1 1/2 cups sour cream* divided
  • 1 can 15 oz. refried* beans
  • 4-8 large crisp romaine lettuce leaves

Instructions
 

  • In a mixing bowl, stir 1 Tablespoon of taco seasoning into refried beans.
  • Place into a small greased baking dish.
  • Top with an even layer of sour cream, about 1 cup.
  • Sprinkle with 4 oz. cheese.
  • Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until nice and bubbly.
  • While beans are baking, saute ground beef, stirring to crumble the meat until it is brown and cooked through.
  • Drain fat from skillet and stir onions into the hot meat.
  • Add 3 Tablespoons of taco seasoning and 2/3 cup water.
  • Simmer uncovered over low heat for 20 minutes.
  • While beef is simmering, cut the corn off the cob and add to meat mixture.
  • After simmering for 20 minutes, cover pan and let simmer 10 more minutes to heat corn.
  • Spread hot refried beans down the center of the romaine leaf.
  • Top with cooked taco meat.
  • Top with tomatoes, avocado and a few Fritos for crunch.
  • Sprinkle with additional cheese if desired and a dollop of sour cream if desired.
  • Fold up sides to enclose filling, or place another lettuce leaf on top and fold in around and under the first leaf.
  • Cut in half and serve immediately.

Notes

Lighten this recipe even more by using ground turkey or chicken, reduced fat cheese, light sour cream and fat free refried beans or black beans
The warm beans and meat will make the thinner parts of the lettuce leaves soft, so a knife and fork is recommended for eating
The refried beans prepared this way can also be served as an appetizer dip with chips

Here are some of our other favorite taco type recipes:

Loaded Chicken & Vegetable Taco Bake

Slow Cooker Short Rib Tacos with Asian Peanut Slaw

BBQ Pork Tacos with Pineapple Salad

You can see all my taco and Tex-Mex recipes on Pinterest here

Happy Taco Tuesday!

for another printable version of Taco Lettuce Crunch Wrap click here

🌮  🥬  💃

I will be joining these fabulous parties and blogs:

Meal Plan Monday   Love Your Creativity  Over the Moon

Between Naps on the PorchCelebrate Your Story,

All About Home/ Common Ground Follow the Yellow Brick Home

Make it Pretty Monday Tasty Tuesday   Oh My Heartsie Girl

Turn About Tuesday  Full Plate Thursday  Centerpiece Wednesday

Thursday Favorite Things  Creatively Crafty   Creative Cumpulsions

Comments
23 Responses to “Take-out Tuesday, Taco Lettuce Crunch Wrap”
  1. Nancy says:

    Mmmm Mmmmm! Healthy and tasty! Always happy to see delicious ideas from you dear Jenna.
    Happy Tuesday!

  2. Jenna, you always come up with wonderful and tasty dishes. The taco lettuce wrap looks and sounds delicious, who doesn’t like a taco that is healthier? Happy Tuesday!

  3. I love food in lettuce wraps but I never thought of tacos. What a great idea.

  4. Shannon@Belle Bleu Interiors says:

    Jenna, we love tacos at our house, and this looks yummy! I have to avoid gluten so I often will make my sandwiches in lettuce wraps. I’m definitely going to try this with tacos. Thanks for sharing!

  5. I love using romaine as my ‘sandwich bread’ but hadn’t thought about using it for tacos! I’ll definitely give this one a try!

  6. lghiggins says:

    What a delicious take on Tex-Mex. Where we lived in Mexico, there were a variety of dishes you could order, but they all seemed like a version of a taco. They were all quite tasty too!

    • I know true Mexican cuisine is different from our Tex-Mex versions, but it is such a versatile cuisine that can be made so many ways. When I was in Mexico for a destination wedding, we were very careful about what we ate, so I didn’t really get to try much of the real deal unfortunately…

  7. I could eat Mexican food for breakfast… Actually, I do often:@) Your wraps sound good Jenna, wish I had some refried beans and Fritos now!

  8. Ricki Treleaven says:

    This looks like a recipe after my own heart. I like burgers that are “green-ified” i.e. a “lettuce bun” rather than a regular hamburger bun. We had spaghetti tacos tonight per Shelley’s request. She’s studying for exams this week.

  9. Cyndi Raines says:

    How smart is that! Love Mexican food and this is a great “less calories”idea! Kinda like a small taco salad also! Love it!

  10. Karen says:

    These sound terrific, I especially like the sound of your refried beans.

  11. marilyn1998 says:

    Congratulations! Your post was my feature pick at #OverTheMoon this week. Each Hostess displays their own features so be sure to visit me on Sunday evening and to see your feature! I invite you to leave more links to be shared and commented upon. Please don’t forget to add your link numbers or post title so we can be sure to visit!

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  1. […] doesn’t love tacos? Jenna from The Painted Apron has a delicious and healthy recipe that uses romaine lettuce leaves in place of flour tortillas. […]



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