Taco Cup recipe
aka. “Mapas”
aka. deconstructed super nachos
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This is the “Sidesgiving” of Mexican cuisine. It works for pretty much any cuisine, in fact. The basic premises is everything is plated separately.
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Why is it called “Taco Cup”. I don’t really know. This is a me thing.
The “cup” aspect refers to early experiments determining that the cup-shaped tortillas were pretty good “containers” for your individual bites.
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Why is this appealing?
Because you can make each bite different.
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Why is that good?
Because the first bite really is the best bite. Ask your local chef.
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What are good ways to serve this?
Ideally, get a bunch of condiment cups from somewhere like Target. Have them be large enough to put a decent portion in. Something equivalent to the size of what Chipotle gives you for a small side of guac or queso.
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Sides ideas (for individual cups/plates):
- Black beans + corn + salsa + mild chili powder spice blend (or related) … made in frying pan
- Sliced avocado or guac
- Diced tomato or pico de gallo or other salsa(s)
- Chopped iceberg lettuce
- Cheese (recommendations: shredded mild cheddar, triple cheddar, Mexican blend)
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Optional:
- Queso
- Sour cream
- Chopped jalapeno (or poblano which is milder) to taste
- Chopped black olives
- Chopped red onion or scallions
- Cilantro rice (or yellow rice, etc)
- Additional vegetables (like sauteed mushrooms)
- Grilled or sauteed vegetables (peppers and caramelized onions, etc)
- Tofu (seasoned for Mexican-inspired flavoring) or other protein sources