When salsa overtook ketchup as America’s favorite condiment in the 1990s you had to know that “taco night” wasn’t far behind.
Simple, satisfying and inexpensive, hard or soft tacos filled with meat, cheese and a what-have-you of veggies have become a staple for busy families. Sales of taco shells, seasonings and other products have grown steadily over the last decade, says Juv Marchisio, senior marketing manager for B&G Foods, which owns the Ortega brand, and research suggests that roughly half of all Americans indulge in tacos at home.
And why not? Tacos offer communal family dining at its best: there’s no arguing or whining when can make it however they like it.
But the way many Americans approach tacos at home — ground beef, pre-shredded “Mexican” cheese, and that ubiquitous kit with shells and a flavor packet — could use a revamp. Sure, you can change it up with whole-wheat tacos. You can sneak black beans into the ground beef. You could even go the way of the spaghetti taco popularized by the tween TV show, “iCarly.”