Whether it’s a weeknight dinner for the family or a weekend meal with friends, a taco night buffet is not only exciting to share, but it’s also tasty and very economical to serve. I chose ground beef, seasoned with onion, garlic, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce and tomato sauce for my taco meal, but shredded roasted chicken, or pan fried fish, make great fillings for tacos, too, along with their customary lettuce, tomatoes and cheese stuffings. Blanketed with black olives, guacamole, sour cream and salsa, a well-made taco is chock full of flavor and texture – and limitless possibilities. In the hands of children, “any-way-they-want-it tacos” are not only permitted – but also encouraged – and eating with your hands is the only way to go. Taco salad lovers may be welcomed into taco night, too, by means of soft tacos being baked into an edible bowl with the help of nonstick tortilla bakers. Greaseless baked tortilla bowls are good for holding salads, but they also make excellent containers for things like cheese, minced cilantro or beans, to name but a few options. You may decorate your taco buffet table as elaborately as you wish, but truly – with food as attractive at this – there’s no need to at all.

Sue Ade is a syndicated food writer with broad experience and interest in the culinary arts. She has worked and resided in the Lowcountry of South Carolina since 1985 and may be reached at kitchenade@yahoo.com.