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For our newest installation of Kitchen Stories, we’re reading “Dragons Love Tacos” by Adam Rubin. Just like the dragons in the book, however, we’re avoiding everything spicy. Be sure to save this Classic Slow Cooker Beef Tacos recipe that even the pickiest dragon kid will love!

Dragons love tacos. They love chicken tacos, beef tacos, great big tacos, and teeny tiny tacos. So if you want to lure a bunch of dragons to your party, you should definitely serve tacos. Buckets and buckets of tacos. Unfortunately, where there are tacos, there is also salsa. And if a dragon accidentally eats spicy salsa . . . oh, boy. You’re in red-hot trouble.

My kids are kind of the same way. They love tacos. But even the hint of spice? They start screaming, scraping their tongues, drinking milk by the gallon. It’s a scene. I can totally relate to “Dragons Love Tacos,” by Adam Rubin… and if you have kids, you probably can too.

In the spirit of the book, my son Graham asked to have Dragons Love Tacos night. Who am I to disappoint? We have taco night occasionally, but when we do, I usually use a taco seasoning packet. And, well, it’s either too salty for me, or (you guessed it)… too spicy for the kids.

My kids are already a hot mess, Lord knows I don’t need them breathing fire. So, for this taco night I went ahead and made my own taco seasoning mix. One that is kid (and dragon) approved.

Oh, and the icing on the cake – errrr, cheese on the taco(!?!?!) – we cooked it up in the slow cooker. Because just like dragons love tacos, mommas love easy.

Classic Slow Cooker Beef Tacos

It all starts with browning the beef. I like to use a 97% lean so I don’t have to drain it. #lazy. Once browned, add in the onion, pepper, and spices and saute until softened.

Pour the mixture into a slow cooker along with the tomato sauce and water.

Cook on high for 2-3 hours or low for 4-6 hours.

Serve with your favorite toppings – dragons prefer lettuce, tomatoes, and cheese! 🙂

We serve them outside for easy cleanup! If I were serving dragons, they’d also be eating outside.

Oh, and check out these über-cool taco holders I found on Amazon!!! Aren’t they so much fun? Kinda makes me want to have taco night every night!

Classic Slow Cooker Beef Tacos

Yield:

For our newest installation of Kitchen Stories, we're reading "Dragons Love Tacos" by Adam Rubin. Just like the dragons in the book, however, we're avoiding everything spicy. Be sure to save this Classic Slow Cooker Beef Tacos recipe that even the pickiest kids will love!

Ingredients

2 pounds of 96% lean ground beef
1 tablespoon cumin
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
2 teaspoons oregano
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons (of the mildest) chili powder
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
8 ounce can of tomato sauce
1/4 cup water
Serve with: taco shells, tomatoes, lettuce and cheese

Instructions

It all starts with browning the beef. I like to use a 96% lean so I don't have to drain it. #lazy.
Once browned, add in the onion, pepper, and spices and saute until softened.
Pour the mixture into a slow cooker along with the tomato sauce and water. Cook on high for 2-3 hours or low for 4-6 hours.
Serve with your favorite toppings - dragons prefer lettuce, tomatoes, and cheese!