Bison Shiitake Taco Salad

Birthday dinners were a huge tradition in my family growing up, and it’s something that I’ve held on to. I’ve made a personal tradition of celebrating my brother’s birthday with him, with either me or my husband cooking him a special meal. Ben’s birthday was the other day, so I invited him to come spend some time with me, and asked what he’d like to eat.

Taco salad was the desired meal, with bison being the meat of choice. I cooked up four pounds, knowing we’d need enough to feed six people lunch and still have some to send with Ben to have for his work lunch. 

While I was cooking the meat, Ben chopped up roughly 3/4 of a pound of shiitake that he had brought with him. 

The shiitake was sauteed in salted butter, with no other seasonings needed. Ben did say that he personally prefers olive oil, so either one would work well. Several pieces of shiitake were swiped to eat plain while the other prep work was being done. It made a tasty snack. 

The shiitake and bison meat were combined with some cheese while still hot to allow the cheese to melt into them. Of course, it isn’t taco salad without the salad, sour cream, pico de gallo, and chips, which we added our own bowls separately. 

Ben said it was the best taco salad he’d had, and we ended up with no leftovers, even in the children’s bowls, a sure sign that you’ve created a truly delicious meal.

Recipe:

4 lbs bison meat

Taco seasoning

3/4 lbs shiitake mushrooms

1/2 stick salted butter

Shredded cheese of choice

Pico de gallo

Sour cream (as desired)

Salad 

Tortilla chips

Brown the meat, then add taco seasoning as directed. Saute shiitake in butter. Combine meat, mushrooms, and cheese. Scoop into bowls and add toppings as desired. We alternate between crumbing the chips into the bowl and mixing or mixing the meat and toppings and then using as a dip for the chips. Enjoy!