Food editors and product developers talk among themselves about creating recipes suitable for the “memory cookbook.” That is, the type of recipe easily remembered and recreated without the need for a printed recipe. The ubiquitous green bean casserole made from tinned soup and fried onions typifies such a recipe.

Everyone benefits from having a repertoire of go-to recipes in their heads. Breakfast dishes such as scrambled eggs and French toast come to mind. As do peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Dinners can be more challenging simply because we expect more flavor, more people, more satisfaction.

Tacos, made from ground beef or turkey, prove a great starting chapter in everyone’s dinner memory cookbook. Especially relevant with Cinco de Mayo celebrations around the corner.

One pound of ground protein, a can of tomatoes, some onion, garlic and chili powder can be on the weekly grocery list and subsequent dinner menu. The steps are easy: Brown the meat with the onion and garlic; add tomatoes and seasoning; simmer. Vary add-ins as the pantry and preferences dictate. I usually like to add any bits of random vegetables lurking in the crisper drawer, such as mushrooms, zucchini and/or bell peppers. Adding canned beans boosts protein and the number of servings.

For serving, the cook has plenty of options: Pile the filling into warm tortillas. If using flour tortillas, completely enclose the filling with the tortilla, then crisp all sides in a hot, lightly oiled skillet. This crisping vastly improves the flour tortilla; top the crispy package with salsa if desired.

Tuck the filling into a warm pita pocket and add shredded lettuce or cabbage for a hand-held snack. Pile a small spoonful of the warm filling over a crisp tostada shell or a spear of Belgian endive and top with diced avocado and cilantro for a pass-around appetizer.

Make a taco salad by piling crumbled tortilla chips into a shallow bowl. Top with hot taco filling, then shredded cheese and plenty of shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, corn kernels, sliced pickled jalapenos and chopped fresh cilantro.

Alternatively, serve the warm meat mixture over hot cooked rice. If transporting the meal for a hot lunch, heat in a covered microwave-safe dish, on full power, stirring once or twice, until hot, then top with shredded cheese. Crisp tortilla chips make a nice accompaniment.

The leftover taco mixture can be scrambled into eggs for a brunch dish. Crush the pulp of a ripe avocado into a cup of green salsa and serve over the eggs. Or, top a baked sweet or russet potato with some of the hot taco filling and garnish with shredded cheese and a dollop of sour cream.

You get the idea: A pan full of taco filling offers myriad meal solutions totally worth the brain storage space.

For the Cinco de Mayo holiday, I suggest memorizing a basic margarita recipe! Mine is the 2, 1, 1 method: 2 parts silver tequila, 1 part fresh lime juice, and 1 part orange liqueur shaken with plenty of ice and served in a salted martini glass with a wedge of lime. Easy, peasy.

Smoky Beef and Mushroom Taco Filling

Makes about 4 cups, serving 6

Note: Any ground meat tastes great here; simply adjust the seasonings as needed. Add a smoky flavor with chipotle puree or chipotle powder; smoked paprika adds smoke without the heat factor.

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/2 large red onion, cut into wedges

1 1/2 cups thinly sliced mushrooms, about 6 ounces

2 cloves garlic, crushed or finely chopped

1 pound lean (85%) ground beef or ground turkey

1 can (14.5 ounces) diced fire-roasted tomatoes, undrained

3 tablespoons ketchup or barbecue sauce

3 tablespoons mild chili powder

1 teaspoon chipotle puree or 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile powder or smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained rinsed

Salt to taste

1. Heat a large nonstick or well-seasoned cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add oil, onion and mushrooms. Saute until vegetables are soft and golden, about 7 minutes. Add garlic; saute 1 minute. Remove to a plate.

2. Add beef to pan. Saute, breaking meat apart into small pieces, until nicely browned, about 10 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, ketchup, chili powder, chipotle, and cumin. Cook, stirring often, until thick, about 10 minutes.

3. Stir in black beans and mushroom mixture. Heat through. Taste and add salt as desired. Serve hot. Refrigerate covered for several days.

Taco Rice Bowls

Makes 6 servings

1 recipe Smoky Beef and Mushroom Taco Filling, see recipe

3 cups cooked brown or white rice

1/2 cup finely chopped red onion

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 cups shredded chihuahua cheese

Tortilla chips

1. Reheat taco filling and rice in separate bowls in the microwave oven on high. Put chopped onion into a strainer or colander. Rinse onion well, then pat dry. Mix onion and cilantro in a small bowl.

2. To serve, pile 1/2 cup hot rice into an individual deep soup or salad serving bowl. Top with 1/6 of the taco filling. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup cheese. Garnish with onion mixture. Crumble tortilla chips into the bowl as desired. Repeat to make six bowls. Serve hot.

(JeanMarie Brownson is a James Beard Award-winning author and the recipient of the IACP Cookbook Award for her latest cookbook, “Dinner at Home.” JeanMarie, a chef and authority on home cooking, Mexican cooking and specialty food, is one of the founding partners of Frontera Foods. She co-authored three cookbooks with chef Rick Bayless, including “Mexico: One Plate at a Time.” JeanMarie has enjoyed developing recipes and writing about food, travel and dining for more than four decades.)

©2025 JeanMarie Brownson. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.