Chopped Taco Salad w/Homemade Catalina Dressing

This is such a great salad recipe for the summer.  And so versatile.  Add more or less of ingredients to suit your tastes and/or dietary restrictions.   Make the dressing days (or weeks) ahead of time.  Mix all of the salad ingredients several hours ahead (minus the avocado and tortillas), keep chilled, making this perfect for potlucks or for days when you have time to prepare the salad, but won't be eating until later.

This salad dressing is wonderful!  Not just for this salad but for any garden salad.  I generally go light on salad dressing and would have usually cut the recipe in half.  But I will definitely be using this in other salads.  And I found these wonderful multi-colored tortilla strips in the produce department, but you could make your own or use regular prepared tortilla chips.

CHOPPED TACO SALAD with HOMEMADE CATALINA DRESSING (4-6 entree servings)

Salad:
1/2-1 pound ground beef, turkey, or chicken
1-2 tsp taco seasoning, or to taste
1/2 head romaine lettuce, chopped
1/2 head iceberg lettuce, chopped
1 cup small cubed cheese (cheddar, Jack, Pepper Jack)
1 cup fresh or frozen (thawed) corn
1 (15 oz) can black olives, sliced
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 Roma or plum tomatoes, chopped
1-2 avocados, chopped or sliced
Tortilla chips

Dressing:
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup sugar (or Splenda)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup onion finely chopped
1/2 tsp paprika (I used smoked paprika)
1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup vegetable oil
S&P to taste

In a large nonstick skillet, brown the meat until cooked through, breaking up meat into bite-sized pieces as it cooks.  Drain excess grease if needed.  Sprinkle with taco seasoning.  Mix well.  Place on paper towel-line plate to allow to cool to room temperature.

For the dressing, combine all the dressing ingredients together in a blender and process until smooth (or place in bowl and whisk well until emulsified).  Refrigerate until ready to serve.  

In a large bowl, toss all of the ingredients together except the tortilla chips.

Serve the salad with the dressing and the tortilla chips.