Who doesn't love tacos? With a variety of flavorful serving options in addition to a slew of complementary drinks, side dishes and dessert options, a taco bar party is a perfect excuse to get together with friends and family. The key to success is figuring out what to make from scratch versus where to save time by preparing components from scratch (spoiler: there's no right or wrong answer). Then, all you have to do is set everything out using decorative, colorful platters and let your guests prepare their own meals!

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Things You\’ll Need

• Tortillas: flour, corn, soft and/or hard shell

• Meat: seasoned ground beef, flank steak, or pulled pork

• Vegetarian alternatives: refried beans, black/pinto beans

• Cheeses: shredded cheddar/Monterey jack blend, queso fresco

• Vegetables: shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, hot or mild peppers, canned green chilies

• Salsas: red, green, pico de gallo

• Sour cream

• Taco sauce

• Optional drinks: margaritas, Mexican beer, sangria

• Suggested sides: guacamole, tortilla chips, seasoned rice

• Suggested desserts: churros, tres leches cake, Mexican hot chocolate

Tip

Too many choices can be overwhelming, but a little creativity is never a bad thing! Here are a few ideas additional ideas: grilled sweet potatoes, avocado crema, sliced cabbage, radishes, slaw, pickled onions, pickled jalapeños

Tortillas

I once read a quote that a taco was "anything wrapped in a corn or flour tortilla that you can eat standing up." While there are definitely more traditional versions, a quick online search will yield endless variations of taco recipes. While the fillings can be changed up quite a bit, one thing is always present: the tortilla. Flour tortilla will definitely work for tacos, but corn is the a more traditional way to go in terms of flavor. Soft corn tortillas from the grocery store can be very delicate and easy to tear, which is why you may want to opt for a combination of hard corn tortilla shells and soft flour tortillas. That is, unless you have a tortilla press and want to go about making soft corn tortillas from scratch.

The Main Filling: Meats, Beans, Fish and Veggies

When it comes to the main taco filling, the possibilities are truly endless. For a party, it's best not to overwhelm guests with too many choices. 2 to 3 options are fine; make sure to include at least one vegetarian option. Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Seasoned ground beef. Use 80% lean ground beef for added flavor. You can use store bought taco seasoning or make your own taco seasoning.
• Carnitas, or braised pulled pork
• Carne asada, or thinly sliced, grilled beef
• Canned refried, pinto or black beans
• Diced, roasted vegetables (or a vegetable bean mixture)
• Grilled shrimp

If you have meat fillings that need to be kept warm during the party, a crockpot does the job perfectly.

Cheeses

I like some sort of creamy element in a taco, whether it's cheese or sour cream (or both). one great options include using a blend of shredded cheddar and Monterey jack. You can either purchase the cheeses pre-shredded, or buy whole blocks and grate them yourself. Another tasty taco topping is queso fresco, which is a firm crumbly cheese.

Vegetable Toppings

Shredded lettuce and diced tomatoes are good options to set out at for guests. Other options you might want to consider are hot and/or mild fresh peppers, which add a nice crunch. Diced bell peppers, poblanos, serranos and jalapeños are all good options. You can also drain and set out canned toppings such as diced green chiles.

Salsas, Sauces & Sour Cream

It's nice to include a few different salsas and sauces for color, moisture and flavor variety. I'm a fan of offering at least one red and one green salsa option. Then you can also include either a taco sauce or a hot sauce (I'm personally a fan of the hot sauce!). Sour cream is an essential, in my opinion.

Additional Ideas

It wouldn't be a complete party without some drinks and sweets. To round things out, here are a few more suggestions.

Beverages

• Homemade Margaritas
• Homemade Sangria
• Mexican beers, such as Negra Modelo or Victoria

Desserts

• Tres Leches Cupcakes
• Mexican Hot Chocolate
• Churros

One thing that most people agree on is that they like to eat, but cooking is a different story. The constant cleaning and searching for the right spoon is almost enough to make you use an app to order instead. Cooking can be fun but it could be even more exciting with a few lively gadgets. Here are few appliances that can make kitchen time a fun time.

1. Extreme Notes

Have you ever gone into your freezer and stared at bag of unidentifiable something? If yes, then Extreme Notes is the perfect kitchen tool to keep track of what you have. They're made with ultra-strong dura-hold paper and adhesive and come in orange, green and yellow. Extreme Notes are water resistant and stick on in hot and cold environments, thereby making them nearly impossible to miss.

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​Available at Amazon:​ Extreme Notes

2. So Hand(y)

This second pair of gadgets can be thought of as a second pair hands. The So Handy finger mitts are made of silicone and exactly what you'd grab when reaching into the oven for that pizza. They also have a unique grip texture that would make it quite difficult for a dish to slip through your fingers. All in all, these are perfect for pandemic kitchen activities.

​Available at Amazon:​ So Hand(y)

3. The Pop-ular Choice

The Pop-ular Choice is a great gadget for those movie nights or days, or just for times when you're feeling snackish. It's also simple to use—the lid is for measuring the correct amount of popcorn which is then poured into the glass container and popped, no pun intended, into the microwave for 3 minutes or less. I don't know about you but I love when I don't have to expend too much effort for a snack.

​Available at Amazon:​ The Pop-ular Choice

4. Hamilton Beach Breakfast Sandwich Maker

This sandwich maker is a game changer. You would no longer have to consider buying a breakfast sandwich when you could just customize your own in 4 steps. This gadget cooks your choice of bread, meat and egg at the same time so the sandwich is ready when you are. The pieces are also easy to clean, so there would be virtually no excuse to not do it.

​Available at Amazon:​ Hamilton Beach Breakfast Sandwich Maker

5. Nice Spread

The Nice Spread is going to make your avocado toast look more than worthy of an Instagram post. This knife is made from stainless steel so it's durable and has 3 distinct uses; spreading, cutting and making 2 different types of butter curls. Your bread will look aesthetically pleasing right before you devour it.

​Available at Amazon:​ Nice Spread

6. Main Squeeze

Main Squeeze takes all the guesswork out of pancake sizing. Pancakes are delicious breakfast staples, but worrying about making the perfect size almost makes you not want to bother with them. Main Squeeze is described as a pancake pen allowing the user to make any shape they want and then eat them! There wouldn't be a need for longer, messy spoons and ladles with this nifty thing in your pantry.

​Available at Amazon:​ Main Squeeze

7. Whisk Wiper Multipurpose Tool

Baking is going to be so much easier with the whisk wiper. The wiper helps to keep all of that extra recipe mix in the bowl instead of all over the sides of the whisk. This would be a great gift for someone who loves to bake or as a hint for someone to bake you something; either way your stomach and your kitchen will be happy.

​Available at Amazon:​ Whisk Wiper Multipurpose Tool

8. Ninja Air Fryer

Air fryers were huge in the last year, so it comes as no surprise that they would be included in this list. They can do so much—toast a bagel, bake salmon, fry dumplings, and reheat old takeout. The Ninja Air Fryer is no exception, plus it's quite powerful and does the above very quickly. It's also black so it will definitely match any kitchen.

​Available at Amazon:​ Ninja Air Fryer

9. Vegetable Slicer Gadget

Cutting vegetables is going to be such a breeze with this little tool. The slicer takes the guesswork out of sizing the slices just right. It's advertised to be used with onions and tomatoes, which in my humble opinion are the hardest vegetables to get just right. This gadget would definitely save time and tears, if you're cutting an onion.

​Available at Walmart:​ Vegetable Slicer Gadget

10. Prepworks by Progressive Avocado Keeper

You've seen the meme about the avocado. You have to catch that magical moment that it's ready to be eaten, otherwise there's just sadness and a brown film left. The keeper is perfectly sized for the avocado and allows the user to only use however much they need. As someone who loves avocados and hates seeing the dreaded brown film, this will definitely be put into my cart.

​Available at Amazon:​ Prepworks by Progressive Avocado Keeper

If you have resigned yourself to using delivery apps to sustain yourself, that's totally understandable—but if you're trying to add a little spice to your daily routine then at least one of these tools will make that journey much more fun. It could even turn into a hidden talent or a beloved hobby. You won't know until you've given one of these little babies a try. Happy adventuring!

People have strangely strong opinions about refrigeration. Some grew up in cold peanut butter houses and learned to keep ketchup and condiments on the countertop or hot sauce in cold temperatures. Others swear that peanut butter should only be kept at room temperature and that nothing edible belongs in the fridge. The food storage debates will rage on. In the meantime, clear up some space in your own fridge by pulling out some things that don't need to be there (but where you keep your peanut butter is still your call).

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1. Tomatoes

The best tomatoes still taste a little like the sunshine that grew them, so it's no wonder that the harsh cold of your fridge isn't the ideal environment for uncut tomatoes. They're delicate and tend to lose flavor and become mushy when they're refrigerated. Once they're cut, keep tomatoes in the fridge but use them as quickly as possible and let them warm to room temperature first.

2. Honey

Honey might be the most low-maintenance item in your kitchen. It's been called the only food that lasts forever. Archaeologists have found pots of honey dating back thousands of years, and the contents are still edible. Keep it in a sealed jar at room temperature in a cool, dark and dry place.

3. Apples

Putting apples in the fridge will extend how long they keep, but it will diminish their flavor and texture. Apples tend to lose some of their crunch after being chilled. For best flavor, keep freshly picked whole apples at room temperature for up to a week or more. Only resort to refrigeration if you have more apples than you'll be able to use in a week.

4. Potatoes

Potatoes are probably one of the most common veggies that people mistakenly assume should be refrigerated. In fact, the ideal environment for white and sweet potatoes is a cool place but not one that is too cold. Keep them in a pantry or drawer rather than on the countertop.

5. Melons

This is good news if your fridge is always overstuffed: There's no need to clear out fridge space for the giant watermelon you just bought on impulse. Keep melons on the counter until they're ripe and ready to eat. Once you've cut the melon in half or into pieces, then it can go into the fridge in an airtight container.

6. Onions

Onions are hardy enough to last for a month or longer without refrigeration. Like a potato, an onion's starch will turn to sugar in the fridge and affect its flavor and how it cooks. Like potatoes, onions should be stored in a cool, dark place like a pantry. (Delicate green onions should still be refrigerated.)

7. Bread

Some people assume that refrigerating bread will keep mold from growing and extend the life of the loaf. In fact, refrigerating bread may cause it to become stale quicker than it would at room temperature. Store excess bread in the freezer if necessary but keep this week's bread in a sealed plastic bag on the counter or in a bread box.

8. Squash

Certain kinds of thin-skinned squash, like zucchini, do belong in the fridge. Thick-skinned varieties, like butternut squash, may actually last longer if they're kept out of the refrigerator. Store them in a pantry until you cut into them and then refrigerate any pieces.

9. Avocados

Avocados are famously finicky. If you miss the ideal window, they'll turn brown and mushy. Refrigeration complicates the timeline and slows down ripening. Store them at room temperature until they feel perfectly ripe. Only refrigerate avocados if you're trying to delay using them or if you have a leftover half that you're saving for later.

10. Coffee

While technically not a food, coffee might be the most important part of your daily diet, so those beans need to be delicious. They won't be delicious if they're stored in the fridge, where they'll absorb the odors of all the foods around them. Keep whole or ground coffee beans at room temperature in a sealed container stored someplace cool and dark.