Taco Soup

And I'm baaaaaaack! My new charger finally came. Let's hope I can keep track of this one a little longer than last time. I never did find the original one. Strange.

Anyway, taco soup. This is pretty much the epitome of easy and delicious. My husband's grandma made this for us when we visited her, oh, 6 years ago or so, and I begged her for the recipe. We've made it frequently ever since. I really love it because the ingredients are all things I always have stocked in my pantry, so it's one of those "go to meals" for when nights get busy and dinner plans need to change.

This meal is also a great one to keep pre-made in the freezer for quick weeknight meals! It would freeze and reheat beautifully. It would also make a very tasty meal to take to someone who's sick or who just had a baby. And it's perfect for large get-togethers because it's so cheap without compromising any flavor. Kids and adults alike love this one.

This recipe can easily be modified to work for a crock pot, too. If you want to do it that way, just cook your ground beef, onion and garlic until meat is done, then throw everything into the crock pot on low until you're ready to eat. It only gets better the longer it sits.

My toppings are just the basics, the things I always have on hand anyway. But you can easily jazz it up by adding cilantro, avocado, using the fire roasted hot chilies instead of the mild kind, different cheeses, etc.

Ingredients:
3/4 - 1 pound ground beef
1/2 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can kidney beans, quickly rinsed and drained
1 can whole kernel corn, undrained
1 can stewed tomatoes, undrained
1 can diced green chilies
1 package taco seasoning OR 1/4 cup bulk taco seasoning
1/3 cup water

Toppings:
shredded cheese
sour cream
Fritos

Brown ground beef in a large pot. Add onion and garlic. Saute until onion is tender, about 5-7 minutes.

Drain any excess fat. Add remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Simmer for 15-20 minutes.


Then you assemble the deliciousness -- Fritos, then a ladle of taco soup, then cheese, then sour cream. My husband does his with the Fritos on top because he hates them getting the least bit soggy. Either way works.