Taco Soup

    

     My mom makes the absolute best chili, the best lima beans and sausage, the best red beans and rice, the best turnip green soup, and the best taco soup. Believe me, she knows how to whip up a big pot of deliciousness. I plan on sharing all five of these amazing recipes with you, and there is no better day to start than today. The first one I am going to share is my mom's taco soup recipe. It is hearty, comforting, and so perfect for colder weather. Here is what you will need:

2 pounds ground beef

1 medium onion, diced

1 14 oz. can of corn

1 14 oz. can black beans

1 14 oz. can navy beans

1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes

1 can ROTEL

1 packet of Ranch dressing mix

2 packets of taco seasoning

2 cups water

(I need to mention that I did alter the recipe slightly. My mom's original recipe calls for pinto beans, kidney beans, and black beans but I just used what I had on hand. Also her recipe calls for shoe-peg corn, but again, I just used what I had. And finally, because I did not use as many beans I decreased the amount of taco seasoning packs from 3 to 2. My mom won't mind one bit that I changed her recipe-- she is ALL about "a little of this, and a little of that." Love you mom!)

In a large pot brown the meat with the onions.

While the meat is browning open all of the cans. Be careful not to cut yourself! I've done that before on a can lid and IT HURT!

Drain and rinse the corn and beans.

When the hamburger meat is brown and completely cooked through, use a fine mesh strainer and drain off the fat. I used the cheap ground beef this time (you know, the kind you buy in the huge log) so I rinsed my meat with hot water to get all of the grease off-- the log o' beef is extra greasy.

Return the hamburger meat to the pot and add in the beans, corn, tomatoes, ROTEL...

ranch packet, taco seasoning packets...

and 2 cups of water. I pour the water into the crushed tomato can to get any extra tomato bits out of the can, and then pour it into the pot.

 Stir to combine and let simmer for 1-2 hours. Or you could pour this into the crockpot and let it cook on low for 6-8 hours. The best thing about this soup is that it just gets better and better the longer it sits.

Serve this soup with a generous sprinkling of shredded cheese, a dollop of sour cream, and Frito corn chips.

Here is me and Adam about to dig in! This was a great night :) just the two of us, snuggled up on the couch, watching a movie, and eating taco soup... Adam's bowl is on the left. He really likes sour cream. And cheese. And taco soup. And me!

You should try this soup. It is SO easy and SO delicious! Thank God for momma's like mine that can cook!

 I'm thinking about my momma more than normal today because she just had shoulder surgery and I am praying she feels better soon!

Thanks for reading! Call your momma and tell her you love her today. Love y'all!