Saturday, June 4, 2011

Taco soup

                                                   


     My husband is a meat-and-potatoes guy.  Well, beef, chicken, potatoes, and pasta kind of guy.   He's not too interested in experimenting with lentils and eggplant, two staples I grew up with.  He believes rice is for rice pudding, and he buys soft, spreadable margarine in the little tub, no matter how many conversations about chemically altered butter substitutions we have.

My qualifications for a good meal are simple:  he has to want to eat it(goodbye, honey rice lentil casserole), and I have to be able to make it quickly with staples I'm able to have right on hand.  

Thus soon after we were married and I discovered he has no interest in trying beautiful, purple eggplant, I stumbled across taco soup somewhere. Yes, it sounds weird.  But  it is quick, easy, filling, and I can throw it into the crockpot in the morning and it will be ready by afternoon or evening, whichever I prefer.  It stores well for leftovers, and is good on both a cold winter evening or a hot summer dinner out on the boat.  
Taco soup has quickly become our extended family's favorite dish.  In fact, it's requested at every family potluck we have, and since I make it so often, it's not unusual for one of my sisters to call me and ask if we have any leftover that she could take to work or school.  

While I put it in the crockpot, we've also simmered it on the stove until warm.  You can try chicken instead of ground beef, pinto beans or white beans instead of baked beans, and variations on the spices if you prefer.



Taco Soup

1 pound ground beef, cooked and drained
1 packet taco seasoning or your favorite spices
1 12 ounce can whole corn, drained
1 12 ounce can red kidney beans, drained
1 12 ounce can baked beans(we prefer maple or brown sugar)

Throw all this into your crockpot and cook until warm.  I generally put it on the low setting for 6-8 hours.

Serve with plain nacho chips crumbled on top, shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream. 

5 comments:

Trina said...

Yes! we love taco soup. I like that you list it as a good meal for boating. :) How do you do that, though? do you take the crockpot on the boat, or do you put the soup in a thermos?

My recipe calls for salsa, too. but often I skip that and put corn instead, like yours. Now my mouth is watering...

Navy_Blue21 said...

Ohhhh, yeah. Definitely gonna have to make this. ::drool::

Remind me some time to give you my recipe for Persian eggplant stew. <3

--Birdie

smoore2213 said...

@Trina: I actually buy inexpensive plastic containers and put individual portions of the soup in them. I've found it stays fairly warm, and this is a soup that is still good a little cooler. I then just bring spoons, a container of sour cream, the bag of chips, and the cheese. If I lose the containers I don't worry about it because they were cheap and we don't use platic containers for anything else.


@Birdie: I STILL cannot comment on your blog. It tries to make me anonymous but you don't accept anonymous comments. I have no idea what is going on, but I am working on an email...just with a little one these thing can take time. ;-)

Any said...

I am definitely trying this soup. Stumbled across your blog while looking through some others. Was surprised to see Watkins Glen mentioned...I was on Seneca Lake for four nights over the fourth...my son lives there and has a dock on the lake.

Thanks for a recipe that looks easy to put together ...I am itching to get a pot going :)

Amy said...

I guess I'd better go to bed...that should have been "Amy."