Taco Soup: Andale, arriba, arriba

Thanksgiving was great.  All the dishes and more importantly family I remember were there and then some.  There were even a couple of new dishes there that I may have to try and make.  My mom hosted and did an awesome job for over 30 people.  I however was not feeling well.  Blah.  I think it might be one of the worst things to wake up on Thanksgiving and not be able to swallow.  I had lots of hot beverages and was luckily able to eat my Turkey Day feast…  well, at least some.  We watched the parade and my daughter loved seeing Abby Cadabby, Dora, and even Santa.  Loving my DVR BTW.  It means no commercials.  Ah, bliss.

I first heard of this dish from a friend who was bringing it to a work party for a football game.  Even at work southerners like to celebrate football.  She told me it was simple and that she made it in a crockpot which was ingenious for the party which lasted all day.  Usually I think of this last minute though and it comes together very quickly hence my nod to Speedy Gonzales in the title.  I have made it with ground beef, chicken, or turkey.  I have even used leftover chicken or turkey which would make it a good Black Friday dish.  If you use the leftover turkey or chicken make sure you cut or tear the meat to around spoon size about an inch across or so.  You want to be able to eat the soup without a turkey leg on your spoon.  You can feel free to leave out things you don’t like, add more of what you do and even throw in extras. I will give you the basic recipe that I elaborate on all the time.  These days we often do not have a dish more than once because I am always changing something about it.  I often use things that are running out as long as they match the flavor profile.  This soup is great for a cold night and quite healthy: mostly lean meat and fiber.

• 1 lb. or 2 cups of meat (ground beef, chicken, or turkey OR leftover chicken or turkey)
• 1 cup or 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 TBSP garlic salt and 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 15 oz. can of diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 can of Ro-Tel tomatoes, undrained
• 1 can of whole kernal corn (some people use shoepeg, but I think regular corn is fine), drained
• 1 can of black beans, drained
• 1 package of dry ranch dip seasoning (I use Hidden Valley)
• 1 package of taco seasoning mix (I use whatever is on sale), the seasoning contains things like chili powder and cumin.  nothing too hot.

1. Brown meat in a skillet.  Once it is brown add in onions and cook 7 minutes or so until soft.
2. Season with garlic salt and pepper and give it a stir to combine.
3. Add tomatoes, Ro-Tel, corn, and beans to soup and stir to combine.
4. Bring to a boil and then reduce to simmer for about 30 minutes.

Great served with sour cream and cheddar cheese on top.  Some times I put a squirt of lime juice on top too.  Others put oyster crackers or fritos on top.  Anything you would use to garnish your chili you can use for taco soup.  Leftovers freeze well and are great on a baked potato.

If you want to prepare in slowcooker, cook ground meat and onions before adding them to slow cooker.  If you are using the leftover cooked poultry just throw it in.  Add all ingredients, stir to combine and set for 4 hours on high or 7-8 on low.  Honestly all the ingredients are cooked so it should be ready to eat in an hour or so.  The longer it cooks the better it gets as with most soups.

Some variations: this time I added about 2/3 cup of pumpkin puree because it was leftover (this makes the soup thicker), a few squirts of ketchup because the bottle was almost empty and a little hot sauce because I know my family likes it hot.

Hope you all enjoy it.  I bet Speedy would…

Taco Soup

Kid Approved

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