Quick Taco Soup

I was Cah-Raving Tacos last night!

 

But alas...

I didn't have any taco shells or tortillas. 

That never happens!

We are a bulk buying family.

Chicken Torilla Soup?

Nope! No thawed chicken.

Hamburger?

Check

Taco Seaoning?
Check

My pantry always has a costco box of diced tomotoes, black beans, and every kind of stock or broth you can think of.

Idea?
Taco Soup ... just improvise a little.

Here is my tutorial on a super quick Taco Soup.

I started by browning about a pound of hamburger with a diced yellow onion.

Then drained a can of corn and a can of black beans.

Once the hamburger is fully cooked; drain the fat then add in the corn and beans.

Followed by two cans of diced tomatos and can of Diced Green Chilis.

(I didn't have any diced green chilis on hand so I substituted a can of Rotel for one of the cans of diced tomotoes and a can of Chilis.)

Let that cook down for a few minutes.

Then throw in a packet of Ranch Seasoning

and a 1/4 cup of Taco Seasoning.

And

a box of Vegetable Stock.

(You can also use Beef Stock)

Let it cook for 30 minutes or so.

Mine looked like this.

Enjoy with a dollop of Sour Cream and/or some Shredded Cheddar.

You can also crumble and top with Tortilla Chips.

So Good.

Next time you need a quick 30 minute meal,

this is definitely one you can turn to.

Enjoy!

Taco Soup

1 Pound Hamburger

1 Diced Yellow Onion

1 14 oz Can Corn

1 14oz Can Black Beans

2 14 oz Can Diced Tomatoes

1 6 oz Can Diced Green Chilis

1 Packet Ranch Seasoning

1 Packet Taco Seasoning

32 oz Box Beef or Vegetable Stock

Brown hamburger and onion in a soup pot. Drain fat. Drain corn and black beans in a strainer, then add to the cooked beef and onion. 

Stir in tomatoes, green chilis, and stock.

Stir in Ranch Seasoning and Taco Seasoning.

Add more to taste if necessary.

Let cook for 30 minutes.
Serve with topping of choice.

Thanksgiving Tradition and a Pumpkin Soup

There are so many things to love about Thanksgiving.

The time spent with family

The food

The desserts

The pie

The tradition

My favorite of all of those comes down to a tie between the time spend with family and the food. Or maybe it's the desserts and the pie? Or maybe its the tradition. Okay, okay, it's all of it.

My favorite tradition started 12 years ago when I celebrated my first Thanksgiving with my now husband. We woke up early and went to Starbucks for a warm beverage. My favorite is a Caramel Macchiato with extra caramel, and Zach's is a Mocha Velencia. (Seriously Starbucks, bring back the Valencia.)

With our hot coffees in hand, we drove down to Riverside State Park and walked along the Spokane River. The best morning! 

To this day, I still love doing this and want to send THANK YOU shout out to the lovely employees at Starbucks that work on Thanksgiving Morning. 
You make my day!

One tradition that my mom started several years ago, is to make a soup to start off our always wonderful Thanksgiving meal. 

Cause why not add one more delicious something to our already big menu of delicious somethings? 

Since we clearly don't have enough pumpkin in our menu with the pumpkin pie and the pumpkin bread, and the pumpkin seeds we snack on; we now enjoy a nice cup of pumpkin soup as well.

It is a beautiful soup from Rachael Ray.

This soup is savory, creamy and delicious, with a little spice kick at the start and a sweet finish from the cran-berry, apple relish. The perfect addition to any Thanksgiving meal. 

It's my turn to make it this year and I'm going to make it ahead of time and put it in the crockpot for the big day. Yum!

You can find the recipe HERE.

Photo Courtesy of The Food Network

What is your favorite Thanksgiving tradition?

I'd love to hear about it!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

K