Miscellaneous Momma’s Taco Soup

It's soup season... Well, at least I really want it to be.  Truthfully, I just checked the weather and it's a humid 87 degrees at noon on this Saturday in mid-September, and due to the humidity, it actually currently feels like 96.  No wonder I was sweating as I finished up my coffee and devotion on the back porch about an hour ago!  The high is actually 90 today... on September 16th.  What is happening???  Fall officially starts one week from today.  If only Florida could understand.  

So no, according to the weather, it isn't soup season.  But sickness has been abounding lately, so it's at least soup season in that aspect.  There isn't much better for a sore, scratchy throat, that warm soup.  So we'll make do with the weather and serve up some soup anyway.

This time last year, I was in the same soup mode I am in currently.  I'm not sure if it was sickness or the weather driving my soup urges, but it led me to come up with this recipe, so if it was sickness, it was worth it.  I remember just staring into the abyss of my pantry thinking "I need soup." And thus, this recipe was born with the random medley of ingredients I had on hand.  I have since made it several times and this past week shared the recipe with my 8th grade Culinary students and served it to some teachers at our middle school.  If they can make it, you certainly can too!  I actually wrote out the recipe with middle schoolers in mind, so it's really pretty simple.  And, it can be tweaked to your liking or adjusted based on what you have on hand or what you can find at your local grocery store. I've actually made it using leftover nacho cheese from a birthday party and while it isn't quite as good, I feel better about not wasting all that cheese and it's a good use for it.  Also, I LOVE white corn in recipes like this.  It just feels right.  But Kroger was out, so sweet yellow corn it was.  It worked just fine.

Some other perks of this recipe: 1. It's quick.  It can be made from start to finish in a 50 minute class period, so it's a quick recipe for sure.  2. It's easy.  All 12 of my groups of 8th graders that made this were successful... and it's only September, so they don't have a lot of experience yet.  That's saying something.  3. It's a one pot wonder!  You truly only need one pot!!  I love anything that dirties as few dishes as possible.  4. It is gluten free!  I don't have to worry about that personally, but I know people who do, and I know it's nice to have another gluten free recipe to add to the collection.

So here it is:

Taco Soup

The Ingredients:

• 1 lb. ground beef

• 1 packet taco seasoning

• Dash of salt and pepper

• ½ c. salsa or pico de gallo

• 1 can black beans, drained

• 1 can white corn, drained

• ½ block Velveeta (16 oz.), cubed

• 4 cups chicken broth

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream

• 1 c. cheese, grated, divided 1/2 c. for the soup and 1/2 c. for garnish

• Tortilla Chips, for serving

• Additional toppings, such as shredded cheese, salsa or pico, sour cream, cilantro, fresh avocado, guacamole, a squeeze of lime juice, etc.

The Instructions:

1. Brown the ground beef in a large pot or dutch oven over medium high heat.

2. Drain the grease if necessary.  Then add the taco seasoning, salt and pepper, and salsa or pico de gallo.  Stir to coat the ground beef.

3. Add the can of corn and black beans to this mixture.  Stir.

4. Add the cubes of Velveeta.  Stir to begin melting them.

5. Add the chicken broth and heavy whipping cream.  Stir, and bring the soup to a simmer.  

6. Add about 1/2 of the grated cheese to thicken the soup a bit. Stir.

7. Let simmer for at least 15 minutes, until the soup is heated through and the Velveeta is completely melted, stirring occasionally.

8. Top with grated cheese.  Add other toppings such as sour cream, if desired.  Serve with crumbled tortilla chips. 

Here's a few other tips:

1. I used 1/2 cheddar and 1/2 Monterey Jack cheese for a great blend. 

2. Eat it with the tortilla chips crumbled in it. Yum.

3. Try it with Lime Tortilla Chips! Kroger makes my favorite! I honestly don't really want to share that, because I buy at least 3 bags with every order (don't judge), and sometimes they are out of stock and I want to cry 😂 I am not affiliated with Kroger, but when I find something this good, I have to share.

4. When you drain your grease, use a ladle. Tilt the pot towards you and press the ladle against the side. The grease will come into the ladle, and you don't lose any meat or dirty extra dishes. Personally, I believe fat is flavor, and I always leave a little. Just ladle it out until you don't have lots pooling up and pour it into one of your empty cans from the corn or beans and dispose of it once it has cooled.

5. Use this Pico de Gallo Salsa from Kroger. It is fantastic!! I use this in the soup, but I also like to add a little more on top. It is also great in a steak quesadilla!! It's one of my regular Kroger purchases!

6. I love my dutch oven from this Pioneer Woman set. It has held up really well!

7. This soup can also be kept warm in a crockpot once it's made until you're ready to eat.  I love my Pioneer Woman crockpots!! They clean so easily!! I've owned a lot of crockpots over the years, and hers are by far my favorite!  If I can find the right one online for a good price, I'll post the link.  No such luck at this time.

If you make this soup, let me know how it goes.  I'd love to hear!

And here's to it being soup season because of the weather... and not because of sickness! Can I get an Amen?!