Taco Soup

This recipe is so good and so easy. Big shout out the the Evans to bringing this over for dinner one night, then giving me the recipe. It is actually PERFECT for the night after tacos with the leftover meat. That's what I always do; and just FYI, it freezes really well. I usually freeze half of the soup and then thaw it out the next week or so later and it tastes just as good, and makes a really fast lunch of dinner for when you want it later. Can I again stress how FAST and EASY this is especially if you are using leftover taco meat. You really have to try it. It's delicious!

The recipe:

1 l.b ground beef

2 (10 oz.) cans Ro-Tel tomates with chilies

1 can corn (15 oz)

1 can pinto beans (15 oz)

1 can black beans (15+oz)

1-2 cans water (can use more or less to make soup thinner or thicker)

1 envelope taco seasoning

1-2 envelope Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix (original recipe calls for 1 packet, but add extra if stronger flavor is desired)

1 large onion, chopped

1-2 green peppers, chopped

Brown the meat and drain. Stir taco seasoning in with meat until mixed well. In large pot pour all canned ingredients, I don't drain any of them and add about 2 cans of water. Stir the meat and Ranch dressing mix into the pot. Simmer for 45 minutes to thicken and blend the flavors. Add the onion and bell pepper before simmering if you want them well-cooked, or add them towards the end if you want them still crunchy. Can add pepper if desired; salt is usually not needed because of the salt in the taco seasoning and ranch mix.

Serve with grated cheddar or jack cheese and sour cream.

Serve with warm tortillas or tortilla chips.

My favorite way to eat the soup is with crushed tortilla chips on top!

Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana

1 lb ground Italian sausage (i use jimmy dean “HOT”)

sprinkle of crushed red pepper

1 large diced white onion

4 tbs. bacon pieces

2 tsp. garlic puree

10 cups water

10 cubes chicken bouillon

1 cup heavy cream

*1 lb. slice russet potatoes

Saute Italian sausage and crushed red pepper in pot. Drain excess fat. Refrigerate while you prepare other ingredients. In the same pan, saute bacon, onions, and garlic for approx. 15 minutes or until onions are soft. Mix together the chicken bouillon and water, then add it to the onions and garlic. Cook until boiling. Add potatoes and cook until soft, about half and hour. Add heavy cream and cook until heated through. Stir in the sausage.

*the recipe calls for 1 lb. of potatoes, but we all LOVE the potatoes, so I add a TON more, probably like 4-5 pounds of small diced potatoes. I leave the skins on, slice them, then dice them in (my favoritist thing) the vadalia chop wizard.

**the recipe also calls for kale, which you can just finely chop and add at the end, but no one in my family (but me) will eat the soup if kale is in it, so I usually don't even think of that part when making or buying the ingredients for the soup.