Sunday Dinner: Taco Soup

The days after Thanksgiving are never quite as fun as Thanksgiving. After eating stuffing for the fourth day in a row — so much stuffing that the word stuffing now sounds onomatopoeic when you say it - you start to question how great feasts really are. And after washing every dish that you own in the wake of the celebration, the urge to order take out maybe for the rest of your life is almost overwhelming.

What I needed for Sunday dinner was something fast, something low maintenance, and something at the other end of the spectrum from gravy.

The answer was taco soup, a recipe I got from my Aunt Jan about a year ago. It’s a great one-pot dinner that involves very little prep work and clean up. It’s also totally delicious. I have yet to meet someone who has eaten it and been less than very pleased.

It also makes a pretty large volume of food, which makes it a good choice for football parties (if you’re tired of chili) or if you want to freeze half.

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef (I use ground turkey)
1 onion, chopped
2 (10 oz) cans diced tomatoes with green chili peppers
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained
1 (15 oz) can corn, drained
1 (1.25 oz) pkg taco seasoning mix
1 (1 ounce) pkg ranch dressing mix
1/4 Cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 Cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups water
Cilantro for garnish

In a Dutch oven, brown ground beef with chopped onion, stirring frequently. Once beef is browned drain grease from pan.

Add canned tomatoes, beans, corn, taco seasoning and ranch salad dressing mix. Mix well and let simmer over low heat for 2 hours. Add 1 to 2 cans of water to make soup the desired consistency. You can also use one can of beef broth and then add some water

Ladle into soup bowls and garnish with shredded cheese, sour cream and cilantro.

Read last week’s Sunday Dinner.