Taco Soup

So, out here in the DC area we just got completely dumped on with snow (22 inches here, with some areas getting as much 46 inches!). Starting Friday at about 11:00AM until Saturday at about 4:00PM it was pretty much a blizzard. A little crazy, no? In light of all the snow, our thoughts have turned to things warm and cozy like hot chocolate, fireplaces and soup. I thought I'd share one of my most favorite (and easiest) soup recipes.

Taco Soup:
1 can Tomato Sauce
1 can Stewed Tomatoes
1 can Kidney Beans
1 can Corn
1 can Cream of Potato Soup (Yes, you read that correctly)
1/2 lb. of ground beef
1/2 packet (about 1/8 cup) of Taco Seasoning

In a pot, put all canned ingredients and allow to heat while browning the beef (I usually have it pretty close to high in order to get it boiling). Brown ground beef and season with Taco Seasoning according to directions. Once the beef is done, add it to the pot. Once the soup is boiling, turn the heat down until it is simmering. At this point, it is totally up to you how long you want to soup to simmer. I usually let it simmer for about a 30-45 minutes - it allows the flavors to blend well. Just make sure to stir it every once in a while.

Toppings:
Shredded Cheese
Fritos
Sour Cream

These toppings, in my opinion, is what make the soup so good. If you add the sour cream, it is best to stir it in, not just leave it as a glob. But again, it is up to personal preference - Justin doesn't put the sour cream in his soup.

This should make enough for a family with a few small kids. However, if you need more, this recipe is easily doubled - use 2 cans of everything and a full pound of beef.

I hope you enjoy it! It is definitely one of my favorite comfort foods. We ate it yesterday evening while we were snowed in, and it was perfect. Church was cancelled today, and we'll be stuck for a few more days so I guess I'll have to come up with some more winter recipes

:) Amelia