Friday, October 29, 2010

Cold Weather Favorite~ Taco Soup & {Almost} Homemade Tortilla Chips

I mentioned this soup the other day and couldn't stop thinking about it... I love that it's inexpensive, and mixes up in just a few minutes. I add my (Almost) homemade tortilla chips, and it's the perfect meal in cold weather.

~First the Chips: These are one of my favorite kitchen 'fakes' because they taste way better than chips from a bag, and people always think you went to some crazy measures to make chips. (And I say, let them believe it!) All you do is buy a pack of extra thin Corn Tortillas. (I have done it with any kind of tortilla, but the extra thin works best in my opinion...) I use my pizza cutter to cut through several rounds into the desired shape (My kids prefer triangles so we stick with that, but I love strips in soup!). Spray a baking sheet with oil, and lay the pieces in a single layer on the sheet. Put into a 350* heated oven, and bake until the edges start to turn up, about 12 minutes. Flip the chips over and put back into the oven until golden brown, about 5-10 minutes. Remove from oven and salt, if desired.

The only catch is that timing is key. You do not want the chips under baked because they will be chewy (trust me). I always have to force myself to leave them for a few more minutes than I think they actually need.

~Now for the Soup~
Ingredients:
     2 cans kidney beans
     2 cans pinto beans
     1 can corn, drained
     1 can ro*tel
     1 can diced tomatoes
     1 packet taco seasoning
     1 packet ranch seasoning
     1 pound ground beef
     1 medium onion, diced

Simple directions: In a large stockpot, brown beef. Drain. Return beef and add onion, cook until soft. Add everything else to the pot plus 2 cans water. Cook on high until boiling then lower heat and simmer for about 30 minutes. Serve. So easy, right?!

Where Moms Who Blog Go!
This week's Writer's Workshop prompt was to create a how-to, and I already had this one ready... Yippee!

4 comments:

  1. This looks wonderful! Now if only it would cool off enough down here in South Florida to fix it! Thanks for the recipes!

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  2. Sounds yummy. I will try the chips for sure. I make homemade salsa all the time, so they will be the perfect compliment.

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  3. So glad you posted this - I can't find my recipe for this soup! Now that fall weather is here it's time to pull out the soup recipes. :)

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  4. Wow, that sounds so good! I'm not that great in the kitchen but one soup that I love to make is a creamy while chili. A friend gave me the recipe and my family goes nuts for it! If you're interested in trying it out, check out the recipe here http://mommytlc.com/group/recipeswap/forum/topics/creamy-white-chili.

    Thanks for sharing your recipe. I'll definitely be trying this one out this week now that the weather's starting to get a little colder!

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