Taco Soup (Crock Pot or Not)

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. ground beef (i always use 1)
• 2 cups diced onions
• 2 cans pinto beans
• 1 can kidney beans
• 1 can corn
• 1 can mexican style stewed tomatoes
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 can diced green chilis
• 1 can black olives, sliced (i leave this out)
• 1 package taco seasoning mix (TJ's sells it now... without MSG!)
• 1 pkg. ranch salad dressing mix (i get whole foods version, again... no MSG!)
• corn chips, sour cream, grated cheese as you wish...

Directions

Brown beef and onions in large skillet (or dutch oven).  Drain excess fat unless it's a little grass-fed fat then it's all gooooood.  Add beans, corn, tomatoes, chilis, olives, seasonings, and cook in slow cooker on low for 6 to 8 hours OR simmer over low heat for 1 hour in pot on stove. 

Notes: 12 to 16 servings.  This recipe is sort of the "whatever you have, use" kind of recipe, so if you don't have some of the following, NO big deal. I always have black beans on hand more often than other beans so I will use them instead of other beans it calls for... and sometimes I have all those types of tomatoes, sometimes i don't... it's seriously forgiving.  Use what you have and it'll still be good.

Contributed by: Bridget Hunt (Tales of Me and the Husband)

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