Slow Cooker Taco Soup

Yum. Is there anything better coming home to a house smelling of a delicious dinner already cooked? Well, it depends on who you are, but I don't really think so.


Last night, while my dinner was in the oven, I made Slow Cooker Taco Soup and put it in the removable crock from my crockpot and put it in the fridge over night. A lot of cookbooks I read say to quickly throw the ingredients in the slow cooker in the morning before work. What time do these people start work? Probably not 7:45am (plus a half hour drive away). I value my sleep too much for sacrificing 15 minutes for dinner. I make the majority of my slow cooker meals the night before, and they always turn out just fine. I'm not sure if it matters, but I usually take it out of the fridge when I'm making my coffee, so it can warm up a bit before I turn the slow cooker on.

This recipe made a FULL crock of soup. We had 9 containers portioned out to go in the freezer for lunches. Yes, it freezes and reheats in the microwave very well!


So, here's the recipe.

Slow Cooker Taco Soup

(Adapted from http://www.allrecipes.com/)
Serves 8-10


1 pound ground beef

1 onion, chopped

1 (16 ounce) can black beans, with liquid

1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans with liquid

1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, with liquid

1 (12 ounce) can tomato sauce

2 cups chicken broth

2 (14.5 ounce) cans peeled and diced tomatoes (I used tomatoes with onions, celery and spices in them)

1 (4 ounce) can diced green chile peppers

1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning mix

Sour cream, optional

Cheddar cheese, optional

1. Brown the ground beef in a medium skillet. Drain and set aside.



2. Combine all remaining ingredients in slow cooker. Mix to blend. Cook on high for 4 hours, or on low for 8 hours.



3. Ladle into bowls and garnish with sour cream and cheese, if desired. Enjoy!

XO, The Hungry Teacher