Easy Cooking on Campus

I live in a dorm, so I share a kitchen with a building full of people. Trying to cook in the kitchen in my building isn't worth the hassle most of the time, but finding a simple recipe to use really helps.

My mom loves to cook and has tons of suggestions for simple cooking. She gave me this "Taco Soup" recipe a while back. I've made it for my roommates and also for a piccolo party last fall.
This recipe is really simple! As long as you drain the ingredients as instructed, it's really hard to mess up!


TACO SOUP

Ingredients:
2 lbs ground beef
2 cups diced onions
2 (15 ½ ounce) cans pinto beans
1 (15 ½ ounce) can pink kidney beans
1 (15 ½ ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (14 ½ ounce) can Mexican-style stewed tomatoes
1 (14 ½ ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (14 ½ ounce) can tomatoes with chiles
2 (4 ½ ounce) cans diced green chiles
1 (4.6 ounce) can black olives, drained and sliced, optional
1 (1 ¼ ounce) package taco seasoning mix
1 (1 ounce) package ranch salad dressing mix

In the pot you will use for your soup, brown the beef. Drain the excess fat and put beef aside. Cook the diced onion in the same pot. When the onions are cooked, re-add the beef. Also add the beans (drain the liquid!), corn, tomatoes, green chiles, black olives, taco seasoning, and ranch dressing mix, and simmer over low heat for about 1 hour on the stove.

Serve with corn chips and consider topping the soup with sour cream, cheese, and green onions. This recipe will serve 12 to 16 people, and freezes very well!


I hope you enjoy it!