Original Recipe:
1 lb chopped chicken, already cooked
1 can corn
1 can black beans
2 cans pinto beans
1 can diced tomatoes w/ green chilies
1 onion, chopped
1 envelope taco seasoning
1 envelope ranch dressing mix
add water to reach desired consistency (about 2 cans)
Picture of my first version where I accidentally put in an extra can of water (oops).My version:
I've made this twice already and tweaked it both times. So, I will just tell you variations from both of them. Mostly went with what I had at the time.
I think I used red beans rather than pinto beans. Really, you can use any kinds of chili type beans - just use about 3 cans.
Didn't have a can of diced tomatoes w/ green chilies. One time I used Mexican style tomatoes and this made the soup way too spicy for the kids. I also love tomatoes, so I added a few extra chopped tomatoes :-).
In the same pot of soup that I used the Mexican style tomatoes, I also used a Ranch Dip mix rather than a dressing mix. I think it had a little bit more spice to it adding to the heat for my kids.
And, the first time I made this, I wasn't paying attention and I added 3 cans of water rather than 2. Made it a bit runnier than desired, so I thickened it up with some corn starch. It helped and was just thicker than the second time I made it.
After I thickened up the first version with some corn starch. Still good.Opinion:
EASY!!! As long as these are regular ingredients for your house, which most of them are for us, then it's a throw it all together and simmer. Just keep in mind the heat when you're feeding little ones. Add some cheese and some tortilla chips and it's a great dinner for your family. We had PLENTY of left overs for my family for another meal.
If any taco soup or chili ends up too spicy for your taste - here's a tip: add a bit of cream cheese to melt in your bowl. It thickens it up a little and also calms some of the spicy flavor.
That looks like a pretty good recipe. When I make taco soup, I usually dump the beans in, juice and all. And sometimes I like to puree a can of green beans, just to add one more little bit of nutrition (do canned beans have that much nutrition?), and I like the green color in there. We also like to substitute one can of refried beans for one of your cans of beans, which helps make it really thick. Top with a tiny bit of shredded cheddar, and dip in some tortilla chips. Yum yum, especially on a cold day. (Oh, and we usually use ground beef instead of chicken).
ReplyDeleteYes Jenna, green beans are very nutritious. At WW, they are considered a filling food and have 0 points plus value. So, when I'm running low on points, I pop open a can of green beans. I like them enough to do that but I know most people would think that it is odd. I got the idea from a lady in her 70s that used to go to WW.
ReplyDeleteI usually do my taco soups or chili's with hamburger as well, but this one sounded really good and I wanted to try it. We also top ours off with a little cheese and sometimes eat it with chips - depends on whether the boys want to eat the soup with the chips or just eat the chips as to whether we do it that way.
Jenna, thanks for your comments - I always like to know what you think about these recipes. And, it also shows me that someone is reading my blog :-).