Taco Soup

As much as I love to cook, there are some nights that seem to be filled with appointments, meetings, games and practices, errands, etc., you know it, right? We either end up spending a fortune on take-out, or give in at 8:00 to chips and pbj's when we can finally sit down.

It's times like these when I resort to my good ol' crock pot. Tonight, it's Taco Soup! I'm sure most everyone has their own recipe, but this one always works for me. If you've never heard of Taco Soup, give this recipe a try. It's so easy and everyone seems to love it.

This is a great recipe, because there's no measuring, just dumping. Combine everything in your crockpot before you leave for work in the morning, and dinner is ready whatever time you can sit down to eat.

Taco Soup

Ingredients:

Two 15 oz. cans diced tomatoes (Mexican or Italian style)

Two 15 oz. cans - black beans (rinsed and drained)

One 8 oz. can chopped green chilies

One small jar - chunky salsa

One 8 oz. can tomato sauce

Four boneless chicken cutlets (uncooked)

Garnishes:

Colby Jack cheese, or your own favorite (shredded)

sour cream

tortilla chips

Now, just get a can opener, and start crankin'. Rinse off the beans in a colander and let them drain a minute or two. If you want to add additional flavorings, you could chop up a bit of cilantro, add some lime, or even a small, chopped onion. Combine everything right in your crockpot except the chicken.

After all the cans are emptied into the pot, you have two choices about the chicken cutlets. You can either lay them on top of the soup mixture, and shred the chicken up later before serving, or you can cut the cutlets into strips and lay those on the top. Either way, the chicken will cook up nicely and really take on the flavor of the tomatoes and spices.

Now that everything is in the pot, given a stir, and the chicken is resting on the top, cover it up and cook it all on low for 8 hours.

When ready to serve, ladle the hot soup into bowls, and top with colby jack cheese (I used pepperjack once and it was super spicy). Plop on a spoonful of sour cream. Serve with tortilla chips.

Some like to crush their tortilla chips right into the soup, but I like to dip them into the melted cheese and eat them crunchy.

Whatever your preference, enjoy!