Game Day Food: Slow Cooker Taco Soup

This past weekend, our temperatures here in College Station, Texas dropped, teasing all of us with fall-like temperatures . . . perfect for game-day.  As has become custom now that we are living in “Aggieland” (home of the Fightin’ Texas A&M Aggies, for you non-Texans), the Husband’s brother, his wife, and their sweet baby came over to watch our Ags play a little ball.

(well, the Husband and his brother watched … and screamed … and groaned … and whooped … and kissed the wives whenever a touchdown was made)

Every Saturday afternoon, this is our life . . . and every Saturday morning, I’m scrambling to decide what to prepare for everyone to eat.  I’m not picky — I just want fuss-free, easy food that requires little effort from me.  After all, I have to babysit the “Boys” to make sure they don’t throw something when a ref makes a bad call.

It could happen.

This Slow-Cooker Taco Soup has been my favorite soup for years.  It isn’t a new recipe and probably every cook has a variation in her back pocket.  I first came across it in an old, old Church cookbook my grandmother gave me.  There it was, in type-writer font: “Taco Soup.”  Simple.  Understated.  Delicious.

It’s hearty and spicy.  Perfect with a dollop of sour cream a sprinkling of shredded sharp cheddar . . . and amazing with cornbread or corn-chips.  Yes, corn-chips . . . a little childhood indulgence for game-day.

Even the babies, 13-month old Barney Kneeknuckles and his 11-month old cousin, scarffed this soup down, crawling and toddling over to anyone that had a steaming bowl of it in their hands.  They squealed and screamed for bites, demanding more than their fair share of hominy, beans, and deliciousness.

It’s the perfect, crowd pleasing recipe … regardless if you root for the Aggies or not.

 

Slow Cooker Taco Soup

Ingredients

1. 2 pounds of ground meat (beef, turkey or a combo)
2. 3 cloves of garlic, minced
3. 1/2 cup of diced onion
4. 3 cups beef broth
5. 2 cans original Rotel
6. 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
7. 2 (4 ounce) cans of diced green chiles
8. 3 tablespoons of Taco Seasoning
9. 2 (15.5 ounce) cans of golden hominy, drained and rinsed
10. 1 (15 ounce) can no-salt black beans (or 1.5 cups prepared black beans), drained and rinsed
11. 1(15 ounce) can no-salt pinto beans (or 1.5 cups prepared pinto beans), drained and rinsed
12. 1 (15.5 ounce) can no-salt dark red kidney beans (or 1.5 cups prepared kidney beans), drained and rinse

Direction

1. In a large skillet, brown the meat (I use 1 pound ground beef and 1 pound ground turkey) with the diced onion and minced garlic. Drain and put into a 6-quart slow cooker.
2. Add in the beef broth, Rotel, diced tomatoes, diced chiles and taco seasoning. Stir to combine.
3. Add in the drained and rinsed beans and hominy, carefully stirring.
4. Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours or on high for 2-4 hours.
5. Serve with shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream and either corn chips or cornbread.

Notes

This recipe makes a large batch, enough for a crowd … OR you can serve half for dinner and the freeze the remainder to reheat for a busy school night dinner.

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Recipe by Rachel Lacy.

linked with Delicious Dish Tuesday