Ah, feel the burn...

There were a number of meals that I grew up with that I really have little love for as an adult. Just mentioning ham and bean soup can trigger a gag reflex. Another of those is Chili. My biggest problem with chili is the beans. Red kidney beans are just wrong! Ok, I know that many people really enjoy them, but I just can't do them. And I luckily married a man that also has little use for them.

One day I stumbled on this recipe from Ezra Pound Cake for Taco Soup. I looked at the picture and thought, that looks like Chili. Part of me thought, bleh, but the other part was curious. I wanted to try it, but I really didn't want a big batch of it hanging around if we didn't like it. Fate stepped in and I was slated to prepare a meal for a family that recently had a baby. I decided, this would be perfect. With the size of this recipe, even pulling out 2 or 3 bowls there would still be plenty for the family in question, and we'd get to give it a shot. I researched Fritos and found that they were nut safe (shocking!) and we were set to go.

I made up the batch and it smelled quite yummy. I didn't add the called for pinto beans before serving up bowls for Sean and myself. Both kids flat out refused to try it. The boy kept saying, you said Tacos! Well, it is tacos, just in a bowl. Nothing would sway him. The girl just looked at my bowl and said, No! Sean and I both dug in and it was Yummy. We were a bit sad to actually give it away. And it still had the black beans, something we both regularly turn our noses up at. Go figure. Enough other good stuff and we can handle the black beans.

This weekend I decided to make a batch as the cafeteria at work is closed and this seemed like a nice thing to have handy. I have made a few tweaks to Ezra's original to make it suit is better (obviously removing most of the beans).



Taco Chili

2 pounds ground beef
1 medium onion diced
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
1 (10-ounce) can RO*TEL® diced tomatoes and green chilies
1 (15-ounce) cans black beans
1 (15 1/4-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
2 (4 1/2-ounce) cans chopped green chiles
1 (1-ounce) envelope taco seasoning
1 (1-ounce) envelope ranch salad dressing and seasoning mix
3/4 tsp adobo seasoning
2 (6-ounce) cans of tomato paste
4-8 ounces of chicken broth
Garnishes: Corn chips, cheese, sour cream, green onions

1.In a large dutch oven, cook beef and onions over medium heat until beef is no longer pink. Drain fat from meat, return to pan or place in a slow cooker if you're wanting to go that route.

2.Add tomatoes, black beans, corn, green chiles, tomato paste. Stir in the adobo seasoning, taco seasoning and ranch salad dressing mix. Add chicken broth to get to the chile thickness you like.

3.If you’re cooking on the stove, cover the pot and simmer soup over low heat for 30 minutes up to 1 hour, stirring occasionally. If you’re using a slow cooker, cook on low heat for 6 to 8 hours.

4.Garnish individual servings with corn chips, cheese, sour cream and green onions, if desired.

Note: I use seasonings from World Spice Market. They have some lovely blends. I highly recommend you check them out.