Can you believe that it is October already? That means somewhere in the U.S. the leaves are starting to change colors, the evening air is now chilly, and snow is not too far off in the forecast. I wish I could say all those things were happening where I am, but it is still a whoppin’ 95 degrees here. So, I chose to “create” a little fall. I made this fabulous Taco Soup this weekend to start off our October. And in a strange coincidence, Shannon did the same! We are sisters and co-authors of this blog, but we are also soul mates, best friends. We are in tune. We love eachother to the moon and back. I guess what I am saying is, it didn’t surprise me that we both made this soup on the very same day without knowing the other was making it! I make this Taco Soup every Halloween. We eat this to fill our bellies so we can ring an insane amount of doorbells. (my kids love candy!) I know we all have a Taco Soup recipe, but this is THEE ONE! The secret ingredient is the Ranch Dressing packet. It just kicks it up! And with this soup being so easy to make, maybe you should try it on Halloween night, too. It’s a great tradition!

Taco Soup

• 2 lbs. ground beef
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 (15.5 oz) cans pinto beans
• 1 (15.5 oz) can pink kidney beans
• 1 (15.25 oz) can whole kernal corn (can use frozen also)
• 1 (14.5 oz) can Mexican style stewed tomatoes (I can only find these in the Del Monte brand)
• 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes with chiles (I use the 10 oz Wal-Mart brand and its fine, or Rotele works, too!)
• 2 (4.5 oz) cans diced green chiles
• 1 package of taco seasoning
• 1 package dry Ranch salad dressing

Brown the ground beef and onions in a large skillet. Drain the excess fat and discard. Transfer beef and onions to a large stock pot or a crockpot. Add the beans, corn, tomatoes (all), green chiles, taco seasoning, and ranch dressing packet. For stockpot, bring to a boil, then turn heat to low and let simmer for one hour. For crockpot, cook on low for 4-6 hours. When serving, garnish with chips and top with sour cream, cheese, olives, green onions, jalapenos….whatever your heart desires!!

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