Crock Pot Taco Soup

On Saturday, my husband was gone all day river rafting. Which, I actually didn't mind, because it was the first time I'd been home in three weeks, and I had a lot of stuff that needed to get done! Laundry, scrubbing the kitchen floor, cleaning the bathroom, cleaning our bedroom, and the dishes were piled a mile high. I love my hubby, but I can get a lot more done when he isn't home. 

We live in the very bottom corner of Southeastern Utah. It can get really hot very quickly (I have strawberry plants that survived the winter and are already producing!), however, on Saturday, it was a cold and rainy day. The kind of day that I love. It was a perfect day to make a yummy Taco Soup! Which had actually turned into a blessing when my husband came home freezing - he'd been rained on while on the river and hadn't been able to warm up yet. 

Crock Pot Taco Soup

1 pound lean ground beef 

1 packet taco seasoning

1 onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

3 cups water

2 28 oz cans diced tomatoes

1 15 oz can tomato sauce

2 15 oz can kidney beans - drained and rinsed

1 can corn - drained

Precook the ground beef and add the taco seasoning packet, following the directions on the packet. Add the garlic and onion to the hamburger and cook until they are tender. Add everything to your crock pot and cook on high for 1 hour, or low for 2 hours. 

I ended up one and a half-ing the recipe, and added a can of black beans instead of another can of kidney beans. I like to put a little cheddar cheese, sour cream, and Fritos in it, however, it is delicious plain, as well. Also, you can use shredded chicken in place of the ground beef. 

Crystal's Spicy Spaghetti Sauce

Here is take two of my spaghetti sauce recipe. now that it has been a couple of days, hopefully I can still remember what I did exactly. this recipe changes almost every time I make it because every time I seem to lack or have extra of different ingredients. this time it was a little spicy because I added some crushed red pepper. (yeah, the little packets from dominoes.. :))

Crystal's ever changing spaghetti sauce: version Spicy!
1/2 lb ground beef
2 cans diced tomatoes (although if you have any fresh tomatoes I recommend those! so good.)
1 can tomato sauce
1/2 sliced onion
1 sliced green pepper (or red, orange, or yellow!)
1-2 tbs minced garlic
1-2 tsp of each: oregano, basil, parsley, and crushed red pepper
2-3 tbs brown sugar (optional)
pinch of baking soda (neutralizes the acidity from the tomatoes)
salt & pepper to taste

brown the beef and set aside. sauté the onion and peppers in some EVOO for about 2-3 minutes and then add in the garlic and seasonings. cook for another minute or two and then add the hamburger back in. add the tomatoes, sauce, brown sugar, and baking soda. bring to a boil and let simmer for about 15 minutes. add salt & pepper to your hearts desire!

this made about 6 servings!