Trashy Taco Soup

I first stumbled upon this recipe after reading over a post on Emily Noel’s blog.  My initial thought was what on earth is this trashy taco soup?  After reading over the general gist of the recipe (see original recipe here), I decided to throw the recipe into Recipe Builder to see how many points a serving would be. I tend to be a bigger fan of stews and since this was said to be on the thicker side I was all on board.  Going through the ingredients I had on hand, I decided I would switch the recipe up just a tad and I have to say, I LOVED the end result.  It was filling, delicious and the possibilities are undoubtedly endless because it can be switched up to cater to any craving one may be having.  Here’s how I switched up mine just a bit:

Serves 8. 1 cup serving. 6 points plus values.

Ingredients:

-          1 pound 93% lean ground turkey (or if you prefer 93% ground beef)

-          1 medium onion, diced

-          1 tablespoon minced garlic

-          14.5 oz canned diced tomatoes

-          10 oz. Rotel diced tomatoes & green chiles – original

-          15 oz. canned black beans, drained and rinsed

-          15 oz. canned small red beans, drained and rinsed

-          15 oz canned corn, no salt added

-          15 oz. canned tomato sauce

-          1 envelope McCormick Taco Seasoning

-          1 envelope Hidden Valley Ranch  dip

-          Trader Joe’s 21 Season Salute (or hamburger seasoning) - Optional

In a non-stick skillet over medium heat, cook together your ground meat, onion and garlic.  Season with 21 Season Salute or hamburger seasoning (if wanted).  Cook until onions are translucent and ground meat is cooked completely.

Transfer meat mixture to a Crock pot (or if you wish to cook it on the stove, transfer your meat to a soup pot).  Add in beans, Ro-tel tomatoes, diced tomatoes, black beans, red beans, corn, tomato sauce, ranch seasoning, and taco seasoning.  Mix together ingredients.

Set crock pot onto low, cover and cook for 6-8 hours.  45 minutes before serving I turned the crock pot off to allow the mixture to cool and thicken up just a tad.