Best Taco Soup Recipe

I tried out Paula Deen's taco soup recipe the other night. Get it here!

It was sooo good. Everybody loved it. I have tried many taco soup recipes and I think this one was the best. I did make adaptions though, so below is my version of it:

Ingredients

• 1 pounds ground beef
• 2 cups diced onions
• 1 (15 1/2-ounce) cans pinto beans
• 1 (15 1/2-ounce) can pink kidney beans
• 1 (15 1/4-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
• 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes with chiles
• 1 (4 1/2-ounce) cans diced green chilies*
• 1 package taco seasoning mix
• 1 (1-ounce) package ranch salad dressing mix 
• 2/3 of a can of chicken stock  (this adds flavor as well as makes it more soupy)
• Crackers or tortilla chips, for serving
• Sour cream, for garnish
• Grated cheese, for garnish 

I actually halved the original recipe to the best of my ability so if you want to make the full amount you would have to adjust the amounts of beef, beans, tomatos, chilies, and chicken stock (refer to the original recipe for this).

Cook the beef and add some of your taco seasoning to it while it cooks. Then add everything to a crock pot, including the rest of the taco seasoning. Cook on low for at least 8 hours.

*I usually make this with green chiles and either put a few diced jalapenos in or put them in a bowl for others to add in on their own. When I made this the other day, I taste tested it and thought it was more spicy than usual. So I warned my mother in law about it. She tasted it and thought it was awesome but as she noticed how spicy it was too. When everyone noticed it, we discussed what would be making the soup so spicy. I was clueless at what it could be as diced chilies are not that spicy. Come to find out the can of green chilies I used was actually a can of diced jalapenos. And I used the whole can. Needles to say, everyone that loved hot food was happy I did it. My mother in law loved the soup but was only able to eat so much of it. I think if we ever had more people present for dinner,  I would make a full recipe and do half with green chilies and half with the jalapenos.

Tip: This soup freezes really well. So make room in your freezer and cook extra.