Crockpot Taco Soup

image credit

I'm taking ya'll with me as I seek to expand our regular menu selections. Last time it was Garlic Cheddar Chicken, which my husband declared a restaurant-quality meal.

Last night we tried Taco Soup, which I loved and even had for lunch today. But let me warn you...it's mighty spicy! Try decreasing the cumin to make it more child-friendly.

There are a couple packaged-food items included in this, but below the recipe I'll give you whole-food friendly substitutions for those.

Crockpot Taco Soup

Ingredients

1 pound ground turkey (93/7 lean; or ground beef)

1 packet ranch dressing mix (I will substitute for you below)

1 packet of taco seasoning (substitution below)

1 can corn (I used a whole bag of steamed corn)

1 can of diced tomatoes, not drained

1 can of tomato sauce

1 can of Rotel (a salsa-like tomato and onion mixture found in the mexican section)

1 can of water

2 cans of beans, not drained (I used 1 can black beans, 1 can pinto beans)

1 T cumin

2 tsp. minced garlic

Procedure

1. Brown the meat a little, and then add the garlic and cumin to blend the flavors.

2. Dump meat mixture in the crockpot with all the other ingredients and cook on low for 6-8 hours (or simmer in soup pot for one hour). It will look like chili to you, but really, it comes out as a unique soup.

Yeah, it's that easy!

I had never used Rotel and it took time for me to find it in the store, but Walmart did have it. I don't know if that made it so fiery, or the cumin, but if you find it too spicy, you can reduce one or the other.

I served with grated cheese to cut the spiciness, and with honey cornbread. You could serve with cheese quesadillas, or homemade bread, or tortilla chips.

I suggest vanilla ice cream with berries on top for dessert, to wash away the spiciness, too.

Okay, now for the substitutions:

Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix (Store it and use for every recipe calling for taco seasoning mix. Use 2 T per 1 pound of meat. I usually triple the batch for greater convenience, but these measurements are for a single batch.)

2 T chili powder

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. onion powder

1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. paprika

1 T cumin

2 1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. pepper

Ranch Dressing Mix (Makes 1 T; use for recipes calling for 1 packet of Ranch dressing mix)

1 tsp. dried parsley

3/4 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. onion powder

1/8 tsp. dried thyme


Honey Wheat Cornbread (the wheat and honey make this delicious)

Ingredients

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup yellow cornmeal

1/4 cup white sugar

1 T baking powder

1 cup milk (I use the kids' 2% milk, but I've seen similar recipes written with 1 cup heavy cream instead of milk)

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup honey

2 eggs, lightly beaten

Procedure

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a 9x9 inch baking pan.

2. In large bowl, stir together flour, cornmeal, sugar, and baking powder. Make a well in the center, and add the milk, oil, honey, and eggs; stir to combine. Pour batter into prepared pan.

3. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.


* Image credit given above is for a good picture of taco soup, and shows ideal garnishes, but I didn't get this recipe at that sight. The recipe shown at that sight sounds equally good, though, and is for a larger batch.
 

Garlic Cheddar Chicken

I'm not a good cook.

I was single for far too long, and back then I would just as soon eat a bowl of cereal and read a good book, then make a full dinner.

Having admitted that, let me add that three years ago I decided to start cooking from scratch, for both health and financial reasons.

I don't know what the term scratch means to you, but to me it means buying no boxed foods or spice packs or anything containing suspicious chemicals. I purchase whole foods and prepare them myself; I want to know where our food comes from.

This doesn't mean I always bake my own bread, make my own yogurt, sprout grains, and buy steel-cut oats, for heaven's sake.

I don't even know what a steel-cut oat is, to be honest.

I also don't can produce. For one thing, I still lack the equipment, and secondly, I'd feel better watching someone do it first. My mother wasn't domestic and only did the minimum in the kitchen, though she wasn't a bad cook, just basic.

About now I'm looking for a domestic-goddess role model with time on her hands.

Though I don't can, I do check labels carefully on canned tomato products, and I only use canned beans when there's no time to soak beans overnight.

I don't buy organic produce unless it's fairly cheap, and although pesticides scare me, I only have so much money to spend on food, and by golly, the Lord is just going to have to protect us.

I tend to cook the same things week after week, unfortunately, because when I do start hunting for new recipes, I find ingredients lists that are full of spice packets and canned soups and the like.

It's discouraging and I give up too soon, instead of hunting for ways to modify the recipes. Time is never on my side.

But. I prayed and the Lord is helping! Recently I've had better luck hunting for whole-foods recipes, so our menus will find variety in the coming weeks, and as I use the oven more I'll stop shivering, thank goodness.

Today I have an easy, tasty recipe to share, which everyone liked and some of us really loved.

photo credit

Garlic Cheddar Chicken Breasts

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter

4 cloves garlic

3/4 cup dry bread crumbs* (Italian style or plain)

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese ( I used colby jack successfully)

1/4 tsp dried parsley

1/4 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/8 tsp salt

8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Procedure:

Melt butter over low heat, then cook garlic until tender, about 5 minutes.

In shallow bowl, mix the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, Cheddar cheese, parsley, oregano, pepper and salt.

Dip chicken breasts in the garlic butter to coat, then press into the bread crumb mixture. Arrange the coated chicken breasts in a 9 X 13 baking dish. Top with remaining bread crumb mixture.

Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees in preheated oven, or until juices run clear and chicken is no longer pink.

*Making your own bread crumbs: Place whole pieces of bread, or torn bread, on a cookie sheet, single-layered. Bake at 300 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Let dried bread cool, and then place in plastic bag. Crush with rolling pin (kids can crush them for you). 4 slices of bread make about 1 cup of crumbs. Boxed versions are salty, have chemicals, and taste processed.

Recipe originally found here. It says to pour the remaining melted butter/garlic over the chicken breasts before baking. I skipped that step to lower the fat grams and calories, and just discarded the butter mixture.

The recipe also calls for thin breasts. Mine were rather thick in parts but they were fully done and deliciously juicy at 30 minutes.

I served with plain brown rice and steamed veggies. Enjoy!

Bright Spot in our Homeschooling Today

Today in our Writing With Ease Level 4 resource, I read a passage from The Siege of Washington, D.C., by Captain E. Colburn Adams. This is a very old book, not readily available, but the writing is superb and exactly what I want my children to emulate. Susan Wise Bauer chose only the best as she penned this resource, and I'm indebted to her.

Following the reading (just a passage, not the whole book), the boys were required to narrate orally why the Civil War started, using 3 or 4 sentences. Specifically, what did the South want, what did the North and West do to provoke the South, and what was the result?

After they narrated and we discussed it together, the boys began writing their narration. I have them write all their narrations after we discuss the passage, which is a modified use of the resource. In Level 4, I'm supposed to write down my student's narration as they speak, and then they are to memorize the first two sentences only, and then write just those down. My boys are capable of more, since this resource is for grades 4-5.

I always say, boss the curriculum, don't let it boss you. Modify it to work for your child.

Shortly I will probably purchase Writing With Skill, the next resource in the series, and move the boys into that.

I am so proud of my Peter!

Regular, long-time readers might remember that he has always struggled with spelling, and that organizing his thoughts on paper was difficult too. He has a little dysgraphia, which is difficulty with handwriting, spelling, and organizing thoughts on paper. You would be shocked at his handwriting, which is large for his age, though neat enough as long as he uses 2nd-grade lined paper. He's no where near ready for college-ruled paper, for example, which is very unusual for a sixth grader. And cursive is very difficult for him.

But his spelling and writing organization! They are so much improved, and no tears or fits! I was so excited at his work today!

Peter, age 11 (first draft, with his spelling and punctuation)

The people of the south wanted 3 things: slavery, a president who agreed with them, and independence. The people of the north and west offended the south by electing Abraham Lincoln as president. Becasue of this the Civil War started.

What shining spot did you experience in your school today?