Taco Salad

This is our simple family meal tonight.  I love it because we just set out bowls of each item and everyone creates their own concoctions.  We make salads, heaping nachos or just bowls of beans and corn. Everyone is happy so mom is happy.

Taco Salad

Layer the following however you wish

Tortilla chips

Lettuce

Taco seasoned ground beef

Kidney beans

Cut corn

Shredded cheddar cheese

Ranch dressing

Salsa

Taco Soup

This is the easiest dinner recipe and I know many of you use it often. (Circe this is not for you...I think you have it down!)  Brad doesn't really like it a ton, but my kids do so he has to suffer and especially on nights mom isn't so prepared (like today).  This was already posted on my family blog but of course I need to post it here now.  My recipe comes out of the Lion House Christmas Recipes Book.  Not that this is already quick enough, but a short cut I do monthly is to buy bulk ground beef at Sams/Costco and fry it all up then divide into around 1 lb. baggies and freeze.  Then I can thaw a baggie in the microwave and toss it into the soup saving me a step.

Taco Soup

1 lb. ground beef

1 medium onion, chopped

1 pkg. mild taco seasoning mix

1 16oz. can cut corn

1 16oz. can kidney beans, drained and rinsed (I use 2 because my girls love them)

1 28oz. can stewed tomatoes

1 8oz. can tomato sauce

Tortilla chips

Grated cheese

Brown ground beef in heavy saucepan.  Drain.  Saute chopped onion; add to ground beef.  Stir in taco seasoning, corn, kidney beans, stewed tomatoes, and tomato sauce.  Simmer for 20-30 minutes.  Serve topped with tortilla chips and grated cheese.  Makes 8 servings.