Superbowl Sunday

Let me just say that I LOVE Superbowl food!  My Man and I were home all weekend with sick little ones.  So, any superbowl get-togethers we might have had planned fell through.  However, I was not about to let that stop me from preparing all the necessary accoutrements (meaning I still wanted to -ahem- pig out).  The food and the people is what I really enjoy about the superbowl, so I wanted to enjoy my family... and food.

Here's what I prepared corn dip, bruschetta, sweet potato chips, and brownie cookies (and leftover lasagna, but I really didn't bother with all the snacks - that was for the kids).  Now, I had never before prepared Pioneer Woman's bruschetta.  Let me just tell you that it was well worth it...  love, love, love this recipe.  Already looking for another reason to make it - soooo goood!!!

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
5 cloves Garlic, Finely Minced
1 pint Red Grape Tomatoes, Halved Lengthwise
1 pint Yellow Grape Tomatoes, Halved Lengthwise
1 Tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
16 whole Basil Leaves (chiffonade)
Salt And Pepper To Taste (don't Oversalt!)
1 whole Baguette
8 Tablespoons Butter


In a small skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic and stir, lightly frying for about a minute, removing before the garlic gets too brown (it can be golden.) Pour into a mixing bowl and allow to cool slightly.
Add tomatoes, balsamic, basil, and salt and pepper to the bowl. Toss to combine, then taste and add more basil if needed, and more salt if needed (don’t oversalt, though!) Cover and refrigerate for an hour or two if you have the time. (I would like to add a little fresh shredded parmesan to this mix next time)
Cut the baguette into diagonal slices to allow for the most surface area possible. Melt half the butter in a large skillet and grill half the bread on both sides, making sure they’re nice and buttery. Cook till golden brown on both sides. Repeat with the other half of the butter and the other half of the bread.
To serve, give the tomato mixture a final stir, the spoon generously over the slices of bread. Serve on a big platter as a first course or appetizer.

Sweet and Sassy Chili

This is MY new favorite chili.  It doesn't sear your tongue right off ; ) (of course I skip the jalopenos).

Sweet and Sassy Chili

2 pounds Ground Beef
1 pound Ground Pork
1 whole Green Pepper
1 whole Red Pepper
1 whole Sweet Onion
5 whole Jalopenos
1 can (15 Oz. Can) White Cannellini Beans
1 can (15 Oz. Can) Red Cannellini Beans
1 can (15 Oz. Can) Black Eyed Peas
1 can (15 Oz. Can) Corn
1 can (14.5 Oz. Can) Crushed Tomatoes
3 cups Spicy Tomato Juice V8
2 packages (1.25 Oz. Packet) McCormicks Chili Seasoning
1 cup Ketchup
1 whole Lime
4 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
Preparation InstructionsSaute the meat over medium heat until browned; then drain the grease. Add to a crock pot.
Dice and saute peppers, onions and jalapenos (de-seeded) over medium heat. When they are nice and soft, add them to the pot.
Rinse and drain the beans and peas; add to the pot. Mix all together.

Add remaining ingredients of seasoning packets, ketchup, juice of lime, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, tomatoes, tomato juice, and drained corn.
Give it one big stir and set the crock pot on low for 8 hours.
I like to serve this with a bit of shredded cheese on top and tortilla chips on the side. This recipe is great because you can alter the hot or sweet flavors by changing the amounts of jalapenos or brown sugar. You can combine everything at night and then turn the crock pot on in the morning. Enjoy!

Wowzers... Hamburger Soup

Well, we have been wonderful.  Lately.  I haven't posted for quite some time so you haven't been so lucky to hear my vomiting stories : )  But, recently we've all felt well and have been enjoying back to school.  I say that but it's been awfully hard to get up early since Christmas break!  And poor little Christopher is still teething...  I couldn't tell you if it's his 1 year molars or his eye and stomach teeth, but does it really matter?

Needless to say, 3 of us vomited in one day (on the same day we tried to go see Santa!) and to 3 others vomited in the days before and after Christmas.  My husband called it a comedy of errors and I think that pretty much covers it!

As soon as the colder weather hit (which took an awfully long time in these parts this year) I started making soups.  Really kind of funny how the thermometer drops and I immediately start preparing soup and bread!

I'll start with this b/c I've made it so many times already - instant favorite!!

Hamburger Soup
1 lb ground beef
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopping onion
6 cubes beef bouillon
5 cups water
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (16 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 tsp salt
1 (10 oz) pkg frozen corn
1 tsp dried basil
3 T ketchup

Brown burger, drain.  Combine all ingredients in a large stock pot.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for at least 1 1/2 hours.

FYI, I'm already doubling this for my family!!

I gave up

I have given up on trying to produce a chilli that My Man AND my children both enjoy.  Maryanna thinks toothpaste and peppermint gum are spicy.  My Man adds jalopenos OR tobasco sauce to everything.  He adds dime size dobs of wasabi to EVERY BITE of his sushi.  It's impossible.

So.  I gave up.

And now I am going to start making two pots of chili whenever I serve it.  And guess what.  I found this amazing sweet chili that I love!  I'll post that recipe another day.  Today I want to talk about the chili I found for My Man.

Ok, so this is my process.  If I can't find a recipe for whatever I'm looking for made by the Pioneer Woman or Paula Deen I go to TastyKitchen.com or allrecipes.com.  And when I searched for spicy chili I found this particular recipe on both of those sites under two different names.  With high ratings.
 
And it was a winner.  I've got just a couple of different things i'd like to try in it, but I've only made it once.  So, without further ado.

Halloween Chili aka The Boilermaker
2 pounds ground beef chuck

1 pound bulk Italian sausage
3 (15 ounce) cans chili beans, drained
1 (15 ounce) can chili beans in spicy sauce
2 (28 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with juice
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 green chile peppers, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon bacon bits
4 cubes beef bouillon
1/2 cup beer (I'm going to try an ale next time)
1/4 cup chili powder
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce (e.g. Tabasco™)
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 (10.5 ounce) bag corn chips such as Fritos®
1 (8 ounce) package shredded Cheddar cheese

Heat a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Crumble the ground chuck and sausage into the hot pan, and cook until evenly browned. Drain off excess grease.


Pour in the chili beans, spicy chili beans, diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Add the onion, celery, green and red bell peppers, chile peppers, bacon bits, bouillon, and beer. Season with chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, oregano, cumin, hot pepper sauce, basil, salt, pepper, cayenne, paprika, and sugar. Stir to blend, then cover and simmer over low heat for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

After 2 hours, taste, and adjust salt, pepper, and chili powder if necessary. The longer the chili simmers, the better it will taste. Remove from heat and serve, or refrigerate, and serve the next day.

To serve, ladle into bowls, and top with corn chips and shredded Cheddar cheese.

This smelled amazing while it cooked.  Can't wait to make it again!
 

Italian-Style Grilled Pizza

This was amazing!!  So glad I made this - multiple compliments from the kids and My Man!  And pretty easy too!  Especially if you're used to using a grill!

Italian-Style Grilled Pizza

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese
4 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced (I used cherry tomatoes - and I used more like 10)
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, sliced into fine ribbons
1 can (2.25 oz) sliced pitted ripe olives, drained
2 T olive oil
1 T red wine vinegar
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1/2 t each salt and coarsely ground black pepper
1 pkg (16 oz) prebaked pizza crust (I used a thin wheat crust hoping to cut some calories : )

1. Prepare grill for direct cooking over medium coals.  Place mozzarella cheese in bowl.  Grate Parmesan cheese into bowl.  Slice tomatoes in half, remove seeds and cut into small pieces.  Slice basil into ribbons.  Add tomatoes, basil and olives to bowl; mix gently.

2. In small bowl, combine oil, vinegar, garlic salt and pepper.  Lightly brush top of crust with 1 T of the oil mixture.

3. Place crust in center of grid of grill, top side down.  Grill crust, uncovered, 4-5 minutes or until deep golden brown.  Turn crust over and carefully remove.

4. Add remaining oil mixture to cheese mixture in bowl; mix well.  Spoon cheese mixture evenly over top of crust; return pizza to grid of grill.  Cover and grill 8-10 minutes or until cheese is melted and bottom of crust is deep golden brown.

5. Remove pizza to cutting board; slice and serve!

We just happened to have leftover grilled chicken that we chopped up and added to this recipe.  My Man was helping me in the kitchen this particular day : )  I should mention that this is a Pampered Chef recipe.  I love Pampered Chef, have a couple of their cookbooks and several of their tools and cookware.  Their recipes are some of my favorites and I know I have other Pampered Chef recipes listed here. I cannot believe I have had this book this long and not made this recipe!

This is a definite keeper!!

Ah, Nursing

So, with Christopher's 10-month anniversary just around the corner, I've started thinking about weaning. Yes, I'm still breastfeeding. I've breastfed each of my babies right up until their first birthday's. So, this is the last couple of months of the fourth year that I've spent breastfeeding - not consecutively, thank goodness. And it's gotten me thinking. About all of the wonderful things about nursing and all of the frustrating.

Nursing in public. (sorry, but) Sore nipples. Bras. I hate bras while I'm nursing! Unexpected visitors in the middle of the afternoon send me running for my bedroom! TEETHING. Nursing makes me tired. I don't know if it's the hormones or the drain on my body - probably both. But, I have an energy boost when I'm finished. Exposing my back, side and sometimes my gut 4-6 times a day. And the diet restrictions. I'm not the type of person to add jalopenos or tobasco to everything. But three of my babies have been extremely sensitive. Tomatoes, beans, chili powder, almonds, garlic, onions - my diet has had to be pretty bland. I had no idea how many recipes I had that were just a little too spicy. I will be glad to be free to have two cups of coffee. Two of my babies would not take a bottle no matter what was in it, so the ability to go for an extended period of time when necessary will be nice.

Now, the things that I will miss... Those chubby hands on my skin. The way his eyes roll back in his head when he's tired and hungry and it's just so comforting and it must just taste so good. Those moments when our eyes lock and we share that precious bond. The ability to comfort when nothing else will. Holding him close. The ability to take off with baby and have the nourishment he needs ready to go without preparation. And, let's face it, sometimes it's nice that I'm the only one he wants because it's time to eat!

I've had many ask me lately how I feel about being so close to being finished. It's bittersweet. No matter how you look at it, by the end of a year I'm ready to be finished. But, the prospect of being finished for good seems awfully sad. I can't say that I'll ever regret it. 

Slow-Cooker Swiss Steak

1 1/2 lbs round steak, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 (8 oz) pkg sliced fresh mushrooms
1 cup sliced onion
1 cup sliced celery
1 T minced garlic
1 (14.5 oz) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
1 (.87 oz)pkg brown gravy mix
1/2 t salt
1/2 t ground black pepper

In a 4-6 qt slow cooker, combine steak, mushrooms, onion, celery, and garlic.
In a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, tomato sauce, 1/2 cup water, gravy mix, salt, andpepper. Pour over steak mixture. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours. Serve over mashed potatoes with a mixed green salad.

We loved this. It was so hardy! I cannot wait to serve this on a cold evening this fall. I also made rice a few days later and served it over that as leftovers. Also delish : )

Sarah's Guacamole!

Had this at the lake last weekend! Absolutely love, love, love : ) You will too if you like your guacamole chunky and with lots of cilantro.

2 avocados,
2 roma tomatoes
1/4 of a white onion finely chopped
1 clove of garlic
1 tsp sea salt
1 lime
lots of cilantro... if you think it's too much, keep going
pepper to taste

Also, if you don't like it chunky, just throw it in the food processor or magic bullet (or baby food processor in my case : )

FYI, took some pics of my zuccini, pineapple cake I made the other day. It's Pioneer Woman's but I printed it a long time ago and just hadn't made it yet. Can't find the original so I'll eventually retype it to get it up here if I need to.. sooner or later! It is definitely summer : )

Quick Take-out Thai Chicken Curry

This was fantastic! Total new favorite, try it today : )

2 tsps ground ginger
2 tsps ground cumin
1 1/2 tsps curry powder
1/4 tsps salt
1/8 tsps ground red pepper
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, coursely chopped
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup coconut milk
2 tbsp mild curry paste
white rice
garnish: sliced green onions

In a medium bowl, combine ginger, cumin, curry powder, salt and red pepper. Add chicken, tossing to coat.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken and onion; cook for 6 to 8 minutes or until onion is tender. Stir in tomatoes, until onion it tender. Stir in tomatoes, coconut milk, and curry paste; bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes. Serve over rice. Garnish with sliced green onions, if desired. *Light coconut milk can be substituted for reular coconut milk, if desired.

I found the coconut milk in the asian food section. The curry paste was a little pricey for a tiny jar but it looks like it will last awhile. Also, I could not find ground red pepper, just crushed. So I ground a little myself.

New Recipe!

Finally managed to try something new. Seems I just haven't had time lately. So many recipes, so little time. Anyway, made this at the lake this weekend and it seemed to be a hit. My Man was all about it, anyway. I just love slow cooker recipes.

Chicken Tacos

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 15 oz can tomatoes with chiles (Rotel), and their juices
1 cup frozen corn
1/3 cup water
1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
corn taco shells
favorite toppings: shredded cheese, sour cream, lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, ripe black olives

Use a 4 qt slow cooker. Put the chicken into the stoneware, and top with the entire can of tomatoes, corn, water, and beans. Cover and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours, or on high for 4 to 5 hours. Shred the chicken with two large forks, and fill the taco shells. Add your favorite toppings, and enjoy.

FYI this recipe was from the book Make It Fast, Cook It Slow (one of my new faves). Also, we used flour tortillas and I cooked it in my dutch oven in the oven at 325 for about 2 hours. Make sure you don't run out of water.

Paula Deen's Chili-Lime Southwest Wraps

This recipe came out of the same issue that the Chocolate Pumpkin Bread did. And it was a lifesaver! Totally loved it. My Man, of course, added tobasco sauce. He also said he wouldn't mind more lime juice and more kick of some kind. I'm thinking I'll add jalopenos to his next time...

But, they were great. She (Paula) added this to the issue as a 'tailgating' food. It's a cold dish. However, it's great to have on hand. We had it for lunch, we had it for dinner, and when we ran out of tortillas, we ate it with tortilla chips!

Chili-Lime Southwest Wraps

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 T lime juice
1 t chili powder
3 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 10 oz can diced tomatoes and green chiles
1 15.25 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 15.25 oz can whole kernel corn, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
7 10-in. flour tortillas

In a large bowl, combine mayonnaise, lime juice, and chili powder. Stir in chicken, tomatoes and green chiles, beans, corn, and cilantro, Spoon mixture into each tortilla. Roll up tortillas, and cut in half.

Beans and Rice

I am still figuring out how to cook rice in my crockpot. Actually I think it's the rice I'm buying. It's just not quite the right consistency... I'll figure it out eventually.

Beans and Rice

1 T olive oil
1 cup raw rice
1 (15 oz) can pinto beans, drained
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, liquid reserved
1/2 T dried onion flakes, or 1/2 cup diced fresh onion
1/2 t kosher salt
1 t Italian seasoning
water

Use a 4 qt slow cooker. Put the olive oil into the stoneware, and add the rice, Swirl the rice around to coat it nicely with the oil. Add the beans. Drain the tomatoes, but reserve the liquid in a 2 cup measuring cup. Add the tomatoes, onion, salt, and Italian seasoning. Add water to the tomato liquid to make a full 2 cups. Pour the liquid intot the slow cooker. Stir. cover and cook on low for 6 hours, or on high for 3 to 4 hours. Your dinner is complete when the rice is tender. Brown or wild rice will take longer to soften than white rice.

Jamie's Chili

I think Jamie is Paula's son, but since I just googled this, I'm not sure. :-)

Anyhow, it's an excellent recipe and it's made me abandon my old chili recipe. And, if you haven't noticed, I like to cook things that I can start when the kids go to bed and just let simmer for, oh say, 3 or 4 hours. This is definitely one of those. And it has celery in it. I love it. Celery in our chili.

1 lb mixed ground beef and sausage, browned and drained

1 medium onion, diced

1 green bell pepper diced

2 cups chopped celery (2 stalks)

1 (28 oz) can whole, peeled tomatoes

2 (28 oz) cans diced tomatoes

1 small can tomato paste

1 package chili seasoning mix

chili powder

ground cumin

1 can chili beans

1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

garnish: shredded cheddar, sour cream, chopped green onions

Brown the meet and drain. Spray large pot with nontick cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Add the onion, green pepper, and celery and saute briefly. Stir in the diced and whole tomatoes (I'm working with the tomatoes. I don't want the chili to be too tomatoey - b/c that's a word- and My Man likes it pretty hot. So I'm swapping out some tomatoes for tomatoes with green chilies. I'll let you know...). Add cumin and chili powder, to taste, and cook for about 8 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add the beans, browned meat, and chili seasoning. Partially cover and let simmer for 4 hours.

BTW, I didn't drain and rinse anything but the black beans. Let me know if you make this and like it! And I suppose you could let me know if you don't too....

Beefy Tortellini Soup

This was served at a dinner party Hubby and I attended. Fell in love (With the soup, I mean. Was already in love with Hubby, of course). I should probably mention that I was in a soup phase. I should also mention I was pregnant and obsessed with soups at the time. Like, every meal.

Anyway, the point is, who doesn't love tortellini? Seriously, best pasta ever invented. Love it.

Also, Hubby and I are huge fans of French bread. Big, crusty, warm, yummy, soup for the soul French bread. Especially with anything pasta and any soup. So this is perfect. Personally, I make my French bread dough in my bread machine and bake it myself. Works for us. Bon appetit!

Beefy Tortellini Soup

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 lb. lean ground beef
2 1/2 cups beef broth
1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
2 medium carrots, thinly sliced
1 tsp basil
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 lb cheese-filled tortellini
2 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into thin half-rounds
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

In a medium saucepan, warm the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic, and stir-fry until the mixture just begins to brown, about 3 minutes. Crumble in the beef and cook, stirring, until the meat is no longer pink, about 3 minutes.

Add the broth, 1 1/2 cups of water, and the tomatoes. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, basil, and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes.

Add the tortellini and cook until al dente according to package directions.

Three minutes before the tortellini are done, add the zucchini to the soup. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the zucchini is crisp-tender.

Serve the soup with the Parmesan cheese on the side.

Tex-Mex Lasagna

Yet another another Paula Deen recipe, but this time I can claim that my mother-in-laws to blame! :-) Thanks, Ann! We love this one!

2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (15.25 oz) can corn, drained
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (10 oz) can diced tomatoes with chiles
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1 (16 oz) container sour cream
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
6 oven ready lasagna noodles
1 (8oz) package Monterey Jack cheese, grated
1 (8 oz) package cheddar cheese, grated

In a dutch oven, combine 1st 12 ingredients. Bring to a boil over med-high heat, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes.

In a medium bowl, combine sour cream and cream cheese.

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease 9x13 baking dish.

Spoon one-third of sauce into prepared dish. top with 3 uncooked lasagna noodles. Spread one-half of sour cream mixture over noodles, top with one-third sauce. Sprinkle with half of cheeses. Repeat layers. Bake 35-45 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

(I bake mine with foil over the top and remove it 10 minutes before its done.)

Make sure you let it sit up!

Cowboy Caviar

Hubby absolutely adores this stuff. Well, so do I, actually. It's obviously great as an appetizer around football season, but we could eat it anytime, anywhere. So goooooooood. Seriously, now I want some.

1 15 oz can shoepeg corn, drained
1 15 oz. can black-eyed peas, drained
1 avocado, peeled and diced
2/3 cup cilantro, chopped
2-3 green onions, chopped
3-4 roma tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 garlic cloves, crushed
3/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground pepper
1 Tbsp ground cumin

In a medium bowl, combine corn, black-eyed peas, avocado, cilantro, green onions, and tomatoes.

In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, garlic, salt, pepper, and cumin. Add to the vegetable mixture and toss to coat.

Serve with tortilla chips or toasted pita chips. Makes 4-6 servings.

Best Ever Pasta Salad

This recipe I hounded my sister's boyfriend's mom till she relented and told me she got it at allrecipes.com. She added a couple of things that I included for you here (don't you love me). So, thanks, Connie!

BEST EVER PASTA SALAD (allrecipes.com)
1 (16 oz) pkg dry penne pasta
2 large cucumbers, peeled and cubed (I like using European cucumbers)
2 roma (plum) tomatoes chopped
2 cups mayonnaise
1 (8 oz) container sour cream
3 tablespoons dried dill weed
2 tablespoons lemon pepper

Connie adds black olives, which I think is de-lish.

Directions:
1. Bring large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add penne pasta and cook for 8-10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
2. Combine pasta with other ingredients. Serve as is or chill for 45 minutes.

Food!

For whatever reason, every time I try to take a picture of my dishes they turn out terrible. So, I'm going to go ahead and post a few of our family favotites and see if I can't do some research that will give me a clue as to what I'm doing wrong. (See what I did there? If I tell you I'm going to do it, and I go ahead and post this, then I have to get it done... maybe).

I make this on a regular basis to freeze for Hubby's lunches. He can throw a frozen serving in his lunch box and by lunchtime it's thawed and he can microwave it. It's chalk-full of fiber with all of the beans and he loves it. Also, I make it in the crockpot so it's so easy. AND if I make it for the fam we always eat it with fritoes, cheddar, and sour cream. So you don't have to miss out on the fat :-)

Incidentally, this is what I served the night we told my folks I was pregnant with our first. We put pacifiers in their bowls :-)

Taco Soup

1 ½ to 2 lbs. ground beef – browned and drained
1 large onion chopped (add to hamburger to brown)
1 can chili beans
1 can pinto beans
1 can black beans (drained and rinsed)
1 can rotel
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can diced green chilies
1 can corn
1 can hominy (we often omit this)
1 can tomato soup
2 pkgs taco seasoning
1 pkg ranch dressing mix
salt and pepper to taste
Add all ingredients (undrained-except black beans) and cook 2 hours or longer (I usually use a crock-pot on high). Serve with grated cheese, fritos, or tortilla chips.

(recipe from Helen Coe)