It seems no, matter what time I go to bed or when I get up someone is always hungry in his house. Well, Buttercup… that does make sense today because it’s Taco Tuesday! And I’m going to be honest with you.

I’m getting a little tired of making the same old tacos. Don’t get me wrong. I love tacos. I love regular tacos. I love puff tacos and sometimes I like Soft Taco’s or Taco Salad but every Tuesday doesn’t have to mean putting taco meat in a shell and calling it dinner.

So this week, I’m going to go out on a limb. I’m making taco soup which I honestly can’t remember the last time I’ve had it. Can you remember when or if you’ve ever had Taco Soup?

Not that its Fall which usually brings cooler weather, cooler weather usually brings soup, and soup usually makes me think about cornbread… Well, we’re going to have some sweet cornbread, too.

Because this is Texas. And in Texas, we like our cornbread sweet. I’m sorry, Gerald. I know you’re diabetic. But too bad, so sad. Okay, I’m kidding. Mostly. Or am I kidding because I am making Cornbread and Soup for me because I deserve to have meals I like sometimes.

I don’t know about in your home but in our house, soup is one of those things where everybody has an opinion. Charlie thinks potato soup is pretty much the only soup that matters and he will only eat it or Chicken and Gnocchi Soup from Olive Garden. Anyone have a recipe for it?

And according to Charlie, potato soup needs bacon and cheese or he isn’t interested. That’s just how he rolls. I happen to agree with Charlie most of the time. How about you?

For me I love potato soup and I love chicken noodle soup, as well as Chicken Enchilada Soup and Tortilla Soup and sometimes Tomato Soup. How about you what soups do you like and why?

And now I’m thinking about taco soup because it’s something I haven’t had in forever and it isn’t something I’ve ever made. Have you? Gerald surprises me sometimes because he’ll eat chicken noodle soup and potato soup, and he might eat taco soup. I honestly never know.

And David? David isn’t much of a soup eater. Now, when we go to Olive Garden, he’ll eat soup. If I make my potato soup at home, he’ll eat some. But he’s definitely not eating soup with the enthusiasm that Charlie and I do.

Which means I have a feeling tonight could go one of two ways. Either everybody eats taco soup… Or everybody can fend for themselves, Buttercup. Because I’m not making two dinners.

The last time I remember having taco soup was back when I was selling Homemade Gourmet. Sadly, Homemade Gourmet eventually closed its doors, like so many of those direct-selling companies from back in the day.

But I still remember some of their recipes. They made the best meatloaf. And they made a really good taco soup. As well as dips and who can forget about the Pecan Pie Muffins they carried? Not I.

So when I started thinking about Taco Tuesday this week, my mind went right back there. I did some browsing today and found a simple taco soup idea. Now I just need to go to the store and get what I need. And then we’re going to see what happens.

The nice thing about taco soup is that you can make it your own. You can make it mild which is what I prefer or you can make it spicy which I bet Charlie would prefer. How about you. Mild or Spicy and why?

You can pile on toppings including Sour Cream, Cheese or even Avocado’s. Or you can keep it simple. And that’s what I like about recipes like this. They don’t have to be exactly the same in every household.

Our Taco Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 packet taco seasoning
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 can corn, drained
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can diced green chilies, optional
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 2 cups beef broth or water
• Salt and pepper, if needed

Directions:

Brown the ground beef and onion in a large pot.

Drain the excess grease if needed.

Add the taco seasoning and stir.

Then add the tomatoes, corn, beans, green chilies if you’re using them, tomato sauce and broth.

Bring everything to a simmer and let the flavors come together.

Give it a taste.

If you want more taco flavor, add a little more taco seasoning.

If you want more heat, add some jalapenos or hot sauce.

And if you’re feeding a house full of people with different opinions about spicy food, keep it mild and let everybody add their own toppings.

That’s what I’d do.

Now, Butterecup, you can’t have taco soup without something crunchy on top. Well, technically you can. But why would you? You can make your tortilla strips two different ways.

You can bake them, which is definitely the healthier option. Or… You can fry them. And I’m going to tell you right now which one I prefer. I prefer frying them. Sometimes, Buttercup, you just have to be bad. I have to go out on a limb every once in a while. And fried tortilla strips? Oh, yes. That’s one of those times.

Baked Tortilla Strips

For the healthier version, cut corn tortillas into thin strips.

Place them in a single layer on a baking sheet.

Lightly coat them with cooking spray or a little oil and sprinkle with salt.

Bake at about 400°F until they’re crisp and lightly browned, keeping an eye on them because those little strips can go from perfect to burned pretty quickly.

They’re crunchy, they’re easy, and they’re healthier than frying.

Fried Tortilla Strips– My favorite.

Cut your corn tortillas into thin strips.

Heat oil in a skillet or pan.

Carefully fry the strips in batches until they’re golden and crisp.

Remove them and let them drain on paper towels.

Add a little salt while they’re still warm.

And there you go.

Crispy, crunchy, fried tortilla strips ready to pile on top of your taco soup.

And yes… I know baking them is healthier. I know. But sometimes I have to be bad. Now I want to know about you. Have you ever made your own tortilla strips? Do you fry them or bake them?

And if you fry them, come and share your recipe with me, because I know they would taste so much better. Laughing out loud! And OMG… Don’t tell anyone in my home, because there goes my diet again!

The next question is what about the Cornbread? Well, Buttercup… I can’t make taco soup and NOT have cornbread. Can you? And around here, that means sweet cornbread. Usually it’s Jiffy brand just like my parents and grandparents used in the little blue box.

Now, I know there are people who will tell me that cornbread isn’t supposed to have sugar in it. That’s fine. You do you. I’ll be over here eating my sweet cornbread. And because I know not everybody wants the same thing, we’re going to have two cornbread ideas.

Sweet Texas Cornbread

Ingredients:

• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk or buttermilk
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 2 tablespoons honey, optional

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 375°F.

Mix the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.

In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk and melted butter.

Combine the wet and dry ingredients and stir just until mixed.

Pour into a greased baking dish or skillet.

Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, generally around 20–30 minutes depending on the pan.

Let it cool for a few minutes.

Then cut yourself a piece. Add butter. And enjoy.

Jalapeño Cornbread

Now we’re going to give the people who like a little kick something to talk about. For this version, we’re adding finely chopped jalapenos. And because David won’t eat cornbread with corn in it, I’m leaving the corn out of his version.

That’s marriage, Buttercup. You learn these things and that is where pick my battles come into play.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk or buttermilk
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 1–2 jalapenos, finely chopped
• Optional: shredded cheese
• Optional: a little finely diced onion

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 375°F.

Mix together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.

In another bowl, whisk the eggs, milk and melted butter.

Combine the wet and dry ingredients.

Fold in the chopped jalapenos.

If you want cheese or onion, add those, too.

Pour into a greased baking dish or cast-iron skillet.

Bake until golden and cooked through.

And there you have it.

Sweet cornbread for those of us who believe cornbread should be sweet.

And jalapeño cornbread for those who want a little more personality in their bread.

Now you would think I would be done but I have another idea because my sister is gluten-free. And that got me thinking. I need to actually check the ingredients on the taco soup and figure out what changes, if any, I’d need to make so she could enjoy it, too.

Because wouldn’t it be fun to invite my sister over for a girls’ day? We could make taco soup. We could visit and we could watch a Hallmark movie. And we could send the boys into the man-cave room.

Sorry, gentlemen. Girls’ day. No, boys or dogs allowed. It’s been a while since we’ve done that. Maybe taco soup is exactly what we need. Heck we can even invite some friends over to join us. Again girls only.

Now here’s where I need your help. What beverage should we serve with taco soup? I was thinking about a nice cold glass of milk. Yes. Milk. I know that’s probably not everybody’s first choice.

Especially not in my home because nobody in my house really likes milk except me. But there’s something about a cold glass of milk with warm cornbread that sounds pretty darn good to me.

So tell me… What would YOU drink with taco soup, and why? I want to know. Tea? Water? Lemonade? Soda? Milk? A Beer or something stronger? Or something else I haven’t thought of and why?

I hope you enjoyed my choice for #TacoTuesday- Taco Tuesday Your Way. Being able to change out the ingredients so everyone can have something they is what I love about recipes like this.

You can take the idea and make it your own. Maybe your family wants regular tacos. Make tacos. Maybe they want taco soup. Make taco soup.

Maybe somebody wants tortilla strips and cheese. Give them tortilla strips and cheese. Maybe somebody wants sour cream. Put sour cream on it. And if somebody looks at the bowl and says, “I’m not eating that”…

Well… They know where the kitchen is. I’m not making two meals. I’m making something I enjoy. And something I haven’t had in a very long time. So tonight, we’re having Taco Tuesday a little differently.

We’re having taco soup, crispy tortilla strips, cheese, maybe sour cream, and sweet Texas cornbread. And if the family doesn’t want it? Well, Buttercup… They can fend for themselves. Because Mama is hungry. And Mama wants taco soup. If mamma ain’t hap[y no, one is.

These give you three clean, individual recipe-card pr

Grateful, Thankful, and Blessed.

GreatfulMoments.com

Thank you,

Glenda, Charlie and David Cates