Taco Soup

My Dad called today looking for a taco soup recipe. Did I have one? Of course! He wanted to know if it was easy and good. I said, "Dad, it's Paula Deen's". Enough said.

This recipe is the very first thing I made as a married woman that tasted really good. Her original recipe calls for olives, but my husband hates olives, so we don't use them. It makes a ton so it's a perfect recipe to half into two freezer meals.

Image and original recipe courtesy of Paula Deen and Food Network

Ingredients
2 pounds ground beef
2 cups diced onion
2 (15.5 oz.) cans pinto beans
1 (15.5 oz.) can pink kidney beans
1 (15 1/4 oz.) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (14.5 oz.) can Mexican-style stewed tomatoes
1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 (14.5 oz.) can tomatoes with chilies
2 (4.5 oz.) cans diced green chilies
1 (1 1/4 oz.) package taco seasoning
1 (1 oz.) package ranch salad dressing mix
Serve with: Corn chips, sour cream and shredded cheese

Directions

1. Write on two gallon freezer bags: Taco Soup, the date, and the following instructions: Cook on low 6-8 hours. Serve with chips, sour cream and shredded cheese.
2. Brown meat and cook onions in a skillet, set aside to cool.
3. Divide canned goods, meat and seasoning packets between the two bags.
4. Press the air of the bags and seal them shut. Lay them flat in your freezer.

Split Pea Sausage Soup

 Recipe and image courtesy of: http://bookcooking.net/showthread.php?tid=5092

This soup is delicious! It's easily become one of our favorites. I modified the recipe to work for a slow cooker freezer meal. It make 2 meals. I split the recipe in half to fill two gallon-sized freezer bags.

Ingredients
1 pound dried split peas
10 cups water
1 package (14oz.) cooked turkey kielbasa, sliced
6 cubes chicken bouillon
1 1/2 cups chopped carrot
1 cup chopped celery
1 package frozen potatoes. I use the Steam N' Mash cut russet potatoes
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 bay leaves
1 onion, chopped
 
Directions
1) Write on 2 gallon freezer bags: Split Pea Sausage Soup, the date, and the following instructions: Add 5 cups water. Cook on high 4-5 hours. Remove bay leaf before serving. -->

2) Chop onion, carrot, and celery - divide between the two bags. 3) Cut the kielbasa on a diagonal - divide between the two bags. 4) Divide the frozen potatoes between the two bags. 5) Divide the seasonings (bouillon, garlic powder, oregano and bay leaves) between the two bags. 6) Press the air out of the bags and seal them shut. Lay them flat in your freezer.