Cheesy taco soup

Bailey got hold of my iPod this morning while I was snuggling with her and took a few pictures of herself on accident.  There is nothing cuter than watching her realize that her face is on the screen she's looking at!

I love recipes that say "cheesy" in them!  I love cheese!  I buy it in massive quantities every month because I add it to anything I can.  I put it on spaghetti and chili and eggs.  I've even been known to add shredded cheese to the top of macaroni and cheese!  Bailey loves it too.  She can't get enough little cheese cubes at lunch time and you should see her devour a grilled cheese.



This soup was everything I had hoped it would be.  The only thing that would have made it better was some pasta because then it would have been like one of our favorites, "chili-mac".  It was cheesy and creamy and a bit spicy and totally delicious.  Aaron even liked it, which hardly ever happens on the first try with a new recipe.  Also, it only took about half an hour start to finish.  We ended up eating dinner way early because I'm not used to being able to put it all together so quickly.

So here is the link to the original recipe.  I did make a few changes, as always, to accommodate my family's particular tastes.  You should try this recipe as soon as you can, definitely before the cold weather moves out.

Cheesy Taco Soup

1 lb lean ground beef (turkey would work too)
1 pack taco seasoning (or 2 Tbsp homemade taco seasoning)
1 can diced green chillies
1 can tomato sauce
1 can pinto beans (or 1 1/2 cups cooked dry beans)
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
2 1/2 cups milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
salt and pepper
shredded cheese and crushed tortilla chips to garnish

Brown the meat over medium heat in a soup pot with the taco seasoning.  While the meat is browning, in a small saucepan combine the butter and flour over medium-high heat.  Once the butter has melted and the flour is mixed in, cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute.  Add 1 cup of milk.  Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened, about 4-5 minutes.  Remove from heat and add the shredded cheese.  Stir until cheese is melted and sauce is creamy.  Add salt and pepper to taste and set aside.  When the meat is browned add the green chillies, tomato sauce, pinto beans, and 1 1/2 cups milk.  Bring just to a boil, remove from heat and stir in the cheese sauce.  Serve with shredded cheese and tortilla chips.

I think it might be good with some sour cream and Fritos too.  I especially want to try it over cooked pasta such as gemelli, but that's because I have a pasta addiction.  The cheese sauce would also be good if pepper jack was substituted for the cheddar cheese just to give it an added kick.

I substituted pinto beans instead of black beans.  I traded the Rotel for green chillies and tomato sauce, and I used my homemade taco seasoning.  This was a fantastic recipe and I will definitely make it again very soon.