Ole! (for Audrey)

I found this recipe online a few years ago (thank you “RasinKane”, whoever you are). I make it twice a month, at least. The kids devour it, Patrick loves it, it makes the house smell great...and it has beer- I think it is my favorite recipe!

I should probably save it to post on Cinco de Mayo instead of Chinese New Year (happy year of the rabbit), but my friend Audrey loves Mexican food and I have been thinking of her a lot this week. This one’s for you A!

Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Soup

1 onion, chopped

1 (16 ounce) can chili beans

1 (15 ounce) can black beans

1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained

1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce

1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle beer

2 (10 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained

1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning

3 whole skinless, boneless chicken breasts

shredded Cheddar cheese (optional)

sour cream (optional)

crushed tortilla chips (optional)

avocado (optional)

lime (optional)

Dump the first 8 ingredients into the crock pot. Give it a stir. Place the chicken on top of the mixture and cover. Cook on low for 5 hours. Remove the chicken from the crock pot. Let it cool a few minutes and chop it up into bite-sized pieces. Mix the chicken back into the soup and cook for 2 more hours. Serve topped with any or all of the optional toppings above.

This is what Coco amused herself with while I worked.

NOTES: I like to use frozen corn instead of canned. Also, if you or your family do not like spicy, you can adjust the amount of taco seasoning, or use tomatoes without green chilies. I have made this with chicken thighs as well, just be sure to take the thighs out before they fall off the bone.

Most importantly, I like to use imported Mexican beer so that I can drink one with it at dinnertime. Totally unnecessary, but gives me an excuse to buy decent beer. Last night I used a Heineken keg can. I don’t normally drink these, but I had it left over from the summer. I snuck them into Movies at the Lake with Audrey and her family. Audrey is fun. She took this picture.

Enjoy the taco soup!