Taco Soup and Corn Bread Muffins

There's nothing that I like better than Mexican food. Taco's are my favorite and when I heard BudgetGirl describe this soup on her channel, I couldn't resist making it. Unfortunately, there are some ingredients that we cant find here in Australia, so I had to make a few substitutions. Unlike some soups this one is full of flavor and quite hearty (great for cold winter months). For me, I like to take this soup for lunch most days and this week I even tried out a corn bread recipe (which i baked into muffins). It freezes really well, so making a bulk batch and freezing into portions means that I can take all the thinking out of most meals.

The great thing about this soup is that it's really cheap to make. I get 10 x 1 cup portions for one batch and it costs approximately $12.00 to make (the most expensive ingredients are the meat and re fried beans).

If you'd like to try Taco Soup & Corn Bread I've written out the recipe out for you below, if you'd like to cook with me, watch the video below.

Taco Soup

500gms beef mince (I suggest a low-fat mince)
1 red onion, roughly chopped
1 package of Taco Seasoning
1 can of red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can Cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can refried beans
1 jar of Salsa (pick the spice level that you like) (This has replaced Rotel)
3 cups water

I start by placing the Kidney beans, cannellini beans, Black beans, refried beans, Salsa and 3 cups water in to a large pot. I place this on the stove and simmer gently whilst i prepare the meat.

In another pan, place the beef mince and chopped onion, cook until the meat is browned and the onion is translucent. Drain any fat, as this makes the soup taste oily.

Add the meat mix to the beans and continue to simmer until the soup has thicken slightly and the flavors have come together.

You can now serve, or wait until it's cool to portion and freeze.

Corn Bread

150 grams (1 cup) all purpose flour
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
170g (1 cup) cornmeal (polenta)
1 1/2 tablespoons caster sugar
250mls (1 cup) milk
60mls (1/4 cup) vegetable oil
1 egg, lightly whisked

Preheat your oven to 180C or 350F. Line and grease a muffin tray or loaf tin.

Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl, add the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. 

Try not to over mix as this will result in a tough corn bread. 

Bake for approximately 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. 

I hope you enjoy these recipes as much as I do!