With the weather beginning to turn cooler, I thought you would enjoy a favorite family recipe. It’s an easy crockpot meal to fix and one you can forget about until dinnertime. It is one that Faith introduced me to a few years ago and we often fix it for when our families eat together.

Recently, I fixed it for a friendly gathering of our elders and their wives and it was a big hit.

Prepare this in a 6 quart crockpot and you’ll have enough for your own party.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. ground beef
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2–10 oz. can Mexican-style tomatoes
• 1–16 oz. can ranch-style beans
• 1–16 oz. can whole kernel corn
• 1–16 oz. can kidney beans
• 1–16 oz. can black beans
• 1–16 oz. jar picante sauce-you decide how spicy you want

Preparation:

• Brown the ground meat and onions until fully cooked.
• Drain off the liquid.
• Place the meat and onions into the crockpot.
• Pour all the remaining ingredients into a 6 qt. slow cooker-DO NOT DRAIN THE LIQUIDS! Pour them into the crockpot.
• Place the lid on the crockpot and cook on low for 4-6 hours.
• Garnish your serving with sour cream and shredded cheese and enjoy with corn or tortilla chips.

On occasion when I want to make this dish healthier, I will use organic ingredients. I haven’t been able to find organic Mexican-style tomatoes or ranch-style beans, but I use organic ingredients for all the other items.

It’s a great soup–no matter how you fix it!