Best Taco Soup EVER

A long time ago I heard a co-worker talking about throwing taco soup in the crock pot for her family to eat that night for dinner and I had no idea what taco soup was.  Honestly I didn't think it sounded all that great, tacos should stay in taco form and not made into a sloppy soup! I tried a couple recipes and decided that my feelings about taco soup were right, the recipes were ok but nothing to rave about or make again. As time went on I heard other people mentioning taco soup, like it was some kind of fad so I decided to give it one more try. Some recipes say to rinse the beans, some call for beans I don't like (like red beans) and, believe it or not, finding the right taco seasoning makes a BIG difference! I finally found the perfect ingredients to make this soup our family's favorite! This recipe is so simple and quick. Cook your meat, throw everything else in the pot, let it simmer for a while and serve. I promise you wont be disappointed!

Taco Soup

• 1lb to 1& 1/2lbs ground beef or turkey (my sister-in-law Nicole turned me on to turkey and it's great!)
• 1pkt taco seasoning (I like Old El Paso)
• 1pkt ranch dressing powder
• 1/4 yellow onion, minced
• 1tbs garlic, minced
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 (15oz) can white hominy, drained
• 1 (15oz) can black beans, NOT drained
• 1 (15oz) can pinto beans, NOT drained
• 1 (15oz) can chili beans, NOT drained
• 1 (15oz) can petite diced tomatoes, NOT drained
• 1 small can diced green chilies
• 2 cups water
• 1 small can tomato sauce
• tortilla chips
• sour  cream
• grated cheddar cheese

   Brown the meat in a big soup pot with onion, garlic and season with salt and pepper. Add taco seasoning and stir well. Add all remaining ingredients and simmer for 20 minutes or until you're ready to eat, yup it's that simple. Sometimes depending on the brand of taco seasoning and ranch seasoning the soup will be a little salty, I find that adding a little extra cumin powder and a little sugar helps to tone down the saltiness but don't over do it.  We like to break up tortilla chips (into medium sized chunks) in the bottom of the bowl, top with cheese, then pour the soup over the top with a dollop of sour cream.
   Funny little story about sour cream, if you watch tv ever, I am sure you've seen commercials for Daisy brand sour cream and have heard their logo song "a dollop, a dollop of daisy". Well for years and years I always thought they were saying "a dollar, a dollar of daisy " and it never really made sense so I decided to ask Kyle and he just burst into laughter.... Now every time we use sour cream he asks if I want "a dollar" of sour cream.