XO MUG Winners & a Yummy Soup Recipe!

How about two WINNERS? Yep! I am sending out two XO Mugs tomorrow!! But since I can't send one to all of you I wanted to give you a terrific recipe you can make in your slow-cooker. For all of you who are bundled up with this winter storm this should warm you up nicely!

Slow-Cooker Taco Soup

This soup is what is called a "one-pound meal." That means, even though a pound of ground beef is used, you can easily substitute ground chicken or ground turkey instead.

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef 2 cups chicken stock

Olive oil 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed & drained)

Salt & pepper 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce

1 onion, chopped 1 1/2 cups frozen corn

1 (1 ounce) packet taco seasoning

1 (10 ounce) can Ro-Tel tomatoes

Garnish with shredded cheese and sour cream

Serve with chips

Directions:

1. In a skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef in a little drizzle of olive oil. Once it's brown and crumbly, add a pinch of salt and pepper and then transfer the ground beef to your slow cooker.

2. Next add the onion, taco seasoning, tomatoes, chicken stock, beans and tomato sauce.

3. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours.

4. About 30 minutes before you're ready to serve, remove the lid and add the frozen corn. Cover and cook on high for 30 minutes.

5. When ready to serve, ladle the soup into bowls, garnish and serve.

Toppings, Tips, and Tricks

1. Always use a slow-cooker liner. Always. Every time. Never forget. They're sold next to the foil and the Ziploc bags in the grocery store. They usually come five to a box. Cleanup is a breeze if you use a liner. If you are stuck without one, pre-spray with cooking spray.

2. Always brown your beef before placing it in the slow-cooker. Browning your meat beforehand adds so much flavor and depth to the entire dish. It only take a few minutes because you're not cooking it all the way through, you're just browning it. Chicken breasts do not require cooking beforehand.

3. Add something fresh to your slow-cooker meal when you are done. I always add some fresh herbs, chopped green onions, cheese or sour cream. Just a little something fresh on tap wakens up the dish and gives the whole slow-cooker meal an extra oomph!

Recipe serves four.

(From Simmers, Slow-Cooker Creations Your Family Will Love by Shay Shull)

Now that we all have a great recipe to make I will tell you the winners of the XO MUG!!

Congratulations to:

Rachelle M.

and

Lynn B.

From my home to yours, Linda