Taco Stew

Hopefully, I haven't posted this here before, and if I did, my apologies for repeating myself.
This is one of those really easy-to-make, but good-for-cold-weather foods, that keeps well in the fridge, and will last me all week long. At this point in life, I usually cook something on Sunday, which I can just throw in the microwave all week long, and not have to worry about cooking on the days that I work. This isn't the healthiest of foods, but it's adequate for most people, and better than a lot of people in the world have. It's also pretty versatile. I usually warm a smallish portion and toss it in with some salad stuff, to make a version of taco salad. It's also good to eat with cornbread or tortilla or corn chips like a chili dish. Even kids like it. I have two granddaughters who are fairly finicky, and they both love this stuff.

1-2 pounds ground beef (I use the super lean stuff)
1 can Rotel tomatoes
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 can ranch style (or chili) beans
1 can black beans (rinsed)
1 can white or yellow corn
1 can white or yellow hominy
1-2 cans added water
3-4 bullion cubes (either chicken or beef- I like the chicken flavor)
1 packet of Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix (just the dry mix)
1 small to medium onion, finely diced as desired

Brown the hamburger meat with the onion. Add the rest of the ingredients, stir well, and simmer on low for 45 min to an hour. That's all there is to it. Easy Peasy.

Mrs. Dash has dry seasoning mixes now too. Might want to try one of them in your recipe if you are not into the ranch flavor thing (I detest it personally)

Declan said:

Mrs. Dash has dry seasoning mixes now too. Might want to try one of them in your recipe if you are not into the ranch flavor thing (I detest it personally)

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In this recipe, you really don't taste the ranch taste at all. I suspect that the reasoning was for some of the spices in the dry mix. I believe that what gives ranch dressing the "ranch" taste is the buttermilk and/or mayo.

I actually have something remarkably similar to that in the fridge right now!

Lutherf said:

I actually have something remarkably similar to that in the fridge right now!

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I came by and swiped it when you were in the bathroom, so you might want to make some more.

I make something very close but use masa instead of canned corn/hominy and add some cumin.

lizzie said:

In this recipe, you really don't taste the ranch taste at all. I suspect that the reasoning was for some of the spices in the dry mix. I believe that what gives ranch dressing the "ranch" taste is the buttermilk and/or mayo.

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it is the dried buttermilk powder they use as the base.

Declan said:

it is the dried buttermilk powder they use as the base.

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Interesting. The stuff I use has maltodextrin, salt, msg, dried onion, dried garlic, spices, modified food starch and less than 2% buttermilk. I doubt that gives it much of a buttermilk taste. But whatever. It's a good recipe.

lizzie said:

Interesting. The stuff I use has maltodextrin, salt, msg, dried onion, dried garlic, spices, modified food starch and less than 2% buttermilk. I doubt that gives it much of a buttermilk taste. But whatever. It's a good recipe.

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It isn't the taste they go for with it--it is that tangy sensation your tongue hits on when the stuff touches it. Without it, it is just a weak flavor profile as most people do not pick up anything other than the tangy scallion flavor as far as I can tell unless they have some particular sensitivity to one of the other flavors.