Taco Soup on a windy, dreary, rainy day!

I love to cook. I like to try new things, using whatever I have on hand. Tonight, since it was a dreary, rainy, windy day I decided to make Taco Soup for supper. There are many variations of this recipe, and I have tried many and liked them all, but tonight I opted to experiment. Of course, feel free to experiment and make your own "version!" ***Also this soup, as far as I know, is Gluten-Free, which is good for our daughter's diet.

Taco Soup

1.5 pounds lean ground beef (turkey or chicken would work as well)

1 package Taco Seasoning, or if you have larger containers, 1/4-1/2 cup

32 ounces beef broth

1 cup corn (I used up leftover corn from a previous meal!) I used frozen; if you use canned, drain first

1 can Ro-Tel diced tomatoes & chilies, original flavor, dump entire can in!

1 package Knorr (formerly Lipton) Mexican Rice (bagged instant rice with seasonings) or 2.5 cups instant white rice

1 cup water

Cheddar cheese, sour cream, crackers, chives and other garnishes to taste

Brown ground beef, drain off fat if present. Add meat to large stockpot, add all ingredients except the garnishes, and cook on medium heat for approx 30 minutes or until heated through. Top with your choice of garnish. Serve with your choice of side dish, if desired, but this soup is filling just on it's own. 

There you have it, a perfect soup, in my opinion, for a day like today!