Cold Weather Camping Recipe: Taco Soup

You absolutely have to try this cold weather camping recipe! This recipe is a one-pot wonder, and is perfect for filling you up and warming you up on chilly nights. And, it’s a total crowd pleaser too. My family is a little picky about “seasonally appropriate” foods and only want soups and stews during cold weather months, but this is one recipe they make an exception for year-round!

The best part? You can easily change up the entire flavor landscape by choosing a different meat. This cold weather camping recipe works well with smoked pulled pork, ground beef, or shredded chicken breast – it’s up to you!

Taco Soup

Ingredients

2 pounds ground beef or cooked, shredded chicken breast or pulled pork (your choice!)
1-2 envelopes taco seasoning (use one packet for mild flavor, or up to two for stronger flavor)
1 envelope Ranch dressing seasoning mix
1 ½ cups water
2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cans cream corn
2 cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14 ½ oz) diced tomatoes
1 can (10 oz) diced tomatoes with green chilies
Additional toppings: sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, corn chips

Directions:

Brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium-high heat, crumbling it as you cook. Drain and discard the fat.
If you’re using chicken, cook it through and shred with a fork once it’s cooled (alternately, you can used canned chicken breast chunks).
If you’re using smoked pulled pork, try not to nibble it all away before you get started!
Place cooked meat directly into slow cooker and add all other ingredients.
Don’t freak out. You’re not missing any steps. If you were looking for something more complicated, this is the wrong recipe.
Heat on low for 4-6 hours until warmed through, and enjoy with the toppings of your choice.

A few notes and tips:

This is really tacos in a bowl with all of the fun flavor. If you want more heat or bold flavor, use 2 entire packets of taco seasoning (I personally use about 1 ½). You can also throw in an extra 4 oz can of diced green chilies. Prefer different beans? Do the ol’ bean switcheroo and use the ones you want. It really can’t get easier. Some of my kids prefer to spoon this over a bowl of freshly steamed rice while others dump it on top of tortilla chips to each like nachos. It is up to you!

And finally: this cold weather camping recipe for Taco Soup comes together in about the time it takes to clear breakfast dishes. It’s incredibly fast and easy, and if you use a slow cooker liner, it becomes even easier to clean up later! (Not that you’ll have leftovers.) Combine everything in your slow cooker and turn it on just before you head out for an afternoon of fun. Dinner is served the moment you come back to your new or used RV!