When Mom is Sick and Taco Soup

It is inevitable, though never welcomed, that mom will be flattened by at least one of the many germs that come through the front door.  That was me this week.  Three days in bed or on the sofa, reading, napping, watching a TV series on Netflix.  But as glorious as that sounds, it came with all the benefits of the flu.  In most of these situations, that would mean fast food or cold sandwiches for dinner for the family.  However, to the family whose mom prepares meals a month at a time, it simply means someone else pulls the designated meal out of the freezer and finishes the preparations.  As at my house this week.

The posted menu said "Italian Shepherd Pie," and had the instructions written on the foil to bake at 350 degrees F for 60 minutes.  My son handled that just perfectly.  Yes, I had pulled it from the freezer on an earlier trip to the kitchen, and yes, I had him add about 15 minutes of cooking time since it wasn't fully defrosted when he put it in the oven.  Another night, it was Taco Soup.  Easy enough to reheat in a pot and serve.  Most families can figure out the side dishes or may even choose to skip them since mom's not around. :)

Here's my favorite Taco Soup.

Brown 1 1/2 lbs. ground turkey and drain the fat.

Add 2 cans of each:
pinto beans
corn
diced tomatoes

1/2 cup taco seasoning (my favorite is McCormick which is also available in bulk at Costco.)

To enjoy tonight:  Simmer for 10-15 minutes.  Top with shredded cheese, crushed tortilla chips, a dollop of sour cream and even chunks of avocado.

To enjoy later:  After mixing the ingredients together, pour into a large plastic container, label, and freeze.

This recipe makes about 14 cups and stores nicely in the Rubbermaid 14-Cup container for freezing.