YOUR AD HERE »

Over a Cup of Coffee: Mary’s taco soup and more

Diane Prather
Diane Prather
Diane_Prather

This week I received a recipe for taco soup from Mary Burnett, of Craig. Mary has contributed several recipes to this column, including some zucchini recipes, a recipe for autumn stew and others. I look forward to receiving your recipes, Mary. Thanks!

I think it was last year that “Over a Cup of Coffee” featured a taco soup recipe from my nephew, Jeff Allum, and his wife, Lona, who live in Maryland. I received the recipe via my sister, Charlotte, who had been visiting Jeff and Lona. Mary’s recipe is a little different from the Allum recipe because it has garbanzo beans and olives in it. In a note, Mary said that she likes the soup because it has these ingredients in it and because it has only one pound of hamburger in the ingredients, making the recipe inexpensive to make.

Mary did not put an amount for the olives. I don’t have her phone number, so I am writing her a note. In the meantime, experiment with the amount of olives to your taste.



The second recipe is taken from an educational worksheet on childhood nutrition, provided by the Cattlemen’s Beef Board and the National Cattlemen’s Association. Cheesy BBQ beef and oven fries is an excellent source of protein, B-Vitamins, niacin, zinc and iron, and it’s tasty.

Mary’s Taco Soup



1 pound hamburger

1 chopped onion

1 can tomatoes and green chilies

1 can kidney beans, do not drain

1 can pinto beans, do not drain

1 can whole kernel corn, do not drain

1 can garbanzo beans, drained

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon cumin

ripe olives, halved

green olives, halved

Brown hamburger and onion in a large soup pot. Drain. Add remaining ingredients in order given. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes or longer until heated through. To serve: Put a layer of tortilla chips in the bottom of a serving bowl, add taco soup, and top with shredded cheese and sour cream.

Courtesy of Mary Burnett

Cheesy BBQ Beef & Oven Fries

1 pound ground beef

4 small baking potatoes (about 1 ¼ pounds), cut lengthwise into ½-inch wide wedges

½ teaspoon salt

1 red or green pepper, cut into ½-inch pieces

1 cup frozen corn

1 cup prepared barbecue sauce

½ cup shredded cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese blend

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Spread potatoes on a 15x10x1-inch baking pan; spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray; sprinkle with salt. Bake at 450 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and lightly browned. Meanwhile, brown the ground beef with the pepper over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes or until beef is no longer pink, breaking up the beef into ¾-inch crumbles. Pour off drippings. Stir in the corn and barbecue sauce until heated through. Serve the beef mixture over the potatoes and sprinkle with cheese.

Courtesy of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association

If you have recipes that you would like to share with readers, please call me at 970-824-8809 or write to me at PO Box 415, Craig 81626.


Support Local Journalism

Support Local Journalism

Readers around Craig and Moffat County make the Craig Press’ work possible. Your financial contribution supports our efforts to deliver quality, locally relevant journalism.

Now more than ever, your support is critical to help us keep our community informed about the evolving coronavirus pandemic and the impact it is having locally. Every contribution, however large or small, will make a difference.

Each donation will be used exclusively for the development and creation of increased news coverage.