Taco Beef Soup

Source: adapted from The Essential Mormon Cookbook

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1/2 medium sized onion, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
3 cups water
1 (26-ounce) can stewed tomatoes, undrained
2 (16-ounce) cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 (8-ounce) cans tomato sauce
1 (1.5-ounce) packet taco seasoning mix (I used a couple tablespoons of a homemade mix I whipped up a while ago)
1 (16-ounce) can corn (I didn't add this because I forgot - it's not in the original recipe - but I thought it might be a tasty addition . . . next time!)

optional toppings:
cheddar cheese, grated
tomatoes, chopped
green onions, chopped
corn chips
sour cream
avocado, chopped

Directions:
In a large saucepan cook ground beef, onion, and pepper until meat is browned; drain off excess fat.  Add the water, stewed tomatoes, kidney beans, tomato sauce and taco seasoning.  Simmer, covered, for at least 15 minutes.  Top with optional toppings - whatever floats your boat (I load mine up with tortilla chips, a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of cheese . . . mmmm!)

Notes:
I've always loved taco soup, but I didn't have tomato juice required for the recipe I'm used to making, so I did a little searching and found this one in my trusty Mormon cookbook.  It hit the spot on a windy, cold January evening.