Taco Soup and 20 lbs. of burger

Some things to give you perspective:
I am the shopper in our house.  I shop for the clothes, groceries, household goods, cleaning supplies...you get the picture.  I also plan all the meals, and prepare most of them, so I know what is in my pantry, fridge, and freezer.  That is just the way the chores fall out in our house, and I'm fine with cooking, if someone else will wash my underwear.

We eat moose.  Dave and his entourage go hunting every September and we almost always have moose in the freezer.  Right now we have about 50 lbs. of  moose burger.  It is good, but I don't cook a lot with burger, so it is about the last of the moose we have from last year.

So, when my husband called and said, "Fred's (our favorite shopping center) has burger on sale for $1.99 a pound.  I have 40 pounds in my cart, how much more should I get?" I was caught off guard!  Our conversation went something like this...

Me -"Um, you know we have 50 lbs. of burger in the freezer?"
Him -"Yes, but this is such a good deal."
Me - "When was the last time you ate something made with burger?"
Him - "Well, beef prices are going up, we should buy this now while it is on sale."
Me - "You know that would give us 90 lbs. of burger in the freezer and moose season is only 3 months away."
Him - (in a very disappointed voice) "You want me to put half back?"
Me - (trying not to say "No, put it all back!" but wanting to compromise) "Yes, I think half would be good."

So now I am the proud owner of a freezer with 70 lbs. of burger.  We will be doing a lot of Friday night burger nights at my house.  We will have tacos once a week for a while.  The Baby Boy doesn't like spaghetti and the Chick doesn't like meatloaf, and keep in mind the kids are dairy free, so I am struggling to figure out how to use 70 lbs. in the 13 weeks before moose season!

It was cold this week, so I made a pot of taco soup.  And to go with it, I made oven fried flautas.  Two recipes that used burger!  I made some flautas with cheese and some without.  

I could use some burger ideas, come over Friday and tell me your burger recipes, and for your trouble, I'll feed you a hamburger.

Taco Soup
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1 lb. hamburger
1 pkg. taco seasoning mix (I use this homemade taco seasoning)
DO NOT DRAIN ANY OF THE CANS
1(15 oz.) can black beans
1 (30 oz.) can spicy chili beans
1 (15 oz.) can Mexican tomatoes (tomatoes with green chilies)
1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (15 oz) can corn
1 1/2 cups water
Optional toppings:
avocado
sour cream or greek yogurt
tortilla chips
chopped tomatoes
green onions

In a large stockpot, sauté onion in olive oil until soft, about 3 minutes.  Add hamburger and brown completely.  Add the taco seasoning and cook for one minute.  Add all the other ingredients, including the liquid from each can.  Simmer 15 minutes, until warmed through and flavors melt.  Serve and top with your choice of toppings.

1 year ago:   Light Pina Colada and the Wood Chipper
2 years ago: Light Banana Cream Pie and a Secret

June 5, 2014   Sunrise 3:21 am  Sunset 12:20 am   Temp: H 57/ L 49°F