Southern Cooking with Andy Bedwell

It is only natural for me to love to make soup. My mother’s family was known for their soups. During my mother’s garden years, she would freeze quarts and quarts of homemade soup. When my sister was a student at Jacksonville State, she would carry mother’s soup back on Sunday for her roommates. They loved it! I always said she could make a rock taste good. She was really good at seasoning everything. Her green beans were wonderful. I have seen her add bay leaves and just one hot pepper when her soup was nearly done. My grandmother, Icy Sanford, could make the best Brunswick stew that I have ever eaten. Cora Dean Carr, mother’s sister, made a quick, easy soup that I was raised on and begged her to make every time I visited. I will share her soup recipe with you later. Cora’s daughter, Cathye Townsend, always makes homemade soup when we vacation at Panama City Beach. When I talked to Cathye the other day, she had canned tons of tomatoes. Everyone get your large pots out; it is soup time!

  2 pounds ground chuck

  1 large onion, chopped

Brown both of these and drain.

  1 can Rotel tomatoes

  2 large cans of tomatoes

  1 can white shoe peg 

  corn, drained

  1 can yellow whole 

  corn, drained

  1 can chili beans

  1 can pinto beans

  1 package taco mix

  1 package Hidden 

  Valley ranch dressing

  1 tablespoon sugar

  2 tablespoons 

  Worcestershire sauce

  1 cup Ketchup

  Black pepper

  3 cups water

Mix all of this together and simmer for 3-4 hours. This soup needs plenty of room to simmer.

Andy’s Note: I know all of you have your taco soup recipe but you might like to try this one. I just added everything that I love. This is more of a soup consistency than most taco soup recipes. It is not as thick as most taco soups and has more of a homemade soup/chili taste. I always like to make enough to have the second day and also to freeze some for later.  

  3 eggs

  1 cup sour cream

  1 cup cream style corn

  1 cup self-rising cornmeal

  1/2 cup oil

  1/4 teaspoon salt

  add a little onion and 

  hot pepper

Mix well and put into a greased muffin, corn stick pan, or hot skillet. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Andy’s Note: I love this little cornbread. It is so easy and so good. I make this when I REALLY want to make Mexican cornbread, but do not have the time. My son, Mac, loves this because it is so moist and I try to always make it when I know he is coming home.

My goal for this week is to make some Cowboy Candy. The peppers are just right and this will conclude my canning for this year. 

Happy Cooking,

Andy Bedwell