Taco Stew- Guest Post from Hylary

Good Morning Everyone,
While I'm recovering from surgery my dear friends are filling in with Blog posts. This post today is from my dear friend Hylary. We go way way back to Elementary School. I remember going to her house for her party and eating Bugels for the first time. Heck I still love them. We lost touch after 7th grade, but again thanks to Facebook we are back in touch. She has always been a good friend to me...when others failed me she believed in me. I don't know what I'd do without her.  I hope you enjoy this recipe.

Today she is bringing you Taco Stew!!! I love Tacos!!!

***************************************
Taco Stew

My family loves Mexican food, of all kinds, but my 6 year old isn’t as big of a fan of spicy things. So I concocted this semi-Mexican stew to be more kid friendly. It’s really simple, and even though it’s not the prettiest thing that comes out of a pot, it’s incredibly tasty!
Here’s my version of a kid friendly Taco Stew.

Ingredients:
1½ lb Ground Beef (I use the 90/10, you end up with a lot more meat)
2 (16oz) bottles Taco Sauce (Not salsa or seasoning)
8oz Shredded Mexican Style Cheese
3 Roma Tomatoes, diced
2 cans Dark Red Kidney Beans
2 cups Lettuce, shredded
Tortilla Chips
Hot Sauce (I use Cholula) OPTIONAL

Brown the beef until completely done, drain. Transfer your meat from the skillet to a 2qt (or larger) pot, on medium heat. Add taco sauce and let warm. Drain kidney beans. Once taco sauce starts to bubble, add beans. Allow to cook for about five minutes, stirring occasionally. Add cheese about a cup at a time, stir in and allow to melt before adding more. Add cheese to taste, if it seems like enough for your family’s preferences, then stop right there (I usually use the entire bag, but I like cheesy). Stir in tomatoes and lettuce, cook for about 5 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips and add hot sauce to taste (optional).

Tip: Kids absolutely love using this stew as a dip of sorts, scooping it up with the tortilla chips (that’s how my son eats his, well, me too, I guess I’m still a kid).