By Pioneer Day is next Monday and I have been making my contributions all week. In the Cooper family, Pioneer Day at Gary and Denise's is not a casual gathering. It is an institution. Tyler drives down from Boise with Stacey and their kids. Brittany comes from Sandy. Josh from Pleasant Grove, Katie from American Fork, and all the cousins who are various sizes and at various stages of being able to sit still for grace before dinner. I bring freezer meal contributions: this year, two bags of taco soup and a double batch of Mom's rolls shaped and frozen, to be baked the morning of.
The week has been hot in the particular way that Utah in mid-July is hot: the kind of heat that makes the asphalt shimmer and the kids argue over who gets to stand in front of the fan. I have been making cold dinners: marinated chicken that Brandon grills while I make the sides, big salads, cold pasta. The oven has been off since the third week of June. I do not miss it. I miss soup, specifically, the way you miss a coat in July: not urgently, but with the background awareness that it will be needed again and is waiting.
Ethan has been doing odd jobs in the neighborhood this summer, mowing lawns, which he approached with a level of organizational commitment I recognize. He made a client list. He has a schedule. He charges twelve dollars per lawn and has six clients, which at twelve years old is a remarkable thing to have built from a lawn mower and a yellow legal pad. I told him he is an accountant. He said: I am an entrepreneur. I said: same thing. He gave me the same look Brandon gives me when he disagrees but knows I am right.
Mason has been helping his grandfather Gary with yard work this week. Gary drove over on Wednesday and the two of them spent four hours in the side yard building a raised bed for Denise's tomatoes. Mason came home smelling like cut lumber and soil. I asked how it went. He said: Grandpa knows a lot. I said: about gardening? He said: about everything.
One week to Pioneer Day. One week to Denise's rolls. I am already looking forward to watching Grandpa say grace at that table.
This is the soup I bagged and froze this week—the one sitting in my freezer right now, waiting for Monday. It is almost too hot to think about soup, but that is the whole point of a freezer meal: you make it now so you do not have to make it then, when the kitchen at Gary and Denise’s is already full of rolls rising and cousins underfoot. It comes together in one pot, it freezes flat, and it feeds the kind of crowd that shows up when every branch of the Cooper family drives in from four different cities.
Easy Beef Taco Chili
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes | Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 packet (1 ounce) taco seasoning
- 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can (15 ounces) pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can (15 ounces) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
- 1 can (15 ounces) whole kernel corn, drained
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- Salt and pepper to taste
Toppings (optional)
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Sour cream
- Tortilla chips or strips
- Diced avocado
- Sliced green onions
- Fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Brown the beef. In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, cook the ground beef and diced onion together until the beef is browned and the onion is soft, about 6–8 minutes. Drain any excess fat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Season. Stir in the taco seasoning, chili powder, and cumin until the meat is evenly coated.
- Add everything else. Pour in the black beans, pinto beans, kidney beans, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, corn, and beef broth. Stir to combine.
- Simmer. Bring the chili to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve. Ladle into bowls and top with shredded cheese, sour cream, tortilla chips, or any toppings you like.
Freezer Meal Instructions
- Cool completely. Let the chili cool to room temperature before transferring.
- Bag it flat. Pour into gallon-sized freezer bags, squeeze out the air, and lay flat to freeze. Flat bags stack well and thaw faster.
- Reheat. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then reheat in a pot over medium heat until warmed through, about 10–15 minutes. Add a splash of broth if needed.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 380 | Protein: 27g | Fat: 12g | Carbs: 40g | Fiber: 10g | Sodium: 980mg