What's for dinner tonight?

I hope you all had a great Christmas and are enjoying the new year. I always love getting back into the swing of things after the holidays. For me the swing of things involves a good morning routine and meal planning! This week I am doing a series I call "What's for dinner". Every day for a week I will share what we are having for dinner. At our house there are no leftovers (leftovers are for lunch) and we are on a strict budget and rarely eat out. But let's face it, cooking every night with 3 littles under foot (not to mention their picky little palates) can be tricky. Some nights our dinners are super simple and others are more involved. Some meals are very healthy and others are a little more indulgent. But they are all balanced and delicious and who couldn't use a few more dinner ideas?

 What's for dinner: Monday

Taco Soup with cornbread and baby carrots with ranch

There are about a million ways to make taco soup, but this is how I like to make it. The best part is that I always have these ingredients on hand so there is little to no planning ahead necessary.
It's not really  recipe as much as a process.

In a large pot brown 1/2-1 lb. ground beef or turkey with half an onion, diced small.
Sprinkle on 1/2 a taco seasoning packet or more to taste.
Add 1 can diced tomatoes, 1 can corn, 1 can beans of choice (rinsed and drained), 1 small can of tomato sauce, and 1 cup water (I just use the tomato sauce can to measure).
Simmer until hot. Serve with toppings of choice. I usually use cheese, tortilla chips, and sour cream

My favorite corn bread recipe comes from the side of the corn meal package. It's not too sweet, moist, and delicious! I always bake mine in my cast iron skillet to get it a little crispy on the bottom.