Tamale Soup

This is really good! It is quick and tasty. We are going to spice ours up a little more next time but this is a great recipe for family's that like things mild.

1 pound ground pork or beef
1 pound ground chicken or turkey
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 beef bouillon cubes
2 cups water
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup green chile enchilada sauce
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 15-ounce can tomatoe sauce
1 15-ounce pinto beans, drained
10 fresh tamales, frozen or canned, husks removed
Grated cheese

Brown ground meat with onion in a large skillet (if meat is too lean, add 1 Tablespoon oil). Drain off grease. Add the chili powder, salt and pepper, mixing until the chili is blended well. Add remaining ingredients except for the tamales and cheese. Cook on low heat until flavors are blended. Ten minutes before serving, cut the tamales into 1-inch pieces and add to soup. If the tamales are not frozen, they will fall apart after cooking for extended periods of time. So if using canned tamales, drop in just before serving and just heat through. Top the serving with cheese if desired and serve with tortilla chips.

Note: I made mine with meatloaf mix because the one I found was made with beef, pork and chicken. It turned out great. I made the recipe today for the meal after the meetings for the military students. My soup ended up being served with a wonderful fruit salad, a tossed salad, some pineapple salsa and some guacamole along with some dinner rolls. It was a wonderful meal. Enjoy!