Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup in a Slow Cooker

Here we are at the heart of winter…

would love just a bit more snow to be able to get out and enjoy the outdoors,

but if I can't give you that or a warm beach vacation somewhere,

at least I can provide some meal ideas 

which is slow-cooker-easy and oh-soooo-good! 

The inspiration for this soup was found on 

Creme de la Crumb

and of course, I changed things up as I went.  

This was made in a slow cooker, 

(because I love to throw everything in one pot in the morning

and feel like I've slaved over it all day)

but could certainly be converted to stove top

by cooking the chicken, 

adding the veggies and simmering to your heart's content.

It certainly doesn't look very pretty getting started, 

but in this vessel you will find

2 chicken breasts

2 cups of chicken broth (I always tend toward thicker soups)

1 can of enchilada sauce

2 cans of black beans (no need to drain for a dish like this)

1 can of green chilies

1 can of diced tomatoes. 

When I got home from work, after 8 hours on low and 

added 16 oz of thawed frozen corn,

it looked something like this. 

Took the chicken breasts out for shredding.

That's a lot of shredded chicken from just 2 breasts. 

While shredding the chicken,

8 oz of low fat cream cheese was added

for the beloved creaminess it brings!

By the time the chicken was returned to the soup,

the cream cheese was melting away. 

And, within minutes, 

the soup was rip-roaring, ready to go! 

Served with some diced avocado and a dash of chili powder,

this soup was gone in no time! 

Wish I would have made a double batch!

**Famous last words!**

RECIPE:

Prep Time: 10 minutes at the beginning and 10 minutes at the end

Cook Time: 8-10 hours on low, 4-6 hours on high

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts

2 cups of chicken broth 

1 can of enchilada sauce

2 cans of black beans

1 can of green chilies

1 can of diced tomatoes

16 oz of thawed frozen corn

8 oz of low fat cream cheese

*Garnish

Diced avocado 

Chili powder

Directions:

• Place chicken, broth, sauce, beans, chilies and tomatoes into pot and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-6 hours. 
• Remove chicken breasts and shred. 
• Add corn and cream cheese, stir to melt and incorporate. 
• Return chicken to soup and combine well. 
• Serve with avocado. 

Slow Cooker Taco Soup

Hello there…

Thanks for stopping by! 

If you are like me, 

you are also hoping for some normalcy to be restored this week.  

No holiday breaks. 

No days trapped in doors because it is something-crazy below 0. 

Just a nice, normal week of winter would be great!

Kids can be outside to play in the snow and come in

to warm up with a nice cup of hot cocoa or 

this scrumptious and hearty soup. 

Taco soup is another favorite in our house.

It received rave reviews at deer camp in the fall and 

Ryker requested it to take to school for his Holiday Open House. 

I invite you to give this soup a try for an easy weeknight meal

or maybe for the big Packer game coming up this weekend. 

Starts with 3# of ground chuck, a chopped onion and 1 tbsp of seasoning salt.

I usually go with the leaner option as my family like to top just about 

everything with cheese or maybe some sour cream!  

Have you noticed that the price of ground beef is really going up?

I am thinking of conducting a yield study to see which grade gives the best value.

Once the meat is browned, add it all to the slow cooker

along with 1 packet of Taco seasoning and 1 packet of Ranch seasoning. 

Then top with 1 can of black beans, 2 cans of diced tomatoes and 1 16 oz bag of frozen corn. 

Finally, add 4 cups of tomato juice and 2 cups of beef broth 

and give it a good stir. 

Feel free to adjust the liquids according to your preferences. 

We eat most of these soups as meals, 

so I generally keep them on the thicker side. 

Lastly, I use this as a home for any open jars of salsa or taco/enchilada sauce in the fridge. 

All to often they start to grow something furry before I get back to using them, 

so they make a great addition to this taco soup! 

After 4-6 hours on high or 8-10 hours on low, 

dinner is ready and 

this recipe will almost certainly leave you with some leftovers, 

which, as you know, are always welcome in our house!

Serve it up and top with some freshly grated parmesan cheese for a 

perfect finishing touch. 

RECIPE:

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Bake Time: 4-6 hours on high or 8-10 hours on low

Serves: 12

Ingredients:

3# of ground chuck

1 chopped onion

1 tbsp of seasoning salt

1 packet of Taco seasoning

1 packet of Ranch seasoning

1 can of black beans

2 cans of diced tomatoes

1-16 oz bag of frozen corn

4 cups of tomato juice

2 cups of beef broth 

OPTIONAL - any open jars of salsa or taco/enchilada sauce

Freshly grated Parmesan Cheese

Directions:

Brown hamburger and onion over medium heat. Add salt. 

Pour browned ground chuck into slow cooker. 

Add seasoning packets. 

Add black beans, tomatoes and corn. 

Add tomato juice and beef broth, as well as any open jars of Mexican in the fridge. 

Set the slow cooker according to the amount of time before eating.

• low for 8-10 hours
• high for 4-6 hours

Serve and sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan cheese for the finishing touch. 

Black Bean and Ham Soup

This hearty and flavorful Black Bean and Ham soup really hits the spot on nights like this!  

I just can't get enough of all of my favorites in one pot…

black bean, corn and ham amongst other veggies.  

This soup is so good, that even when I make my largest pot for dinner with dear friends, 

there is nothing left but smiling faces and full tummies.  

I'm thrilled that soup season is here and we will just keep putting down, 

whatever it is that I whip up.  

Although, this is not a fly-by-night soup recipe.  

Sometimes, many times, actually, I just throw stuff together and hope it turns out.  

This soup is an old favorite that I have been making for years, 

one that was known to pay off snow-blowing debt to my dear neighbors,

and magically my driveway was always clear…

often times before I even woke up in the morning.

To get this one pot wonder started, 

a tablespoon or two of olive oil was added to the pan

along with one onion, pepper and tomato, 

all chopped up and

seasoned with 1 tbsp minced garlic, 1 tsp ground oregano and 1 tsp ground cumin

for some initial sautéing. 

  

Once the veggies were softened, 

two cans of black beans were emptied into the pot

along with one jar of black bean and corn salsa

for some nice flavor and just a little heat. 

A third can of black beans would work just as well. 

Finally, 4 cups of chicken broth,

16 oz of frozen corn and

2 cups of cubed ham were added

and simmered for about 30 minutes. 

Just doesn't seem right that soup THIS good can be THIS easy!  

Don't think twice, just enjoy!

RECIPE:

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Simmer Time: 30 minutes (or less)

Serves: 8

Ingredients:

1-2 tbsp olive oil 

1 onion - chopped

1 green pepper - chopped

1 tomato - chopped

1 tbsp minced garlic

1 tsp ground oregano

1 tsp ground cumin

3 cans of black bean *one can could be replaced by black bean and corn salsa*

4 cups of chicken broth

16 oz of frozen corn 

2 cups of cubed ham

Garnish with sour cream, cilantro, tortilla chips. 

Directions:

Sautee seasoned onion, pepper and tomato in olive oil over medium heat for 5 minutes until softened. 

Add black beans, it is not necessary to drain them. 

Then, finished with broth, corn and ham. 

Simmer for about 30 minutes. 

While the soup simmers, the black beans will open up which will give the soup a thicker texture.  

Naked Fish Taco Bowl

These naked fish taco bowls were another amazing meal.  Perfect for all seasons and occasions.  

I love making up all the parts of a dish and letting everyone put their own finishing touches on their meal.  Something about that lets everyone feel like they had a hand in the cooking.  

The rice, the beans, the corn, the fish, the toppings...just keeps getting better and better!

I won't keep you waiting any longer….

Started by grilling 4 - 6 oz cod loins over medium heat

then seasoning with chili power, cumin, salt and a little bit of ground red pepper.

(gotta love me some SP.403)

Flip and continue to grill on the other side until the fish were sufficiently 

opaque and flaky.  

Probably about 5-7 minutes on each side.  

Once the fish were done, they were plated and set aside…

in my favorite warming box, the microwave.

Next, it was time to grill up the veggies, right in the same pan.  

One tablespoon minced garlic, 2 cups of corn,

 1 medium onion and 2 medium tomatoes - chopped 

and 1 can of rinsed black beans 

were all tossed together and seasoned with the leftover fish seasonings.  

As for a dressing, just stir up

 1/3 cup sour cream with 1/3 cup salsa and juice from 1/2 of a lime 

for the perfect consistency and flavor. 

To put it all together, this bowl started with about 1/2 cup of cooked rice

and a healthy layer of grilled veggies.

Then the chunks of seasoned and flaky cod…

Finished with a couple of spoonfuls of the creamy salsa dressing, 

as well as some chopped avocado and cilantro.  

So good!

So fresh!

So healthy!  

RECIPE:

Ingredients:

4-6 oz cod loins

Chili power - to taste

Cumin - to taste

Salt - to taste

Ground red pepper - to taste

1 tablespoon minced garlic

2 cups of corn

1 medium onion - chopped

2 medium tomatoes - chopped 

1 can of black beans - rinsed

1/3 cup sour cream

1/3 cup salsa

Juice from 1/2 of a lime 

2.5 cups of Spanish Rice - cooked

1 avocado - chopped

1/4 cup cilantro - chopped

Directions:

Grill the fish over medium heat, season with chili power, cumin, salt and a little ground red, to taste. About 5 minutes per side. 

Once opaque and flaky, remove from pan and keep warm in microwave. 

Then add garlic, corn, onion, tomato and black bean to the pan to grill up. 

While that is grilling, mix up the salsa, sour cream and lime juice dressing.

In a bowl, layer rice, veggies, fish, dressing, top with avocado and cilantro.  

**We can't wait for Naked Fish Taco Bowl night again in our house!**

Ham Cobb Salad

Again, we are finding ourselves amidst another glorious weekend in southern Wisconsin!  Just can't get enough of these highs in the 70's with lots of sunshine and a light breeze.  These days are so perfect.

In fact, today I may or may not have napped on the deck for an hour…ahhh!

That was much needed after a great night in Chicago taking in the sounds of the legendary Billy Joel.  So grateful to have a friend within earshot of Wrigley.  We hung out on the deck, enjoyed a perfect summer and with the Piano Man himself serenading us!

I'll take it.

Now, back on the home front, needing to get back to healthier meals…it is so crazy to me that one night can throw me for such a loop…but, it is certainly OK to happen from time to time!

Thought I'd share with you today my Cobb Salad, which would be perfect for a Sunday lunch or evening on the patio.

Enough veggies to make it healthy and enough protein to fill you up!  Probably why Jerry requested it.

And, like most of my recipes, the options are endless… just make it work with whatever you have on hand.

Meat, veggies, cheese, throw 'em all together with some bacon on top and you are golden!

The base of this salad was a head or two of leafy romaine, freshly chopped. 

I know those bags of salad are so convenient, but the fresh stuff lasts so much longer and tastes better too!  

Then, just start piling on the goodies.  

One cup of cubed ham. 

One cup of corn (I generally use frozen). 

Four hard boiled eggs 

(somehow I managed to misplace my handy-dandy egg slicer)

Two chopped Roma tomatoes.  

I love to add chopped avocado to everything and anything possible.  

Done!

Of course, top with crumbled bacon. 

Finish with your favorite cheese…1 cup of shredded cheddar. 

There was much debate around what kind of cheese to add. 

And, most of them will work great!  

Mix it up, try new things…what do you love on your Cobb salad? 

Italian Pork Chop Skillet

Happy Monday….and back to a week of meals for the family.

I've recently been quite thankful for the fact that I do enjoy cooking and I've thought about those of you who could come up with a million other things to do other than cook, because putting a week's worth of healthy meals on the table is quite time consuming.

As much as I'd love to explore more type of recipes, I find myself dedicating so much time to just getting my family fed that I don't get to dabble in as much variety as I'd hope.

Many of the meals that I make are planned and pre-mediated, but this Italian Pork Chop Skillet was completely just a last minute dish using a variety of things I had on hand.

I was trying to figure out how to cook the pork in the kitchen, as opposed to the grill, since it was a stormy week last week, without using the oven and heating up the whole house.

Also, I didn't know what I was serve it with…but I had corn and zucchini and I thought if I just throw that together with some tomatoes and cream cheese, I'd have a decent skillet meal.

Let me tell you, my guys were thrilled!  And while Jerry and Ryker often have seconds, Landon even got into the mix, fighting over the leftovers.

I love a dish like this where the protein, vegetables and carbs are all wrapped up into one pan, keeps the clean up to a minimum as well!

It was quick and easy and family-pleasing.

Just start by sautéing some thin cut pork chops sprinkled generously with Italian seasoning which provided a little texture as well as flavor, in a pre-heated pan with your preferred vegetable oil.

After flipping and finishing on the second side, the pork chops were set aside.

I always use my microwave as a little warming box, as it holds heat very well and keeps food warm while it waits for the next step.  

Next, into the skillet (add a bit more oil if necessary), chopped onion, zucchini and thawed corn were added to cook and soften up a bit.

For the sauce, 8 oz of low fat cream cheese and one jar of marinara were poured in and heated up.

Simmer for a few minutes to all all of the delicious flavors to combine. 

If the sauce is too sweet, this can always be balanced by salt, or in this instance some parmesan was the perfect solution.  

Add the pork back to the skillet for one last shot of heat before serving.

It was so easy and delicious, I might be making it again this week!  

Ingredients:

Thin cut Pork Chops 

Italian seasoning

1 Onion - chopped

3 Zucchini - chopped

1 Bag of frozen Corn - thawed

8 oz of low fat Cream Cheese

1 jar of Marinara

Parmesan cheese - grated, to taste

Directions:

Sautee seasoned pork in pre-heated pan with oil, flip and set aside when fully cooked. 

To the pan, add onion, zucchini and corn, sautee until softened.

Next, add the marinara sauce and cream cheese, cook until sauce is smooth. 

Add parmesan, to taste, to round out flavors. 

Return pork to pan. 

Serve it up and let your family devour. 

Black Bean, Corn and Quinoa Salad

How many of you are saying…Quinoa?  What the heck is quinoa?

Let me tell you…if you haven't tried it yet, this is the recipe to get it started with... Black Bean, Corn and Quinoa Salad is perfect for a get together, a side dish or as a stand alone meal…its that good!

Quinoa (pronounced keen-wa) is a grain that has been around for human consumption for 3000-4000 years, primarily originating in South America.  I'd describe it as a cross between rice and pasta, although it certainly has it's own unique characteristics.

It has made it's entrance into the US health food market in the last few years and has been termed a superfood on more than one occasion (understatement alert).

It is gluten free, high in protein and a good source of fiber…what more could you ask for?!?

Especially when handed to you as part of a delicious recipe.

Quinoa is quick to cook, just about 15 minutes total…and I always buy my quinoa pre-rinsed, that eliminates one step.

So, while that quinoa is cooking (one cup dried quinoa to two cups boiling water), I whipped up the fabulous dressing.

Two tablespoons red wine vinegar, 4 tablespoons lime juice, 1/3 cup olive oil, 1 tsp salt and 1tsp cumin all work together to pull off the perfect complimenting dressing to this combination of grains and  legumes.

Before adding the dressing, 1# of thawed frozen corn (I know, sounds crazy to me too!) is mixed with 1 can of rinsed black beans and the cooked quinoa.

They are all folded together and topped with some freshly chopped cilantro…(Just realized I haven't planted any cilantro yet…what was I thinking!?! Needs to be corrected, immediately, if not sooner!)

It's that easy and that good!  

This dish was made for a cookout over the weekend and it was gone immediately.  I think that Jerry and I are both wishing it would magically reappear in the fridge so we could have it, pretty much anytime we want!  

I'll be honest, kids aren't huge fans, but they always have to try what we make and I think it is growing on them…and, while I want my kids to love everything I make…with something this amazing, I'm fine when it means more for me!  

But seriously, if you are already a quinoa lover, like me, you may want to double this recipe.  

If you are a quinoa virgin and you don't like it, just call me…I'll take it off you hands.  Promise!  

RECIPE

Ingredients:

1 cup dried quinoa

2 cups boiling water

1 lb frozen corn, thawed

1 can black beans, rinsed

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

Dressing:

2 Tbsp Red Wine Vinegar

4 Tbsp Lime Juice

1/3 cup Olive Oil

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cumin

Instructions:

While the quinoa cooks, whisk together all of the ingredient to make the dressing.  

Pour the dressing over the quinoa, black bean and corn.  Top with cilantro.  

So easy and so good!  Go enjoy! 

Homemade Chicken Tenders and Succotash

Yep, you read that right...succotash.  One of Jerry's favorite side dishes and repeat requests, so I decided to finally bite the bullet and give it a whirl.

The one minor issue was that not only have I never eaten succotash before but I've never made it either and I didn't even have a recipe to go off of, all Jerry gave me was corn, Lima beans and bacon in a roux.  It was quite an adventure!  (At least as far as the kitchen is concerned!)

But, before I get into the succotash, I'll start with the tenders as they took a little longer to cook, so I made those first.

These homemade chicken tenders are an all-time favorite of our family, kids and adults, alike, requested often and received with cheers of joy (bet you can picture Jerry doing his happy dance right now)!

Luckily for you and I, both, they are pretty low maintenance, the tenders that is.

I started with fresh tenders today, but often thaw out frozen tenders as they are a staple in our freezer. Only other required ingredients are fried onion crisps and some flour.

For eight tenders, I used 2 cups of the fried onion crisps and 2 tablespoons of flour.  Pour them into a re-sealable bag and crush, I use my trusty, under-utilized rolling pin for a uniform crush.

This ratio of onions to flour is actually quite important, as the flour is there just to fill in the small spaces between the crushed onion pieces.  If there is too much flour, it will soak up the moisture from the surface area of the chicken before the delicious, crispy onions can adhere which will result in bland, floured tenders and not delicious crispy, oniony tenders as intended.

Place half of the moist tenders, either from their own juices, water or a milk/egg wash, if you prefer, into the bag with the crushed fried onion crisps and flour, toss to coat and then take them out and place them on a foil-lined pan

Bake the tenders at 400 F for about 20 minutes! It's that easy!

Enter, succotash experiment.

Bacon was up first on the list, can't really go wrong with 5 slices of bacon as your starting point.  After pouring out some of the bacon fat, one chopped onion was added to the pan, over medium heat, to soften before creating the roux.

To create the roux, 2 tablespoons of flour were added to the onion and bacon fat to cook.  Then, vegetable broth was added, a couple tablespoons at a time, while whisking constantly, until nearly two cups of broth were added to achieve the desired consistency.

This is where I fell short, according to Jerry's memory, there should have been at least double the roux.  It was ok by me, but I'll revise accordingly next time around.

Finally, 1 lb of frozen corn, thawed, and 1 lb of frozen Lima beans, thawed, and one tablespoon hot sauce were added to the roux and folded together together before being topped with the beloved bacon, which was  snipped with a kitchen shears.

A word about Lima beans...I've only ever been exposed to canned Lima beans, which are generally pretty mushy, so thankfully Jerry requested frozen Lima beans, they were much better than their canned counterparts.

The tenders were devoured, per usual.  The succotash was sweet (from the corn), smoky (thanks to the bacon) and creamy (compliments of the roux). I am intrigued enough by this side dish, that I'll probably give it another try, might be the best way to serve lima beans.

RECIPE

Homemade Chicken Tenders
8 chicken tenders
2 cups of the fried onion crisps
2 tablespoons of flour

Preheat oven to 400 F.
Crush the fried onion crisps in a resealable bag.
Add half of the tenders, toss to coat, place onto foil lined pan.
Coat the other half of the tenders, add to pan and bake for 20 minutes.

Succotash
5 slices of bacon
1 chopped onion
2 tablespoons of flour
2 cups of vegetable broth (added a few tablespoons at a time)
1 lb of frozen corn, thawed
1 lb of frozen Lima beans, thawed
1 tablespoon hot sauce 

Fry bacon and set aside.
Use some of the bacon fat to sautee the onions.
Add the flour and whisk in the vegetable broth a few tablespoons at a time, while stirring constantly, until desired texture and volume are achieved.
Fold in the corn, lima beans and hot sauce before topping with the bacon.