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. 

Cheesy Enchilada Casserole with Poached Chicken

Greetings and Salutations…

Anyone else remember what book that is from?

I have very fond memories of Charlotte's Web, just wish I could find my original copy to enjoy with my own kids.

Speaking of books, have you read any good books lately?

I'm in a bit of a reading slump myself, haven't cracked a new one since school started.  I'm still fumbling around with my schedule a bit to settle into a routine and the best time of the day for me to carve out some reading time…which, if I'm honest, is right before nap time!

So, while reading is at a bit of a stand still…thankfully, cooking is still going strong!

This Cheesy Enchilada Casserole and all of it's delicious layers of Mexican goodness was a big hit around here.  And, the leftovers were equally sought after.

If you have leftover chicken in your fridge, this is an ideal dish for you!

Since we didn't have any leftover chicken, I wanted to go with the fastest way to cook chicken so that it would be tender, juicy and easy to shred.

Poaching was the answer.  

Started by adding 6 chicken breasts to the salted, boiling water.

They simmered for about 10 minutes….

Or, until the internal temperature was 170F. 

Then, let the shredding fun begin.  

Ok, so maybe it is not that much fun, but I certainly think it is worth the effort.

Once the chicken was ready, the rest of the dish could get underway. 

Started with about 1/2 cup of Enchilada sauce as the first layer in 

my beloved 9x13 stone baking dish. 

Then, about 4.5 corn tortillas were arranged in a layer, 

topped with 1 cup black beans and 

1/2 cup sweet corn. 

Before 1 cup of shredded chicken was added, 

one sliced scallion was tossed in for some extra flavor. 

The first series of layers was completed by 1 cup of shredded fiesta blend of cheese. 

And, we begin again, with the corn tortillas and 1 cup of enchilada sauce. 

More veggies (black beans, corn and scallion). 

And chicken…

Finish with the rest of the sauce and cheese. 

Bake at 350F for 20 minutes. 

Garnish with some scallion and parsley, if you like. 

If you don't care what it looks like, just devour!

RECIPE:

Ingredients:

6 chicken breasts

28 oz can of Enchilada Sauce

9 white corn tortillas

2 cans of black beans - drained

1 cup of frozen sweet corn - thawed

3 scallions - sliced

2 cups shredded cheese

Parsley - optional

Directions:

Boil chicken breasts in salted water for 10 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 170F. 

Shred the chicken breasts with 2 forks. 

Spread 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce in the pan. 

Layer 4-5 corn tortillas. 

Top with 1 cup of black beans, 1/2 cup corn, 1 sliced scallion, 1 cup chicken and 1 cup cheese. 

Another layer of tortillas, then 1 cup of sauce, 1 cup black beans, 1/2 cup corn, 1 sliced scallion and the rest of the chicken.

Finish with the rest of the sauce and the rest of the cheese. 

Bake at 350F for 20 minutes. 

Garnish with sliced scallion and parsley.