Chicken Taco Soup

It's the perfect time of year for a bowl of soup and this one is great because it's made with chicken, so it's healthier than the recipes made with beef, but it's still very hearty and filling. My mother-in-law gave me this recipe - she made a huge pot of it for us over Thanksgiving weekend and we all thought it was great! You add egg noodles to it as well, which makes it a little different than the other taco soups that you might normally have. You could throw everything together and put it in your crock pot, too, if you have a busy day planned and need dinner ready when you walk in the door. Or, cook it for a couple hours on your stove top - either way would work just fine.

Chicken Taco Soup

5-6 cans chicken broth (14 oz. size)
3 chicken bouillon cubes
5-6 Cups cooked chicken (you can cook your own chicken or use the packaged pre-cooked kind, or even get a rotisserie chicken and shred up the meat)
2 cans chili beans
1-2 packages taco seasoning (depending on taste)
1 can green chillies
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 package egg noodles

Add all ingredients to pot (or crock pot) except noodles. Heat through and then turn to low. Add noodles to pot and cook on low 30 minutes before serving or until done. (If you are doing this in a crock pot, add noodles the last hour of cooking time.)

Serve with Fritos and top with cheese and sour cream.

Here's the kind of chili beans you need (flavored - mild or hot, depending on how spicy you want this)

Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff

Here's another new recipe I tried and another keeper! It doesn't use many ingredients and it goes in the crock pot and it's SO rich and flavorful! Another one that all of us loved. I made it today for our lunch after church and just cooked some green beans with a can of new potatoes and boiled my noodles when we got home. Lunch was ready in about 15 minutes. Perfect!

Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff

2 lbs. Stew Meat (seasoned with garlic powder, pepper and seasoned salt)
1 Large Onion
2 Cans Golden Mushroom Soup
1 Can of Water
3-4 Tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce
1 package (8 oz) Cream Cheese (cut into pieces)
Cooked Egg Noodles

Pour soup, water and worcestershire sauce in crock pot and stir to combine. Season meat with garlic powder, seasoned salt (I used Lawry's) and pepper to taste. Add meat and onion to crock pot. (I just cut my onion in half and discarded it right before we were ready to eat, but if you want to slice or chop it and have smaller pieces throughout the dish, feel free). Cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 5 hours. About 15 minutes prior to serving, cook noodles and stir in cream cheese until it has melted. Drain noodles, add to pot, stir well and serve.

Paula Deen's Slow Cooker Italian Chicken

There really doesn't need to be any introduction to this recipe. The only thing you need to read is "Paula Deen" and then just go make it. Just remember - it's Paula. It's not fat free, not even remotely close. The gravy this recipe makes is good enough to pour over your entire plate of food. I won't say if I did that or not.

So, this week, in honor of a bunch of my teacher-friends gearing up to go back to work, I'm posting a great crock-pot recipe that hopefully will make your first week back to the grind a little easier. I'm sure the smell of this cooking away when you walk in the door from a crazy week back to school will wipe all your stress away! :)

Enjoy!

Paula Deen's Slow Cooker Italian Chicken

6 boneless/skinless chicken breasts
¼ cup butter
1 pkg. Good Season's Italian Dressing packet
1 can golden mushroom soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
8 oz. container cream cheese with chives and onion
1 cup chicken broth or White Cooking Wine

Place chicken breasts in slow cooker. In a saucepan, melt butter and stir in Italian dressing packet. Pour in soups, chicken broth and cream cheese and stir over medium heat until cream cheese is melted. Remove from heat and pour over chicken. Cook on low 6-8 hours or on high 4-5 hours.

**Great served along side mashed potatoes or rice.

Easy Chicken Dinner

Ok, this one, I'm almost embarrassed to post. It requires no culinary wizardry at all. But, it's good. And it goes in your crock-pot. And if you throw in a salad or some apple sauce you have a full meal with very little effort. What busy mom or working girl doesn't like that idea. A good, complete meal cooking for you while you go about your day. Here's what you need to do and you can go ahead and start calling me Emeril at any time. :)

Crock-Pot Chicken Dinner

4-6 Chicken Breasts (frozen or thawed)
2 Cans Whole New Potatoes, drained
1/2 Bag Baby Carrots
1 Can each - Cream of Chicken and Cream of Mushroom Soup
Salt, Pepper, Garlic and Onion Powder to taste

Dump it in your crock-pot, stir, set to high for 4-5 hours or low for 6-8 hours. Easy, peezy, lemon squeezy.

Crock-Pot Pork Chops with Apples and Stuffing

That's a HUGE recipe title, isn't it? I didn't know what else to call it. I could have just called it "delish", cause it is! My friend from St. Louis sent this to me a couple of months ago and I've made it twice now. Once in the oven and then once in my crock-pot and they turned out a lot more tender in my crock-pot so that's the version I'm going with from now on. If you like the pork/apples/stuffing combo - this one is a winner! A little sweet, little savory and oh so good! Here's what you need:

Pork Chops with Apples and Stuffing

4-5 Boneless Pork Chops
1 Can Apple Pie Filling
1 Box Chicken Flavor Stove Top Stuffing
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Lightly season pork chops with salt and pepper on both sides. Pour can of apple pie filling in the bottom of the crock-pot. Place pork chops on top and cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 4 hours. About 10 minutes before you are ready to serve, cook Stove Top Stuffing as according to package directions. Spread over pork chops and serve.

Serve with a veggie or any sides you might like with pork!

Chicken Tacos - Crock Pot Recipe

Here's a recipe that a friend from church gave me a while back. They are so easy to throw together and always taste great! A little change from regular beef tacos. Just toss all the ingredients in your crock-pot and when they are done, add your favorite toppings and you have a quick meal.

Chicken Tacos

4 Chicken Breasts (Frozen or thawed)
1 Can Chicken Broth (I use fat free/low sodium)
1 Can Rotel
1 Packet Chicken Taco Seasoning

Add all the above to the crock pot and cook on low 6-8 hours or on high 4 hours. When chicken is tender, remove from crock pot and shred up with 2 forks. Put shredded meat back into crock pot with all the juices and stir.

I use regular flour tortillas and top with cheese, lettuce and sour cream. Add some chips and salsa and enjoy an easy meal!

White Chili (or Chicken Chili)

Well, it's that time of year again! It's getting cold and in my house, that means it's time for soup! I made this the other night along with Sandwich for a Crowd (see recipe in older posts) and it tasted so great together. It's a nice little change from regular chili and is easy to put together. You could even put it in your crock-pot and let it cook on low for several hours for a yummy meal after work one day.

White Chili

2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
2 Cans White Meat Chicken-drained and chopped
2 Cans Great Northern Beans-drained and rinsed
1 small can Green Chilies
1 large Onion-chopped
4 cloves Garlic-minced
6 Cups Chicken Broth (I used fat free/low sodium)
1/4 tsp. Pepper
1 1/2 tsp. Oregano
2 tsp. Cumin
3 Cups Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese (and extra for topping)
Sour Cream for topping
Salt to taste

In a large stock pot, add olive oil and cook onion and garlic over medium heat until soft. Add beans, chilies, chicken and chicken broth. Stir in pepper, oregano, cumin and salt - combine well. Turn to low heat and add 3 cups shredded cheese. Let simmer for at least an hour or put in crock-pot and let cook on low for several hours.

When ready to eat, top each bowl with extra cheese and sour cream. (Don't forget to check out the recipe for Sandwich for a crowd! They went great together!)

Crock-Pot BBQ Chicken

Here's another great crock-pot recipe! I found this on another blog (same one I found the previous recipe) and made it for the first time this week. It's simple and really good. Another one that the whole family loved, which is just great! I am trying to find more crock-pot meals because with a new baby, it is just easier to throw a good meal together if all I have to do in the evening is make a few sides and the biggest portion of the meal is already done. I know a lot of you work full-time and love using your crock-pot, too. This one uses just a couple ingredients and was really good with mashed potatoes. But since it's bbq, you could also make baked beans, baked potatoes, or any other side you like with bbq and it would be awesome!

Crock-Pot BBQ Chicken

4-6 Frozen Chicken Breasts
2 Cans of Coca-Cola (I had a 2-liter and used about 16 oz.)
1 Bottle BBQ Sauce (I used Kraft BBQ sauce, original blend)

Put everything in crock-pot, stir to combine the soda and sauce. Cook on low all day or on high 4-5 hours.

Creamy Italian Chicken - Crock Pot Recipe

I found this recipe on another blog site recently and just had to try it out. I love crock pot recipes and am always looking for something new - especially on Sundays! It's nice to throw it in before church and then come home to a nice hot meal. All of us really liked this a lot. It's simple to throw together and is great served over rice! I also made some green beans and garlic toast to go with it. Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Creamy Italian Chicken

4 frozen chicken breasts
1 - 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese
1/2 stick butter
1 pkg. Dry Good Seasons Italian Dressing

Place chicken in crock pot. Break cream cheese and butter into pieces and place all over top of chicken. Sprinkle Italian dressing packet over top and cook on low all day, or on high for 4 hours. Serve over rice.

Crock Pot Pork Chops in Gravy

My mom called me the other day and told me about these pork chops. I'm pretty sure that she just made this recipe up in her head. She said that they turned out so good and very tender - so I had to try them. I made them last night and they were a hit with everyone! My house smelled so good while they were cooking that I almost couldn't wait until 5:00 to eat them! I served them with brown rice, green beans, apple sauce and crescent rolls. I'm sure they would be great with mashed potatoes too!

Crock Pot Pork Chops in Gravy

4 Boneless Pork Chops (Mine were fairly thin cut)
1 Can Cream of Mushroom Soup (I used the 98% fat free and you couldn't tell the difference)
1 Packet Dry Onion Soup Mix
Salt and Pepper to taste

Brown pork chops in a skillet in a little bit of olive oil for about 3 minutes per side. While those are browning, mix the two soups together. Place pork chops in crock pot and pour soup on top. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.

Happy cooking, everyone!!

Italian Beef Sandwiches

If you are like me, you LOVE your crock-pot! Throw a bunch of stuff in there in the morning and that night - Wa-La - Dinner! This is a recipe that my mother-in-law has been making for YEARS! I can't even tell you the first time I had it, all I remember is that I loved it and have been making it for the almost 9 years we have been married. It is always good - and you can't mess it up! I have made many different sides to go with it. Everything from mac and cheese, pasta salad, baked beans or keep it super simple with some chips and a fruit salad. I hope you try it and enjoy it!

Italian Beef Sandwiches

2-3 lb. Eye of Round Roast

1 pkg. Au Jus (found by the dry gravy mixes)

1 pkg. Good Seasons Italian Dressing Mix (found in the salad dressing aisle)

1 Onion - cut in half

1 Cup water

Put roast, water and onion in crock-pot. Mix the Au Jus and Good Seasons Italian in a bowl and add just enough water to make a paste. Pour over roast. Cook on high 7-8 hours. When the roast is tender, remove and discard onion and shred meat with 2 forks. Serve on sub rolls or kaiser rolls. I also add mozzarella or provolone cheese to our sandwiches!