chicken recipes Archives - 2 Sisters 2 Cities

slow cooker chicken tortilla soup

As we approach June (my due date,) I am on the hunt for recipes for easy to prepare meals. In addition to quick preparation, they also must be really tasty, healthy, and also easy to clean-up afterwards. Most slow cooker recipes I come across usually fulfill three of those four criteria. I find that sometimes either taste or healthiness is sacrificed.

This recipe for slow cooker chicken tortilla soup meets all my requirements. I pulled it together in less than 15 minutes, the whole family loved the soup, it’s pretty healthy and packed with veggies, and the only pan to wash was the crock pot insert. (It does call for a can of cheddar cheese soup which some may consider to be an unhealthy option given the loooooong ingredient list on the soup can- I think an easy swap for this ingredient would be 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese and 1/2 cup of half & half. I ended up using the canned soup this time, but would consider swapping this out for my alternative suggestion next time I make it.)

slow cooker chicken tortilla soup

I feel like I was pretty prepared mentally for parenthood while I was pregnant with Baby T, but I have to admit the one thing that really surprised me was how many things there were to get done in a day and how little time there was to do them. In my head, once I had 50+ hours freed up from not working anymore, I would have oodles of free time. I quickly realized a few weeks into motherhood that my free time was more scarce and more precious than ever. I’m starting to come to terms that whatever projects I don’t get finished by June will probably have to wait for a year or two (especially since this time around I will have a two-year old to tend to as well.) I do love everyday of being a mom and having the opportunity to stay home with my little guy, but it’s amazing to think of the number of diapers changed, messes cleaned up, meals served, and loads of laundry washed that I have done over the past 2+ years. Fortunately, recipes like this one help make life a little easier.

slow cooker chicken tortilla soup

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

Author: 2 Sisters 2 Cities

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 6 hours

Total time: 6 hours 15 mins

Serves: 6

Ingredients

Soup

1-1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into ½ inch pieces
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes with Green Chiles
8oz can tomato sauce (The can of tomato sauce I used was 14.5 oz.- I poured in about half of it and froze the remainder in an ice cube tray for future use)
32oz container of low-sodium chicken broth or stock
10.75oz can cheddar cheese soup (alternative: sub soup out for ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese and ½ cup half & half)
2 cups carrots, chopped
8 oz. frozen corn
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 and ½ teaspoons chili powder
¼ cup cilantro, chopped
salt and pepper (to taste)

Toppings (use all or any combination)

Shredded cheese (Monterey Jack, Cheddar, or a Mexican blend)
Sliced avocados or guacamole
Tortilla chips
Sour cream
Green onions, chopped
Limes, squeezed into soup

Instructions

Combine all soup ingredients (not toppings) into a slow cooker. Cook on high for 5-6 hours or on low for 8 hours.
To serve the soup, lay out all toppings in bowls and allow everyone to add garnishes to their soup as they see fit.

Source: Slightly adapted from The Crockin’ Girls

Do you have a favorite slow cooker recipe that helps make getting dinner to the table a little easier?

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Chicken Fajitas

These Chicken Fajitas are one of my main go-to meals that I have been making since I started cooking for myself in college. The recipe has come along over time and matured (just like me!) I no longer need my George Forman to cook a piece of chicken like I did in college. I have moved on to making chicken in my Le Creuset cast iron skillet and it comes out so juicy and tender.

They key to not overcooking with the cast iron skillet is to cut the chicken breast (which can be so huge!) into thin pieces that are around the same thickness. I use my instant read thermometer to know when the chicken is done so there is no overcooking. I then prepare some fresh sliced bell peppers and onion in a large frying pan with a small amount of oil until they onions are cooked and then stir in some fresh cilantro, lime juice, and cayenne pepper. I serve the sliced chicken and veggies in a warm whole wheat tortilla topped with salsa and light sour cream. Since my boyfriend and I are trying to eat healthier, the fajitas have been making it into our menu line-up most weeks.

Ingredients

1 red pepper
1 green pepper
1 yellow pepper
1 onion
Juice from 2 limes
2-3 tablespoons Cilantro
8 oz. of Chicken Breast, butterflied into two
½ tsp. Cayenne Pepper
2 tsp. Olive Oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Light Sour Cream
Salsa
Whole Wheat Flour Tortillas

Instructions

In a medium bowl, marinade the chicken with 2 tablespoons of lime, 1 tsp. olive oil, ¼ tsp. cayenne paper, salt and pepper. Allow chicken to marinade for 20-25 minutes while chopping vegetables.
Cut the peppers and onion in thin slices.
Heat a skillet on medium and cook the thin chicken breast until cooked, registering a 160 degrees on a meat thermometer.
Heat the remaining olive oil in a large frying pan. Sauté vegetables until the onions are cooked. Once cooked, take off heat and stir remaining lime juice and cayenne pepper and all of the cilantro into veggies.
Slice the cooked chicken.
Warm tortillas in the microwave between two pieces of paper towel.
In the middle of tortilla place a few slices of chicken, some peppers and onions and then top with salsa and light sour cream to your liking.

What is your favorite recipe that you have been cooking for a long time and that you have improved over time?

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