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