crock-pot 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?

sister m signature

This is a really easy recipe to pull together and it’s a great dish because it’s ready as soon as you come home from work. I am always looking for crock-pot recipes, but many of them require cooking for only 3-4 hours (which isn’t a possibility when you are working 8-9 hours at the office, plus commuting). This recipe cooks for 10 hours. I usually throw the ingredients together in the crock-pot the night before and then put it in the fridge overnight. In the morning before I head out for work, I take it out of the fridge and set the crock-pot to low for 10 hours.

Ingredients:
3-4 lb boneless pork roast or pork shoulder
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (add more or less depending on how spicy you want it)
-sliced green pepper
-sliced onion
-1/2 cup brown sugar
-jar of barbecue sauce
-bulkie rolls

Directions:
Trim off any large pieces of fat off pork roast. I sometimes buy bone-in and you can leave this on (just pull it out before serving). Combine pepper, salt, cumin, paprika, and cayenne pepper in small bowl. Rub the spice mix over the pork roast.

Put the sliced green peppers, onions, and brown sugar in the the crock-pot. Place the seasoned meat into the crock-pot next. Add 3/4 of the jar of barbecue sauce (add more or less depending on how saucy you want your pulled pork to be…my husband likes less so I usually only add about 1/2 a bottle).

Cook 10 hours on low or until finished. Using a fork, pull meat apart and shred. Use a large spoon to mix all the ingredients together. You can add more barbecue sauce before serving if it looks a bit dry and also can serve a little sauce on the side. I usually serve this on a bulkie roll with either coleslaw, corn bread, or pasta salad as side dishes. You can also serve the pork without rolls.

My preferred barbecue sauce is Dinosaur Bar-B-Que Sensuous Slathering Sauce (http://www.dinosaurbarbque.com). I’ve also tried it with Dinosaur Creole Honey Mustard barbecue sauce, which was also quite good.

-M