Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Soup (A Reader Recipe)

Here is another reader recipe.

This time, it's a favorite from my sister's kitchen!

This is something I've heard her talk about for years and never got around to trying until recently.

If you want a crockpot dish that is SOUPER easy... this is it!

If you're not into crockpot cooking, here is a different recipe for chicken tortilla soup that's also delicious.

4-5 frozen chicken breasts

1 pkg frozen mexican veggies (corn, blk beans, peppers)

1 can chicken tortilla soup

1 can nacho cheese soup

1 can water

Sour cream

Cheese

Tortilla chips

Put all ingredients in the crock pot on low and let cook all day. 

When chicken is done, shred it then put back in soup. 

Add sour cream, cheese and crushed tortilla chips to each bowl and enjoy!

***Review:
This soup is a favorite of my sister's family.  I didn't love it as much.  I don't know if it was the fact that I couldn't find the mexican style frozen veggies or what. ( I used southwest veggies)  It may be that I just don't love nacho cheese... and it's a big part of this recipe. Also, I'm pretty picky!  Anyway, the hubs liked it and the kids picked at it.  They loved the chips to dip in it.   I will say that it looked great... that counts for something in my book!  I have a thing for pretty food!  ;)

**Tips:
I don't really have any tips.  I love that this soup is super easy to make.  Add it all in and go.  If you want to add a little spice you could add a can of rotel or even some jalapenos or green chili's.

*Serving:
This soup was great served with the tortillas crushed up in it.  I think it would also be good with some italian bread or even corn bread on the side.  Sour cream is a must and a little avacado wouldn't hurt either!

Printer Friendly Recipe

Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Soup

4-5 frozen chicken breasts

1 pkg frozen mexican veggies (corn, blk beans, peppers)

1 can chicken tortilla soup

1 can nacho cheese soup

1 can water

Sour cream

Cheese

Tortilla chips

Put all ingredients in the crock pot on low and let cook all day. 

When chicken is done, shred it then put back in soup. 

Add sour cream, cheese and crushed tortilla chips to each bowl and enjoy

I've been hiding out with some Chicken Tortilla Soup

Well helloooo there!

Nice to see you again.

Maybe you've been wondering where I've been,

Maybe you haven't even noticed. 

Either way.... I'm gonna tell you.

But first, I cannot ignore the fact that it's Valentines day! 

In honor of that, I thought I would share a quote from one of my bestest friends.  I think she hits the nail on the head and I believe everyone can benefit from mulling this over:

"For some, today could be a painful reminder of love lost...and so for you I pray a distinct awareness of our God's presence....for others, what if we choose to celebrate the love we DO know today with friends and loved ones and choose not to despise love unfulfilled and allow yourself to receive the gift of Love and Goodness around you, in whatever form that may be!"

I really love that! 



So, back to my hiding away.....

I had surgery.... on my jaw

I also had my wisdom teeth out ("since they were already in there".....lol)

So, I've been recovering for the last week.  

I may need a little time still because, you see, my mouth is full of stitches

FULL of stitches

And stitches are not condusive to eating... so I'm not really eating OR cooking either.

My poor family you say......

No.

My Mom and my friends are awesome.

They have brought me food.

Casseroles and soups

Muffins and smoothies

Chili and breads

Talk about LOVE!

And, you might be wondering why I think you care....

Well, I wrote all of this just to tell you that ONE of those soups is from another pretty cool blog/website

So I thought I'd share the recipe with you because, well... it's pretty great.

My wonderful thoughtful sweet friend Merran is a big fan of the Pioneer Woman

She makes a lot of her recipes. 

She made me her Chicken Tortilla soup

It was pretty easy to eat after a few days because everything is so soft.

It's still one of the only things I've been eating besides the smoothies one of my other friends made me.

( I hope I can get THAT recipe.... it's pretty yummy too)

Anyway, if you want to check out the Pioneer Woman's Soup click here!

Otherwise, I hope you receive LOVE today.....

Fish Tacos

First off.... I would like to acknowledge the best mom in the world today by saying:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!!


Now back to your regularly scheduled blog-


The first time I had ever heard of a fish taco, I was in a restaurant in San Diego

I saw a sign that said "Home of the Fish Tacos"  I seriously thought it was a joke

I mean, who would eat fish in a taco?  Really!

When I found out it was real, I was not about to try it.

I was sure it was nasty. 

I already wasn't in love with fish... so that sealed the deal.

No fish tacos for this girl.

Well, a few years went by and I started seeing them around.

Not in a crazy sort of dilusional way! :)  But you know... on menu's and stuff.

I think they're becoming more popular in the midwest.

I got curious and though I still haven't tried one in a restaurant, I wanted to try them

What better way to do that then to make them myself and blog about it?

So... here is my made up recipe for fish tacos. 

I hope you will be brave enough to try them!


Ingredients:        
2 lbs Tilapia
1/2 Tbs coarse sea salt
4 Tbs Olive oil
1 lime
10-15 6" flour tortillas
1/2 C Tartar sauce (see below for recipe)
(* = optional)
*Shredded lettuce
*Shredded Cheese
*Cilantro, chopped
* Taco sauce or hot sauce
*Tomatoes, diced

Ingredients for Tartar sauce:
1/2 C Mayo
2 1/2 Tbs relish
1/8 tsp lemon juice
Mix together and serve

Directions:
Pre heat grill  (if you want to bake them see this recipe for cooking directions)
Place thawed fish fillets on a foil lined cookie sheet and brush them on both sides with olive oil
Sprinkle with Sea salt on both sides

Squeeze juice from a lime wedge over fillets
Place fish on grill  for about 5 to 7 minutes per side (when the bottom turns white you can flip it)

Fish will turn white and flake easily when done

While fish is cooking shred cheese & lettuce

To Serve:
Heat tortillas slightly in oven or microwave
Add tartar sauce to tortilla then add fish and toppings

squeeze a little more lime over it

(You can serve the fish in chunks, strips or shredded if you like. We liked big strips)
Fold up and enjoy!

***Review:
These were awesome!  I am so excited!  Not only did I love them... but the kids ALL loved them.  Hubs had to add hot sauce to his (he adds it to everything) and loved his as well.  There was very little leftover. These are going on the favorite list in this house!  Why did I wait so long to try these? 

**Tips:
Fish is tricky to grill.  I had never done it before yesterday.  The olive oil helped it to not stick, but I would recommend spraying your grill before you start cooking. (please do not spray it while the grill is lit... or you will lose your eyebrows.... or worse)  Definitely use a large metal spatula.  I tried tongs, but the fish is just too delicate and breaks.  Just and FYI, my grill was at about 350 degrees while I was cooking.  But if you don't have a temp guage, I would recommend watching it closely.  It doesn't take that long too cook.  Because my grill is old and cooks unevenly, I had to move the fish around a bit.  So your grill may cook quicker.
As for seasoning, I would definitely add the cliantro next time... I didn't think of it until I was home and was not about to take all the kids to the store for one thing.
And yes... you can use other kinds of fish... I just happen to like tilapia because it's not "fishy" tasting.

Printable recipe:

Ingredients:        
2 lbs Tilapia
1/2 Tbs coarse sea salt
4 Tbs Olive oil
1 lime
10-15 6" flour tortillas
1/2 C Tartar sauce (see below for recipe)
(* = optional)
*Shredded lettuce
*Shredded Cheese
*Cilantro, chopped
* Taco sauce or hot sauce

Ingredients for Tartar sauce:
1/2 C Mayo
2 1/2 Tbs relish
1/8 tsp lemon juice
Mix together and serve

Directions:
Pre heat grill  (if you want to bake them see this recipe for cooking directions)
Place thawed fish fillets on a foil lined cookie sheet and brush them on both sides with olive oil
Sprinkle with Sea salt on both sides
Squeeze juice from a lime wedge over fillets
Place fish on grill  for about 5 to 7 minutes per side (when the bottom turns white you can flip it)
Fish will turn white and flake easily when done
While fish is cooking shred cheese & lettuce

To Serve:
Heat tortillas slightly in oven or microwave
Add tartar sauce to tortilla then add fish and toppings
squeeze a little more lime over it
(You can serve the fish in chunks, strips or shredded if you like. We liked big strips)
Fold up and enjoy!

Salsa Chicken in the crockpot

I have been checking out a lot of cookbooks and websites lately

I'm searching for easy recipes that taste good so I can share them with you

I would love it if you would share your recipes with me too!

I found this one on some random site and e mailed it to myself

It seemed pretty easy and sounded good so I made it tonight

I love how simple it is!

Ingredients:

 

- 6 chicken breasts

- 1 (15 oz) can black beans (drained)

- 1 can corn (drained)

- 1 (16 oz) jar of salsa

- 1 cup cheddar cheese, grated

- rice, hot cooked

 

Directions:

1. Combine ingredients in slow cooker, except rice and cheese.
2. Cover; cook on Low 6-8 hours or High 4-5 hours.
3. Serve over rice and top with cheese

Review:
Honestly, this is not the best dish I've ever made... but it's pretty good.  Hubs liked it but the kids were not fans.  Each one had a different thing they hated about it... mostly it was the tomatoes... but they loved the beans, corn & rice.  Unfortunately, salsa doesn't come without tomatoes...lol   I did love how easy this was though.  Just a few ingredients and it's done.  It seems pretty healthy too and low in fat.  It has a very light/fresh taste to it. I would probably make it again.

Tips:
I think if I were to make this again I might throw the cheese in the crockpot at the end and let it melt onto the chicken... just to see how that would taste... maybe even melt some velveeta in there.  Definitly serve it over rice though... that totally makes the dish! 

The kid version

Chicken Fajitas

And so the saga of the leftover grilled chicken begins. 

Today we will use said grilled chicken for some yummy Chicken fajitas. 

I love when I can make last night's meal into a whole new meal tonight!

Again, these are nothing spectacular (read: difficult).  No marinades, no sauces... just some yummy grilled chicken from last night.

I know you might think that is boring, but for most of us... even though we'd hate love to spend hours marinating some meat... we just can't do it. No time. 

But we do need to eat ... and it needs to be good.

So, for those of you left reading, enjoy a quick easy way to have chicken fajitas for dinner

Ingredients:

-  4 Leftover chicken breasts  (if you are making this fresh, check out the grilled chicken recipe here)
- 1 large onion sliced
- 1 Tbs butter or Olive oil
- 4 -6 flour tortillas
* green peppers
* Sour cream
* Salsa
* 1 diced tomato
* guacamole
* lime
* shredded lettuce
* hot sauce
* shredded cheese
(* means optional)

Directions:

Slice chicken breast into strips.  Set aside.
Slice onion, place in fry pan with butter or oil and cook until carmelized
If you are using peppers, add those to the pan as well.
Dice any veggies that you want to serve on your fajita (ie: lettuce, tomato...) & set aside
Warm tortillas in microwave for about 10 seconds or heat in pan until hot
Lay out tortilla and put sour cream on it, then chicken, squeeze a little lime over it and add any other toppings you like.
Roll it up and enjoy! 

***Review:
We love these at our house.  The kids love that they can add their own toppings... which means they can avoid any of the things they don't like.  Hubby loves that he can add all the hot sauce he wants.  I love the onions..... I use a ton.  This is probably one of my favorite staple dishes. 

**Tips:

This is a pretty straightforward dish.  Basic, easy, quick.  The only tip I can think of is to not overheat your tortillas (which is easy to do if using a microwave) or they will get hard fast.  If you don't heat them at all, they tend to tear when you fold them.... which is no fun.  Other than that... add anything you want to your hearts content. 

Easy Chicken Quesadillas

Ingredients:
-1 5 oz.can of chicken or 1 cooked chicken breast diced
- 1 15 oz. can black beans
- 1 8 oz bag mexican cheese
- 6 large flour tortillas (10 inch Burrito style)
- cooking spray (like Pam)

Directions:
In a bowl, place chicken, cheese & beans.
Mix well.
Spray one side of a tortilla with cooking spray
Place sprayed side down in pan
Place some of the chicken mix on tortilla in pan
Spray another tortilla with the cooking spray and place spray side up on top of the chicken mix in the pan.
Cook about 2 minutes on medium heat (or until golden) and flip to cook other side.
(Unless you have one of those fancy quesadilla makers... then you don't need a pan).
Once both sides are done place on large plate or cutting board and use a pizza slicer or knife to cut into 8 wedges (like a pizza)
Repeat with each set of tortillas.

***Review:These are awesome. Yes, I know it does not take a rocket scientist to make these, but I had to add them... because well, they're easy and yummmy! Which is what this is all about right? Needless to say.... kids love them... parents love them. 'Nuf said!

** Tips:This makes about 24 little wedges.
It took me about 15 minutes to make this... hence making it a great go-to meal in a Dinner Drama moment.  You can really use any size tortilla.... these just happened to be what I had on hand... and what fit my pan. Make sure your tortilla is not bigger than your pan :)
You don't have to use cooking spray. You could use butter, but cooking spray gives the same results with a lot less calories.
You can add pretty much whatever you want inside these. My kids are funny about mixing veggies into the food, so we just use beans.. but you can add tomato or any other veggies you like.
Normally I would use fresh chicken, but I like the option of using the canned chicken because I don't have to cook it.... skipping a whole step!
Also, you can add more chicken or less beans... it really doesn't matter. The only thing that is important is the cheese. There has to be enough cheese for it to stick together.... and obviously, you can use cheese only too!
They are best served with sour cream, salsa and guacamole

What kind of quesadillas do you like?

Taco Cornbread Casserole

Ingredients-
- 2 boxes of Jiffy Cornbread
- 2 eggs
- 2/3 C Milk
- 1-2 Lbs ground meat (burger or turkey)
- 1 pkg taco seasoning
*1 Can corn (drained)
*1 can Black Beans (rinsed & drained)
*1 can Diced Tomato (drained)
*Sour cream (on the side)
*Salsa (on the side)

(* items are all optional)

Directions-

• Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees
• Brown meat and drain
• Add taco seasoning and mix
• Add corn, beans & tomato to the meat mix (you can add any or none of these if you don't like them)
• Put meat into bottonm of 8x10 dish
• Mix the jiffy mix with eggs and milk and pour batter evenly over top of meat.
• Bake or 20-30 minutes @ 400 degrees or until cornbread is golden AND cooked through.
• This will make 8 large portions

***Review:

This is one of my kids (and our) favorites! They don't like it when I add tomato... but I did today and they just picked them out. We top it with sour cream and salsa and mash it all up in the bowl. It's an easy quick meal. I think it took about 40 minutes total...

** Tips:

Sometimes I keep frozen taco meat in the freezer and use that and it cuts out a step.

One problem I run across is that sometimes after 20 minutes, the cornbread is golden, but not totally done in the center... next time I may try covering it near the end. Also, if you don't drain the veggies & meat well, the dish will be watery when you cut into it.

You could also try this in the crockpot, but I personally think it would be more work than it's worth to do it that way. I figure if I'm already using the stove to cook the meat I may as well put it in the oven for 20 minutes.

One last thing... if you don't have a large family, you can cut the recipe in half and use an 8x8 dish.

Thanks to my friend Allison who gave me this recipe years ago in a frantic Dinner Drama moment!