Chicken Tortilla Soup

I LOVE this soup! It is so easy to put together in the crockpot and let simmer all day while you do other things. It tastes super yummy and you can add to it other things to make it just right for you!

In your crock pot add:
2 16 0z cans chicken broth
1 can diced tomato
1 can rotel(diced tomatoes with green chili)
6 oz can tomato paste
2 cups frozen corn
3 cups cooked chicken
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tsp salt
tablespoon sugar
1/2 tsp dried oregano

Let simmer on low all day, and when ready to serve top with cheese and corn chips. I cheat and use corn tortilla chips, but if you want to make it really special, fry up your own! It tastes ten times more yummy that way I'll admit, but being a busy mom I am usually in a rush and looking for any short cut I can take!
Enjoy!

Crock Pot Sweet and Sour Meatballs

This recipe is a HUGE hit with my husband and sons! I must admit, though not a very big meat eater myself, I REALLY like this one!

For the Meatballs:
1 lb ground turkey(you can use beef I suppose)
about 1/2 cup of bread crumbs, I use fresh
1 egg
1 Tb cornstarch
1 Tb dried minced onion
salt and pepper
mix together in bowl and form into balls. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes turning once. Place in crockpot.

For the Sauce:
mix in bowl:
3 Tb cider vinegar
1/2 cups sugar
1 Tb soy sauce
3 Tb cornstarch

Pour this over meatballs in crockpot.

Cook on low 4-6 hours. I check on it after several hours to be sure the sauce isn't evaporating too much, if it is I add about 1/4 cup water.

About an hour before you plan to eat add some chopped fresh onion and green bell pepper. You can add it during cooking time, but I like mine a little firmer. Also add one can of pineapple chunks with juice.

Serve over rice.

Crockpot Chicken and "Gravy"

My crockpot is getting alot of use these days as I try and cook more dishes with meat for my meat loving guys. This one is super easy and pretty good too! I serve this with stuffing or mashed potatoes and use the sauce as a "gravy." It's not true gravy, but it works and tastes pretty good!

4-6 Boneless, skinless chicken breast halves(you could probably use any chicken, but this is what we prefer)

2 cans Cream of Chicken(or mushroom) soup

1 envelope onion soup mix

1/4 to 1/2 cup water

Place the chicken in crockpot. Mix remaining ingredients and add to slow cooker. Cook on low about 7 hours.

You can use cream of chicken or mushroom soup or mix one of each. You can use chicken broth in place of the water, but I don't notice a big enough taste difference to justify the cost of using broth, not to mention wasting the rest of the can if I can't find a use for the rest.

Enjoy!

Crockpot Sweet&Sour Chicken

This one is becoming a fast favorite around here with the guys. I love any dish that can be made in the crockpot. For one thing it is a great time saver for any busy mom, and secondly, I LOVE the smell of food cooking all day, it makes the whole house smell good and gives it a homey feel.

3 Tablespoons butter, melted

3/4 cup ketchup

1/4 cup white vinegar

3/4 cup brown sugar

3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

1 1/2 cup chicken broth

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 can pineapple chunks, undrained

2 tablespoons cornstarch

Place chicken in crockpot. Combine all ingredients except pineapple and cornstarch. Cover and cook on low 5-7 hours. Drain pineapple, add chunks to crockpot. Stir in the cornstarch into the pineapple juice, then pour into crockpot and cook on low for another 15-20 minutes until slightly thickened. This sauce is great served on rice along side the chicken!

Crockpot Lemon Chicken

I may be having to take our youngest in to the Urgent Care today as we're not sure whether or not he broke his wrist last night. The Urgent Care is about two hours each way, then of course the hours we will wait there for Xrays and possible treatment. I didn't want to be worrying about dinner when we get home, so I tossed this recipe together in the crockpot early this morning. It is another I got years ago from Taste of Home Magazine.

Crockpot Lemon Chicken

6 chicken breast halves(I use boneless skinless)

1-2 tsp dried oregano

2 tsp seasoned salt

1 tsp pepper

2 tbl butter or margarine

put herbs on chicken and brown in butter. Place browned chicken in crockpot.

1/4 cup water

3 tbl lemon juice

2-3 garlic cloves, pressed

1 tsp chicken bullion

place the above ingredients in pan you browned the chicken in loosening the browned chicken pieces. Bring to a boil and pour all over chicken in crockpot. Cook on low 5-6 hours.

If you wish you can thicken juices and serve over rice or noodles.

Cheap and Healthy....Beans!(yummy too!)

With food prices continuing to rise it seems more and more of us are "beans and ricing" it. I don't mind in the least as beans are pretty common fare for us being vegetarians. You can't go wrong with dried beans at $.59 to $1.00 or so a pound you can really make them stretch!

One of my favorite Bean and Rice recipes is this one:

Red Beans and Rice

2 cups dried small red beans(or regular dried kidney's)

4 cups boiling water

6 cups veggie broth or chicken broth

1 bay leaf

1 large onion diced

2 stalks celery diced

2 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp olive oil

1 can diced tomatoes with juice

2 tbsp tomato paste

1 tsp dried thyme

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

I soak the beans in the morning in the crockpot. In the evening I drain and rinse and add back to the crockpot adding the water and broth. I cook on low overnight. In the morning I saute the onion and garlic in olive oil and add to the beans. I also add the remaining ingredients and cook on low all day.

This even taste better the next day as left overs after all the flavor of the seasonings mix in!

If you're a meat eating family, you could add in some ham for a nice flavor!

When ready to eat just serve with white or brown rice in bowls. A good crusty bread or corn bread goes great with this. I like to round it out with a salad on the side.

These freeze well if you have left overs!

Next time I will share a quick and easy recipe for a casserole dish using canned beans!

" But I don't want to eat at Carl's Jr."

Yes, more words a mother loves to hear from her teen. See, in the morning before we left, I had put all the fixings for Split Pea Soup in the crockpot, so we'd have dinner ready when we got home after our busy day at Tae Kwon Do and other running around.

Well, we did alot more running around than planned and hunger hit me! I had to eat right then!! There was no way I was going to make it the 4o minute drive home, I was starved!!

So I suggested we stop at Carl's Jr. to grab a quick bite. You'd think I suggested we stop and eat liver and onions!!! Fast food is suppose to be a treat(a rare one in this household!!) but the teen was less than excited about the idea...."but mom, you promised split pea soup!" he whined!!

A few months back I was again making this dish when the neighbor teen stopped in. We offered him a bowl and he insisted he HATED split pea soup. He knew for a fact he hated it, as they recently had it at his house and there was no way he'd ever eat it again!!

We finally talked him into it, and guess who is always a guest at our house on split pea soup night??

So, here's the recipe that makes split peas more appealing than the local fast food joint, and turns even split pea haters into split pea lovers:

Split Pea Soup

8 cups liquid(I use 4 cups veggie broth&4 cups water.)

2 cups dried split peas

1/2 cup dried barley

1 onion diced

3 carrots sliced

2 bay leaves

I put all of this in the crock pot first thing in the morning on high. About noon I add:

2 tsp salt

2 tsp garlic powder

I add other seasonings depending on my mood, usually thyme and basil

cook until soft and serve with whole wheat rolls(I use a recipe from my bread machine cook book)

It sounds so plain and simple, but I swear, it is always a hit!!

"Awesome!!"

Those were the words that slipped from my teens mouth when he opened the lid on the crockpot and saw we were having potato soup for dinner the other night!! That always makes a mom feel good when anyone, especially a teen has such words about her meals!

Even better is how easy(and cheap!) this one is to make

Potato Soup

6 cups diced, peeled taters

5 cups water

2 cups diced onions

1 cup carrots, diced

1/4 cup butter

4 tsp. chicken bouillon granules OR vegetable granules

2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp pepper

12 oz can evaporated milk

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Mix all ingredients in crock pot except cheese and milk. Cook on low 8 hours(may need to cook on high if using a newer crock pot) just before serving add cheese and milk and mix well.

This one gets rave reviews from all! Everyone from the baby to the teen and visiting grandparents love! So easy to make!

I usually round it out with homemade whole wheat rolls. I really like the recipe I got from HERE

Download the free booklet as it is full of good and healthy recipes! I use the bread machine for the dough then shape it by hand!

I have a split pea soup recipe that gets similar reviews, I will post it next time!