Crockpot Chicken Taco Soup

It's fall! That familiar chill in the air first thing in the morning signals that cold, snowy Utah winters are rapidly approaching.  As much as I hate cold weather, snow and wind, I love that soup season is here! A good hearty soup is one of my favorite things to cozy up with.  I love the feeling of warm soup gliding down your throat and instantly warming you from the inside out.  I easily have 30 favorite soup recipes, and that is not an exaggeration. Some take lots of effort and others are "dump and go" style.  This taco soup is easy, easy, easy.  Made from ingredients that you most likely already have in your pantry, this soup comes together in a flash and the crockpot does all the work. I am a crockpot LOVER in the fall and winter, so if you are too, let me know and I will keep the crockpot recipes coming!

Crockpot Chicken Taco Soup

*Adapted from All Recipes

1 medium onion, chopped

1 (16 ounce) can chili beans OR kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 (16 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained

1 (8 ounce) tomato sauce

1 cup chicken broth

2 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained

2 small cans diced green chilies (if you want to add more spice substitute a small can of salsa verde!)

1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning

3 boneless chicken breasts

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 teaspoon red cayenne pepper (optional)

Sour Cream (optional)

Shredded Cheese (optional)

Crushed tortilla chips (optional)

Diced green onion (optional)

Placed chopped onion, beans, corn, tomato sauce, chicken broth, diced tomatoes, and green chilies in the crockpot. Sprinkle taco seasoning, salt and pepper (and cayenne pepper) over tomato mixture and stir until combined.  Place chicken breasts in the crockpot and press down until the tomato mixture just covers the chicken.  Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.  Remove chicken from soup and shred. Place chicken back into soup and stir to combine.  Serve soup topped with sour cream, shredded cheese, crushed tortilla chips and green onions. Enjoy!

Easy Chicken Hoagies and Baked Sweet Potato Fries

My weeknights are beyond hectic. Between the kids homework, their activity schedule and prepping for school the next day, its bedtime before I know it.  That being said I try and scour the internet for meals that are tasty and come together quickly.  This meal is just that. Again, not the fanciest ingredients, but it came together in a flash and best of all my kids ate every bite with zero complaints. That for me is a win win situation!!

Easy Chicken Hoagies

Adapted from Aaron Mc Cargo Jr

*This recipe calls for you to place the chicken breasts in the freezer for 30 minutes while they are soaking in the marinade.  This is so the chicken will slightly freeze, allowing the chicken to be sliced super thin. You do not have to do this step or you can do it for less time (depending on how chaotic your night is), however, just know that the chicken will slice oh so easily if its extremely cold. The thinner the slice, the faster it cooks as well. I also recommend using a serrated edge knife to slice the chicken; this type of knife cuts through chicken with more ease than a typical chefs knife.

-2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

-1/2 cup olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons

-1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

-1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

-1 teaspoon paprika

-1 teaspoon kosher salt

-1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

-3 chicken breasts (if they are thick breasts slice them in half horizontally to make them into thin cutlets)

-1 onion

-3 garlic cloves, minced

-6 slices Provolone cheese

-4 hoagie rolls, split and toasted (I didn't toast mine-time constraints- and it was still super yummy)

*Optional- hot cherry pepper spread (I found a brand called Wickles at Walmart that is really tasty!)

In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, 1/2 cup olive oil, mustard, Italian seasoning, paprika, salt and pepper. Dip the chicken in the bowl and apply sauce liberally. Place the chicken on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper; cover with plastic wrap and freeze for 30 minutes. Remove from the freezer and with a sharp knife, slice the chicken as thin as possible.

In a large saute pan, add remaining two tablespoons of oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and cook until slightly brown, about 2 minutes.  Add garlic, stirring constantly, and cook for 1 minute. Then add chicken and cook until cooked through, about 5 minutes (depending on the thickness of your slices). When chicken is cooked through, turn off the heat and place the sliced provolone on top of the chicken. Cover the pan and let cheese melt.  Scoop melted cheese and chicken into hoagie rolls. Add cherry pepper spread to the sandwich and enjoy!

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

*Adapted from Mels Kitchen Cafe

*My kids love these fries. Many mornings I have seen them eating the cold leftover fries straight from the fridge! I hope your family loves them as much as we do!!

-3 large sweet potatoes or yams, peeled and sliced into 1/4 to 1/2 inch strips or wedges (try and make them all the same size)

-3 tablespoons olive oil

-1 tablespoon sugar

-1 tablespoon kosher salt

-1 teaspoon paprika

-1 teaspoon chili powder

-1 teaspoon garlic powder

-1 teaspoon cumin

-1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place two large baking sheets in the oven while it heats up; the purpose of this is to help the fries cook more quickly and get crispy. In a large bowl, toss the sweet potatoes, oil and spices together until all the fries have an even coating. Very carefully, remove the hot baking sheets from the oven and place the fries on them in an even, single layer. Make sure the potatoes do not touch, so air can circulate between them. Try and leave as much of the remaining oil in the bowl as you can; you don't want the fries too greasy. 

Bake the fries for 12-15 minutes, tossing halfway through if desired, until they are tender and well browned. 

 

Amazingly Easy Crock Pot Chicken

I love cooking.

It calms and soothes my soul.

I get giddy just thinking about Thanksgiving dinner and the Christmas feast I cook every year.

That being said, some nights I just do not have time to slave over a hot stove.

Enter this chicken recipe.

No it does not have glamorous ingredients. However, it meets all three of my weeknight criteria: quick, easy and delicious!

I found this recipe somewhere on pinterest last year.  I have slightly tweaked it to more match our families taste buds.  Use this chicken in tacos, burritos, taco salad or enchiladas.  The best part of this recipe is it freezes beautifully!!! So make a double batch and throw half of it in the freezer for a hectic night when dinner is never going to happen.

Amazingly Easy Crock Pot Chicken

4 chicken breasts (I usually just throw 4 frozen chicken breasts right in he crockpot)
1/2 a small bottle of Zesty Italian Dressing
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 packet ranch dressing mix (mixed with 1/2 cup of water)
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
salt and pepper to taste

Place all ingredients in crockpot and cook for 4-6 hours on high or 8 hours on low. Shred with fork and enjoy!!!

 

Sunday Brownies

Let the mouth watering begin.

As many of you know I LOVE cooking. It is my single favorite past time.  I am always researching new recipes and rarely make the same recipe twice.  So if I have a recipe I repeat more than once you know I really like it.  And if I tell you I make these brownies at least 2 Sunday's a month, it's safe for you to assume I am borderline obsessed with them.

These brownies are more of a cakey consistency as opposed to a fudgey consistency. I am usually a fudgey brownie gal, but I take exception for these gems. This recipe is fast, easy and I usually have all the ingredients on hand which is a major plus. 

So this Sunday give them a try!! I hope you love them as much as I do!

Sunday Brownies
Recipe from Mels Kitchen Cafe

1 12 ounce bag of chocolate chips (any kind you like-I usually use semi sweet or milk chocolate)
1 cup butter (2 sticks)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 large eggs at room temperature
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large saucepan over low heat, melt butter and chocolate chips. Stir constantly and remove from heat when chips are fully melted. In the same pot, blend in the sugar and vanilla. Then add eggs, one at a time, blending well after each egg is added. Add flour and salt and beat until air bubbles form in the batter. Pour into a greased 9x13 inch pan. Bake for 20 minutes. Turn down the heat to 325 degrees and bake for 10 more minutes.