Southwest Crock Pot Chicken Soup

What you need:

28 oz. can crushed tomatoes

1 can black beans (drai

1 1/2 cups frozen corn or 1 can corn drained

2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts

32 oz. chicken broth

3 cloves or 3 teaspoons chopped garlic

1 bell pepper diced (any color will do)

1 onion diced or finely chopped

1 heaping tablespoon chili powder

2 teaspoons cumin

Optional ingredients for garnishing: sour cream, tortilla strips & finely shredded Mexican cheese.

To stretch this recipe add a little more broth and season to taste, you could also add
extra peppers, corn or onion until you've reached a good consistency for soup.
This is a light and tasty soup.
Its healthy and low calorie, full of good ingredients.

What to do:

1. Put all ingredients listed above in your crock pot.

2. Cook for 6 to 8 hours.

3.  Remove chicken and shred then place back in crock pot.

4.  If needed add extra broth, if its not needed go ahead and eat, its ready!

This is the kind of recipe I love.  Full of ingredients that are healthy and good for you.
It has a great flavor that keeps you coming back for more.
 Another plus; this is a low fat recipe that is healthy!!!

I serve it with a hunk of bread and have a green salad as well.  This is a meal you'll love.

Hot Chicken Fiesta Dip

This recipe is so easy that it makes it taste doubly good!  You just put five easy ingredients in the crock pot and away you go.  I love these kinds of dishes because its so good to have something delicious put together and be free to do what you like with your time.  This is full of flavor and can be eaten as a hot dip or can be used in a salad, as taco meat or whatever you like.

What you need:

1 jar 24 oz Pace Picante sauce (what ever you like mild, medium or hot-I use medium)

1 can seasoned black beans (drained)

1 can S & W Cuban black beans(drained)

1 package shredded Mexican Cheese (aprox 2 cups)

3 to 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts.

What to do:

1. Place the chicken breasts in crock pot.

2.  Pour in Pace Picante sauce.

3. Add drained black beans (both cans).

4. Top with cheese.

Let cook for 6 to 8 hours, remove chicken and shred with a couple of forks.  Then place back in

the crock pot with the other ingredients.  Stir well until all ingredients are mixed together.
 Its that simple, you're ready to serve this and enjoy!
 It makes quite a bit so you'll need a group to finish it off or you'll have some leftover
 and this is as good the second, third or fourth time as it was the first time.

Easy Cream of Potato Crockpot Soup

What you need:

1 1/2 bags frozen southern style potatoes

32 ounces or more of chicken broth

2 cups chopped celery

1 cup chopped carrots

1/2 cup Hormel real bacon bits

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 - 8 ounce block cream cheese

1 - large can cream of chicken soup

4 stalks green onion chopped

1/2 to 1 cup diced onions (optional)

ground pepper (about 1/2 tsp) 

What to do:

1. In large crockpot combine frozen southern style potatoes, celery, carrots
 and onions (if desired).

(If you have the time let them sit out for about 1 hour, so that they fall apart and into pot easily)

2. On top of potatoes and vegetables, put in cream of chicken soup and pour in chicken broth.

3. Cut cream cheese into squares and sprinkle around on top of ingredients in crockpot.

4. Sprinkle with ground pepper, half of the bacon bits - 1/4 cup
 and half of shredded cheese- 1/2 cup.

5. Put lid on crockpot and set on low for 6 to 8 hours. . . now you can do what you want.

6. Use the extra bacon bits, shredded cheese and chopped green onion to garnish individual bowls of soup.

I originally found this recipe on Pinterest.  It traces back to topfoodpics.com
The recipe is titled "Paula Dean's crockpot potato soup recipe.
It was super easy to put together and really delicious.  My family

loved this soup and it quickly disappeared.  This is great comfort food on a wintery day.

If you don't want this soup too thick, you can add additional chicken broth until you achieve the thickness you desire.  I put all the ingredients together in my crockpot the night before
 and just kept the pot in my refrigerator until morning.  This made it quick and easy to put it in the crockpot and turn it on before leaving for work.  I love having our dinner meal already in the works
 so I can come home and enjoy!!!

I changed this recipe by adding a little more potatoes, the bacon, cheese, celery and carrots.

It made a nice big hearty batch of soup.  This provided soup for 8 to 10 people and I think a few

of them had seconds.  There was one bowl left for lunch the next day.  I love leftover soup!

Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken

What you need:

6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves or 12 boneless, skinless chicken tenders

2 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp seasoned salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4 cup water

1 and 1/2 lemons squeezed for lemon juice (should equal almost 1/4 cup lemon juice)

2 garlic cloves minced (I used minced garlic from a jar, 2 tablespoons)

2 tsp chicken bouillon granules

2 tsp. fresh parsley, minced

What to do:

1. Wash chicken and pat dry with paper towels.

2. Combine oregano, seasoned salt, and pepper.  Rub over chicken.

3. Brown chicken in a nonstick skillet over medium heat, for aprox. 2 minutes on each side.

4. Place chicken in the slow cooker.

5. Combine water, lemon juice, garlic, and chicken bouillon in skillet.  

Bring to a boil, stirring to loosen browned bits.  Pour over chicken in the slow cooker

6. Cover and cook on low for about 4 hours.

7. Baste chicken occasionally during 4 hour cooking time.

8. Remove lid and cook 15-30 minutes longer, allowing juices to thicken slightly.

9. Serve chicken and juices over rice.

Here I am with another chicken recipe . . . what can I say, we like chicken.
 I've cooked this a couple of times and my kids say it's their new favorite.
I found it in a cookbook called Fix It and  Forget It Lightly
 by Phyllis Pellman Good.  This book is packed with great recipes
 that I'll be sharing in the future. This chicken was flavorful and easy to put together. The first time I made it with the boneless, skinless chicken tenders and the second time I did it with the boneless, skinless chicken breast halves.  We decided it's better with the chicken tenders.  Probably because the small pieces cook thoroughly.  It was moist and flavorful with the tenders. With the chicken breast halves it was tasty but quite a bit drier.  I think your going to like this one.
 I will definitely be making this again.  

Cafe Rio Like Shredded Chicken

What you need:

4 to 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 can Fresca

8 ounces Zesty Italian salad dressing

1 tablespoon cumin

1 tablespoon chili powder
crock pot

Salad Ingredients and Toppings:

Cilantro Rice (see recipe listed below)
Shredded Romaine lettuce

Diced tomatoes

Black beans (drained)

Shredded cheese

Chopped green onion

Avocado

Salsa

Sour Cream

Flour tortillas (I like to get the kind that haven't been cooked yet

and heat them up on the pancake griddle right before serving.  Then they're

fresh and delicious. You can get white or wheat flour).

What to do:

1. Place chicken breasts in crock pot.

2. Pour Fresca over chicken.

3. Mix Zesty Italian dressing, cumin and chili powder.

4. Pour dressing mixture over chicken and put the lid on.
This is completely optional; I also sprinkled the chicken with Tone's Citrus Grill seasonings.

5. Let cook for 6 to 8 hours.

6. While chicken is cooking; prepare a recipe of Cilantro Salsa Verde Rice(instructions are listed at the bottom of this post) to use on salad or burrito.

7. Shred chicken right in the crock pot and it is ready to make an imitation 
Cafe Rio burrito or salad.

8. Cook flour tortillas on pancake griddle or fry pan and melt cheese on top of cooked tortilla.

9.  Start piling with what you like.  I do it in this order; tortilla(with melted shredded cheese on it), rice, beans, shredded chicken, a little more shredded cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, green onion, salsa and avocado.

10. We topped with Sweet Vidalia Onion vinaigrette.

My family really liked this meal.  The chicken had a great flavor and was moist and delicious.
What's not to like about an imitation Cafe Rio salad.  In fact, I crave these almost weekly.
It was really best fresh out of the cooker.  When we reheated as leftovers it had dried out a bit and wasn't as good as it is fresh out of the slow cooker.  The leftover meat would be great in quesadillas or tacos.  This meal is a great crowd pleaser and good for a large group.  If you like Cafe Rio food you'll like this.  I found these recipes on sixsistersstuff.com and gave it my own twist by adding the Fresca and citrus grill seasonings.

Cafe Rio Cilantro Rice Recipe:
What you need:

 2 cups uncooked brown rice
 2 cups chopped cilantro
 1 cup salsa verde (green salsa)
1 bunch green onions
 4 cups of water
 A Pinch of Salt

Wash and chop the cilantro. Mix the cilantro with 2 cups of water and pour in the pan for cooking the rice. Add two more cups of water, the salt, Salsa Verde, and onion. Bring to a boil. Stir in the rice in the boiling water. Cover and turn down heat to very low; steam for 30 minutes. Makes about 10 servings.

OR

 You can do this in your rice cooker like I did and follow the rice and water quantities as called for in the rice cooker instruction book,then just add the cilantro, salsa verde and green onions as listed above.  I did my rice this way and it turned out perfect (sorry, I think we were all so ready to eat I forgot to take a picture of the rice). 

 That's what happens when you work up an appetite doing yard work. I promise next time I won't be in such 

a big hurry to eat and will take the picture.  This is definitely a recipe I will use again and again.

Root Beer Pulled Pork

It's only fitting that I fixed this now because it's my moms birthday today and this is something I know she would enjoy.  Wish you were here to share it with us mom! It was totally delicious!  It was moist, sweet, and best of all extremely quick and easy to make.   It literally takes less than 5 minutes to throw in your crock pot.  Once its done cooking all you have to do is pull the meat out, shred it with a couple of forks and then pour the liquid from crock pot over the shredded pork. I don't like my meat dripping in liquid, so I don't use all of it. You can mix it up however you desire.  Then put it on a bun and top with some coleslaw.  Quick, easy, and good to eat!

What you need:
Aprox. 2 lb. pork tenderloin
12 ounces root beer
1 18 ounce bottle of your favorite barbecue sauce ( I used K C Masterpiece)
1 small package coleslaw
1 package buns

What to do:
1. Place meat in crock pot, pour root beer and barbecue sauce over pork.  Put the lid on and let slow cook for about 8 hours.
2. Remove the pork tenderloin and shred, take sauce from slow cooker and pour over meat.  I don't like mine dripping in sauce so I didn't use all of it.  You can adjust it to light or heavy on the sauce, whatever you like.
3. Get your bun and pile it with your pulled pork, then top with coleslaw.  
    You're ready to dive in and enjoy!

I found this recipe in a mailing I received from allrecipes.  It was an advertisement for a new magazine they are publishing and this was inside(along with a bunch of other great recipes).  I did it a little differently then what the had, but the ingredients are all the same.

Crockpot Chicken Enchilada Soup

This is the best soup!  A real crowd pleaser.  I usually double it and it still disappears fast.

What you need:
1 15 oz can black beans drained
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes with sweet onions
1 10 oz package frozen sweet corn kernels
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped yellow, green, or red bell pepper
1 10 oz can enchilada sauce (I use mild unless I double the recipe then I do one mild and one medium)
1 10.75 oz can cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
2 chicken breasts

What to do:
1. In 3 1/2 to 5 quart crock pot; add: black beans, tomatoes, corn, onion, and bell pepper.
2. Place 2 chicken breasts on top of mixture in crock pot.
3. In large bowl, mix together with whisk; enchilada sauce and cream of chicken soup, and gradually               stir in milk until smooth.
4. Pour sauce mix over ingredients in crock pot. Cover with lid and cook on low heat; 6 to 8 hours or high heat; 3 to 4 hours.
5.Remove cooked chicken and cut or shred into bite size pieces.  Then add back into soup mixture.
6. Now it's ready to enjoy!  We like to top with tortilla strips, pepper jack cheese, sour cream, and avocado.

You're going to love this soup!  It is the number one requested soup at my house.  This is great for a party or gathering.  We had it on New Years Eve and it disappeared soon after the party started.  I found the original recipe for this on realmomkitchen.com (you can visit the page with the original recipe by clicking on the web name).  I've made it when I didn't have cream of chicken soup in the house and substituted that with Campbell's Fiesta Nacho Soup and it tasted really good.  I mixed it with about 1/2 cup chicken broth and it worked great.

Crock Pot Port Roast

This is a great way to cook a roast and takes only a few minutes to get ready. What you need:Pork roast (thawed and ready to cook)
1 package onion soup mix(can be Lipton or generic)
1/3 cup water
Weber Smokey Mesquite Seasoning
CrockpotWhat to do:-Take roast out of packaging and rinse with water
-Place in crockpot
-Pour 1/3 cup water over roast
-Sprinkle roast with approx. 1 teaspoon
 Smokey Mesquite Seasoning
-Sprinkle entire packet of onion soup mix over roast

Put lid on and cook at low for 8 to 10 hours.  This comes out moist and delicious.  It's so tender it just falls apart.  I usually serve with veggies and potatoes.  I like to use this for Bar-b-q pork sandwiches or in fajitas or tacos. Yummy!