Easy Cheesy Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

It's mid October here in Southern Arkansas which means the temps are dipping to the lower 80's and mid 70's.  Don't be too jealous.  We have to make our own fall by cranking up the A/C, throwing pumpkins everywhere and making a big pot of soup! 

Light, yet warm and satisfying, Easy Cheesy Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup was inspired by AllRecipes and Cheesy Enchilada Soup.  It's a bit of a hybrid.  It's still healthy, but has some creamy, cheesy goodness and crockpot convenience.

A few quick tips: If you want it a little thicker and creamer, use less broth.  I added 4 cups to stretch the servings and keep it lighter.  Using frozen chicken breasts gives your chicken longer cooking time in the crock pot so it doesn't get mushy.  If you use thawed chicken, you may want to cut the time back.  In my experience 4-5 hours on low is plenty of time for thawed chicken breasts.

Serve this with sweet cornbread, tortilla chips and 5 minute guacamole.

Ingredients
4 frozen chicken breasts
1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 (10 oz.) can enchilada sauce
1 (15 oz.) can navy beans, drained (or whatever kind of beans you prefer)
1 (4 oz.) can chopped green chilies
1 onion, diced
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt 
1/4 tsp pepper
1 bay leaf
4 c. chicken broth
1 (15 oz.) can sweet corn, drained
1 lb. Velveeta Queso Blanco (white Velveeta), cut into cubes
1 handful cilantro, chopped

Directions

1. Place frozen chicken breasts in a large slow cooker.  Add tomatoes, enchilada sauce, beans, chilies onions and spices.  Pour broth over all.  Cover and cook 6-8 hours on low.  
2. Remove chicken, shred and return it to the slow cooker. 
3. Add corn and Velveeta.  Cook about 10 more minutes, stirring occasionally until cheese melts.
4. Stir in cilantro right before serving or use as garnish. 

Mexican Pizza 11 WW Pts +

As a mom with a new baby and a wild 3 year old, most nights require slow cooker meals, quick and easy meals or takeout.  This yummy Mexican Pizza falls into the quick and easy category.  The ingredients can even be prepped during naptime and assembled during the harried dinnertime rush when the little one is suddenly starving and the big one is entertaining himself by taste testing the playdough... 

I love that this recipe is light and healthy too because I've got a lot of pregnancy cheeseburgers and milkshakes to lose.  Unlike the Taco Bell version, nothing is fried and everything is as real, fresh and organic as you want it to be.  

Whole wheat tortillas, homemade taco seasoning, ground chicken, refried beans, jalepeno slices and olives would all be perfect additions to this double decker pizza.

Recipe
Serves 6 
12 tortillas, small
1 lb ground beef
1 pkg taco seasoning or your own seasoning
1/2 bottle taco sauce (I used Taco Bell brand.)
1 1/2 c Mexican cheese blend
1 tomato, seeded and diced
6 green onions, diced

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Prepare ground beef as directed on taco seasoning packet.
3. Heat skillet over medium heat.  Spray tortillas with butter flavored cooking spray.  Heat tortillas in skillet on both sides until crisp.  Place 6 on baking sheet and set the other six to the side.
4. Divide taco meat between the 6 tortillas on the baking sheet.   Sprinkle meat with half of the cheese or your can leave all of the cheese for the topping.
5. Top meat/cheese with second tortilla.  
6. Spread 1 1/2 - 2 tablespoons taco sauce over top tortilla.
7. Top with tomatoes, cheese and green onions.
8. Bake 8-10 minutes or until hot and melty.
9. Cut into wedges and serve.

11 WW Pts.+

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5 Minute Guacamole

This guacamole recipe from AllRecipes.com is so addictive that I can't get it off of my mind.  I keep going back to the fridge with chips in hand. Thankfully, it's super healthy when eaten in moderation.

I like to finely chop my veggies while leaving my avocado chunky for the best overall texture.  You can spice it up with a finely chopped jalapeno. 

Guacamole is best served the day you make it. 

Serve with Crockpot Chicken Tacos or Crockpot Pork Carnitas.

Recipe
from: Allrecipes.com

Ingredients 
3 Avocados, peeled, pitted and lightly mashed
1 Lime, juiced
1 tsp Kosher salt
1/2 c Onion, chopped
3 Plum tomatoes, chopped
1 tsp Garlic, minced or 1/4 tsp garlic powder
3 Tbsp Cilantro, chopped
1 Jalapeno, seeded, deveined and finely chopped (optional)

Directions
Mix all ingredients and chill 1 hour before serving.

Serves 10 |  3 WW Pts +

Crock Pot Chicken Tacos

Normally, I'm not a fan of chicken in the crock pot.  It usually gets mushy and unappetizing, but I've been seeing chicken tacos posted daily on Pinterest and I caved.  This recipe is a combination of several different ones.  We loved the result!  Adding the cilantro and lime juice at the end really brightened up the flavors and cancelled out that "been in the crock pot all day" flavor that chicken can take on.

I've found that cooking the chicken longer than 6 hours runs the risk of the it getting soft, so I switch it to the "Keep Warm" setting after that.  Have I mentioned that I really hate mushy chicken? I'm sure it varies by crock pot, but this works for me.

I used a thawed 3 pound bag of chicken and it made enough to freeze half for another night.  The leftovers would make fabulous quesadillas, burritos or taco salads as well.

Serve with 5 Minute Guacamole and White Queso.

Recipe (serves 12)
2-3 lb Chicken breasts
1/2 lg Onion, chopped
1 1/2 - 2 Cans of Rotel
1 pkg Taco seasoning
1 Lime, juiced
1 Handful cilantro, chopped

1. Combine chicken, onion, taco seasoning and Rotel in slow cooker.  Cook 6 hours on low. 
2. Remove from pot and shred.  Return to slow cooker and stir in lime juice and cilantro. 

Serve on warm tortillas with all of your favorite fixin's!

3 WW Points + (without tortilla)
6 WW Points + (with small whole wheat tortilla)
Points calculated with WW Recipe Builder.

Mexican Chicken and Rice

Here's another great recipe inspired by Plain Chicken.  I love how she churns out amazing, simple recipes for real people with real families.  My husband and I loved the perfectly seasoned rice and yummy chicken.  The cheese sauce and toppings really brought it all together.   It's really a beautiful, company worthy dish!

But the best part... my toddler ate it.  Did you get that?  MY TODDLER ATE IT!  We've struggled a lot with mealtime lately, but the kid loves Mexican rice.  I chopped up the chicken, tomato and avocado, mixed it all together and he was a happy camper.

This was my first time trying Lawry's Baja Chipotle marinade and was amazing.  I used a fork to poke lots of holes in my chicken so the marinade could seep into the chicken which worked like a charm. 

Try this soon and you won't be disappointed.  You friends and family will think you got take out from their favorite Mexican restaurant.  ;)

Recipe
Adapted from: Plain Chicken
4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 bottle Lawry's Baja Chipotle marinade
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup uncooked long grain rice (not instant)
1 Tbsp dried minced onion flakes
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp taco seasoning
2-3 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1 cup Mexican Queso
Optional garnishes: chopped tomato, cilantro, avocado, green onion

1. Pierce chicken all over with a fork and place in large zip top bag.  Pour Baja Chipotle Marinade over chicken and let marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or overnight.
2. Preheat grill and remove chicken from refrigerator so it can warm up .
3. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and add rice. Cook, stirring constantly, until puffed and golden. While rice is cooking, sprinkle with garlic salt and taco seasoning.
4. Stir in onion flakes, tomato sauce and 2 cups chicken broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes, adding more broth if needed.  Remove from heat and let set for 5 minutes.  Fluff with a fork.
5. Grill chicken while rice is cooking.
6. Heat cheese dip according to package directions and set aside.
7. To serve, place a spoonful of rice on each plate.  Lay a chicken breast on top and pour 1-2 tablespoons queso over chicken.  Sprinkle with garnishes.

Fruity Dessert Enchiladas

First off, I'll admit that this is in no way healthy, but it's an old favorite that I wanted to record for future reference.  Fruit filled dessert enchiladas are tasty enough for your next Mexican themed potluck, but easy enough for a weeknight's dessert.  Top them with ice vanilla cream and you'll be in heaven.

Because this recipe is so simple, you could use any canned fruit flavored pie filling.  I prefer the berry fillings, but the hubs liked the apple the best.  Either way, you can jazz them up with a few additions like cinnamon and nutmeg or vanilla and almond extracts.  Because this recipe is so sweet, I used the whipped cream cheese to provide a delicious contrast.  You could use a regular cream cheese, but I like the fact that you don't have to wait for the whipped cream cheese to soften.  I'm lazy that way.

If you're watching your diet, many changes could be made in order to lighten up the enchiladas like using whole wheat tortillas, no sugar added pie filling, low fat cream cheese, reduced fat butter, splenda, etc...   You could also cut back the amount of the sauce.  The results would be similar enough to satisfy your sweet craving while saving you a few calories.

Please share any variations that you can think up and enjoy!

Recipe
Adapted from: AllRecipes.com

Ingredients
1 (21 oz) can of fruit pie filling
6 (8 inch) tortillas
4 oz whipped cream cheese
1-2 Tbsp powdered sugar
Additional flavorings if desired (see notes)

Sauce:
1/3 c butter or margarine (salted)
1/2 c granulated sugar
1/2 c packed brown sugar
1/3 c water
1/2 tsp vanilla

Directions

1. Bring butter, sugars and water to boil in a small saucepan.  Reduce heat and simmer 3 minutes, stirring continuously.  Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
2. In a small bowl, combine whipped cream cheese and powdered sugar.  I prefer it just slightly sweetened with about 1 Tbsp of powdered sugar.  In another bowl combine pie filling and your choice of flavorings.
3. Spread a dollop of cream cheese over each tortilla.  Top with 2 spoonfuls of filling.  You should use up all of the filling.  Roll tortillas and place seam side down in an 8x8 glass pan that has been spray with cooking spray.  Pour butter sauce over enchiladas.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool slightly before serving.

Notes:  Apple enchiladas- dice the apples into smaller pieces.  Add 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and a few dashes of nutmeg to the apples.  Sprinkle top of dish with additional cinnamon.
Cherry enchiladas- add 1/2 tsp almond extract to cherry pie filling.
Blueberry- I like these the way they are, but you could add a little cinnamon if desired.
I will add more flavors as I try them.   

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Quick Blender Salsa

My family loves salsa/Mexican food so much that sometimes it's hard for me to believe that the hubs isn't part Hispanic.  He wouldn't dream of eating a slice of tomato, but throw in some onions and cilantro and he'll eat it by the bucketful. 

Making salsa was such a long labor of love with all of the chopping that I didn't make it very often.... until I found this simple blender salsa recipe.  If I use canned tomatoes, I can whip this up in about 5 minutes.  Score! 

Since my father in law is in the middle of harvesting tons of tomatoes, I made mine with fresh tomatoes which takes a little longer because I like to scoop out the seeds.  However, they're free, fresh and I can make a bunch of salsa to freeze for later.  :)

This simple blender salsa is perfect for parties, potlucks or any night of the week.  It's cheap, easy and packed full of flavor!

Recipe
Adapted from AllRecipes 

2 (14.4) oz cans of tomatoes or 10-12 Roma tomatoes, seeds removed
1 jalapeno, seeds, stem and ribs removed
1/2 yellow onion, quartered
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 bunch cilantro
1 Tbsp lime juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Toss onion, jalapeno, garlic, cilantro and half of tomatoes into blender.  Process until as smooth as desired.  Add remaining tomatoes and and pulse until your reach your desired consistency.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Let the salsa sit at room temperature for 30 minutes or more so the flavors can meld and then adjust seasonings. 

Makes about 2 cups.

Bubble Up Enchiladas - 11 Points +

This Weight Watchers' Bubble Up Enchilada recipe has been all over Pinterest so it's definitely not an original, but here is our family's review:

To be honest it doesn't taste much like enchiladas, but it's still good comfort food, a real stick to your ribs kind of dinner.  You don't often find that from Weight Watchers.

For the heat seekers out there, you can up the heat level by choosing hotter enchilada sauce or tossing in some diced jalapenos.  To boost the flavor, I added garlic and onion to the ground beef mixture.  Shredded veggies like carrots or squash could be added in also to sneak in extra nutrition.

We've made this kid friendly casserole several times already and would make again it regardless of whether it was a Weight Watchers recipe.  It's that good.

Recipe
Adapted from Chef in Training
1 1b lean ground turkey
1/2 onion chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (10 oz) can red enchilada sauce
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 can reduced fat refrigerated biscuits or whole wheat (I used about 8 biscuits)
1 c reduced fat Mexican cheese
Healthy garnishes- green onions, cilantro, olives, jalapenos, fat free sour cream

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly spray a 9 x 13" pan with cooking spray.
2. In a large skillet brown ground beef, onions and garlic; drain and return to skillet.  Separate biscuits and cut each one into 4-6 pieces.  Add enchilada sauce, tomato sauce and biscuits to pan and toss together.  (I didn't end up using the entire container of biscuits because I wanted my enchiladas to be more moist.)    
3. Pour mixture into pan and bake for 25 minutes.  Remove from oven, top with cheese and bake 10 minutes longer.  
4. Garnish with one of the suggestions above if desired. 

Serves 6 Weight Watchers Points Plus: 11

Chicken Fajita Pizza

We love anything you can put on crust and call a pizza.  There's just something about the combination of bread and cheese with our favorite foods tucked in between. 

In our quest to lighten things up around here, I decided to whip up a chicken fajita pizza.  It has a whole wheat crust that I found at The Daily Green, chicken breasts, veggies and only 1 cup of cheese.  It was really hard for me to limit the cheese to only 1 cup for a 14" pizza.  I love cheese and used to pile it onto my pizzas, but I found I really didn't miss it if the other toppings had plenty of flavor.

You can use whatever fajita seasoning  you like, but I recently discovered McCormick's Fajita Seasoning and it has been big winner in our home. 

I hope you think about this recipe the next time your family can't decide between pizza and Mexican food!

Recipe
1 Prepared Pizza Crust (or your favorite crust recipe)*
1 lb chicken breast, cut into thin 2" strips
1 bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 medium onion, cut into thin strips
1 package McCormick Fajita Seasoning mix
1/4 c water
1/2 c taco sauce (can also use picante sauce, but may need a little more)
1 c Mexican blend shredded cheese
Garnishes: green onions, cilantro, tomatoes, avocado, jalapeno slices, etc...)

1.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Spray a pizza pan with cooking spray and sprinkle with a heaping teaspoon of cornmeal.  If you are making a pizza crust you may want to prebake it 8 minutes so it won't be soggy. 
2.  Saute chicken over medium heat until nearly done.  Add pepper, onion, seasoning and water.  Saute 2-3 minutes or until veggies just start to soften and liquid starts to evaporate.
3.  Spread taco sauce over prepared or prebaked pizza crust.  Spread fajita mixture over crust.  Sprinkle with cheese.
4.  Bake 10 minutes at 425 degrees.  Garnish with whatever you like.

I made this crust from The Daily Green.  I prebaked it 8 minutes at 425 degrees before topping it.  We really enjoyed this crust, but will only use half next time as it was a little too thick for us.

Chicken Enchilada Soup {7+ Points}!

In my new quest to lose the last of the baby weight before summer, I have been scouring the internet for edible Weight Watchers friendly recipes.  That can be a tricky combination when you have a vegetable adverse husband and child.  ;)

One of my favorite sites for Weight Watchers recipes is Skinny Taste.  Seriously, whether you're dieting or not you will love Gina's recipes for guiltless, real, family friendly food.  I have tried several of her recipes and have yet to be disappointed.

This Chicken Enchilada Soup Recipe from Skinny Taste is on par with what I would expect to find in one of those surprisingly good hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurants that I'm always apprehensive about entering, but end up leaving full and happy.  I've adapted it to a stove top recipe.  (Visit Gina's blog for more pics and crockpot instructions.)

The chipotle peppers are what give the soup its heat and smoky flavor.  I used 2 small quarter sized peppers, finely chopped resulting in a fairly spicy soup, so I recommend going easy on these at first.  You can always add more, but you can't take them out once they're in there.  ;)  Another option would be to substitute a can of enchilada sauce for the peppers and tomato soup.  I haven't tried this, but I think it would work.

Next time I plan to shred a zucchini and carrot to add to the soup as well.

This soup is quick, only 7+ points and very filling!

Recipe 
Adapted from Skinny Taste
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 c onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 c fat-free chicken broth
8 oz can tomato sauce
1-2 tsp chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced (I used 2 quarter sized peppers.  Adjust to taste.)
1/4 c chopped cilantro plus more for garnishing
1 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 14.5 oz can fire roasted tomatoes
1 14.5 oz can corn
1 tsp cumin (heaping)
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 lb chicken breasts
Garnishes: green onions, cilantro, fat free sour cream and low fat cheese

Directions:
Heat oil in a sauce pan over medium-low heat.  Add onions and garlic and saute 3-4 minutes or until softened.  Add remaining ingredients (except garnishes) and bring to a simmer.  Allow to simmer 20-30 minutes or so until chicken is done.  Time will depend on the size and thickness of the chicken breasts.  Remove chicken, shred it and return it to the pot.  Simmer 10-15 or so additional minutes so that the chicken can absorb the flavor.  Garnish individual servings with green onions, cilantro, sour cream and cheese as desired.

7 Points + per 1 1/2 cup serving

Printable Version 

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Cheesy Mexican Rice

The other day I was craving Mexican rice so I started Googling and found all kinds of yummy looking recipes that I'd like to try, but nothing matched the ingredients in my pantry.  Before giving up, I checked my AllRecipes.com recipe folder and found this recipe that I've had in there for FOREVER. 

Although it's not technically Mexican, this cheesy rice casserole works perfectly as a side to your favorite Mexican entree as well as grilled chicken or beef.  Transform it into a main dish by mixing in chopped, cooked chicken.

It has very few ingredients, but don't let that fool you. 

It tastes incredible. 

We wanted a healthier version of the original recipe so we used low fat sour cream and reduced fat cheese, but even with these substitutions, we still ended up with a rich tasting side. 

If you don't have green chiles on hand, PANIC.  I kid, I kid, just try subbing green enchilada sauce.  We liked it both ways, but felt that the enchilada sauce added even more dimension and moistness to the rice.

One BIG tip is to make sure that you are getting the 6 oz package of rice.   A lot of the packages are more like 4 oz which will live you with a soupy (but still tasty) mess.  Don't ask how I know this... : /

Now to get back to my AllRecipes.com recipe box and see what other gems are hiding in there.

Recipe
1 (6 ounce) package dry instant long grain and wild rice mix
1/2 c onion, chopped
1 (8 ounce) container reduced fat or fat free sour cream
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chiles or green enchilada sauce
1 (8 ounce) package reduced fat Mexican blend cheese

1.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Lightly grease a medium baking dish. (I used a 9x9" dish.) 
2.  Prepare the instant long grain and wild rice mix according to package directions along with the onions. 
3.  Mix sour cream, green chiles and 1 1/2 cups of cheese into the rice.  Pour into dish and sprinkle with remaining cheese. 
4.  Bake 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until bubbly. 

Adapted from:  AllRecipes.com

Cilantro Lime Rice

If you LOVE Chipotle like our family does, you'll enjoy this lighter, healthier version of their famous Cilantro Lime Rice from Gina's Skinny Taste.  Gina's blog is one of my favorite food blogs because her recipes are not just healthy, but they are foods my family really enjoys.   She has a lot of other Chipotle recipes to share too so be sure to check her out!  Yumm!

Back to the rice...Mexican fare tends to be on the heavier side, but the combination of cilantro and lime in this recipe will really brighten up those rich Mexican meals.  If you're not sure about using lime juice, start with a little and adjust to taste.  To make it super simple, use the chopped cilantro in the tube and bottled lime juice.  It seriously can't get any easier than that!

Serve with Tex-Mex Beef Enchiladas.
 
Recipe
1 c rice (I used brown minute rice, but you could use whatever you have on hand.)
1 tsp salt
2-3 Tbsp lime juice (I used bottled)
3 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
3 tsp vegetable oil

1. Cook rice according to package directions with salt and 1 teaspoon oil.  Drain any extra liquid.
2. Mix with lime juice, cilantro and remaining oil.  Adjust seasonings to taste and serve.

Source: Gina's Skinny Taste

Tex-Mex Beefy Enchiladas

Have you ever looked at recipe and thought, "That looks too easy to be good?"  You see these people on tv dumping an endless number of ingredients into their dishes and think that delicious food must take a pantry full of strange and unusual ingredients.  That's what has kept me from making these Tex-Mex Beefy Enchiladas from Martha Stewart.  It seemed too simple yet the reviews were excellent so the tab stayed open on my computer for about a month as I debated.  Lol.  That sounded so dramatic!  :-P

But...today I took the plunge and made these incredible enchiladas!  They were so easy and clean, yet so flavorful.  Honestly, I felt like they were better than most of the beef enchiladas that I've had in restaurants and if you know they hubs, then you know we've eaten at a bazillion and one Tex-Mex restaurants! 

This was the first time I've ever made enchilada sauce and it was so worth taking the extra step!  The recipe calls for one small chile in adobo sauce, but the one that I used was on the larger side.  The result was pretty hot, as in I broke a little sweat, but not so hot that I had to chug a gallon of milk.  The hubs and I loved them, but I couldn't feed them to my one year old.  Next time, I'll stick with a smaller chile or remove the seeds because the little guy loves enchiladas and stared at us with those big, sad puppy dog eyes while we ate. :(

I'm not a big fan of corn tortillas because they always break apart, but I found some white corn ones from the Tortilla Factory (at Walmart) that also had wheat in them.  They were the best of both words- a subtle corny taste with the stability of a flour tortilla.  I will definitely be stocking up on these!

I served these with a cilantro lime rice.  Yummm!

Enjoy!

Recipe

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) reduced sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1 small chipotle chile in adobo, minced, plus 1 tablespoon sauce (from a small can)
1 small onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound lean ground beef
1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp black pepper
8 corn tortillas (6-inch)
1 1/2 cups shredded 2% cheddar cheese (6 ounces)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1.  In a medium pan heat 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil.  Add flour, cook and stir 1 minute.  Whisk in broth, water, chile powder, chile and adobo sauce.  Bring to a boil, whisking constantly.  Reduce heat and simmer until slightly thickened.
2. In a skilled heat remaining oil.  Add beef, onions, garlic, salt and pepper.  Brown and drain.
3. Wrap tortillas and bake for 10 minutes in a 350 degree oven.  Remove and raise temp to 450.
4. Spoon 1/4 sauce into a square baking dish.  Fill each tortilla with about 1/4 cup beef mixture and 2 tablespoons cheese.  Roll tightly and place seam side down in dish.  Mix remaining beef with sauce and pour over enchiladas.  Sprinkle remaining cheese on top.
5. Bake 15-20 minutes or until hot, bubbly and heat through.  Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.  Garnish with cilantro.

Source: Martha Stewart 

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Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas

The other day I was looking for some slow cooker recipes and came across Gina's Skinny Taste.  I've been on  her blog before, but it's been a while.  She has tons of light and healthy recipes as well as conversions for Weight Watchers!  All of her recipes look absolutely divine, but I was most intrigued by her lightened up Chipotle style meat.  I LOVE Chipotle and Moe's so this was super exciting!

After looking over several options like the Chicken Ropa Veija  and the Barbacoa Beef  I settled on the Mexican Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas.  I'll definitely be back to try the others though. ;)

I used a 1.5 pound pork loin to make these since it's such a lean cut of meat and our grocery store didn't have the pork shoulder that was listed in the original recipe.  It was the perfect size for us.  My only suggestion is to use reduced sodium broth and then adjust the salt content to taste after you shred the meat.  When I liberally seasoned the meat, I didn't take into to account that the adobo seasoning listed salt as its first ingredient. 

Also, 2 chile peppers made this just spicy enough to give it a kick without making us break out in to a sweat. I loved the flavor that the peppers gave to these.

We served our Pork Carnitas up in a tortilla with a mixture of lettuce, cilantro, lime juice, avacado and white onion.  Tomatoes would have been a great addition too.  Next time, I'm thinking about a nice crunchy taco shell with these or a burrito!  Yummm!

Recipe:
1.5 lb pork loin
3-4 cloves of garlic cut into slivers (I used bottled minced garlic.)
cumin
dry adobo seasoning (like Goyas)
garlic powder
1 c low sodium/low fat chicken or beef broth
2-3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
2 dried bay leaves

1. Salt and pepper pork.  Brown all sides in a hot, lightly oiled skillet.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.  Make small slits in pork and fill with garlic.  Sprinkle with lots of cumin, adobo seasoning and garlic powder.  
2. Chop peppers and place in crock pot with broth and bay leaves.  Place meat on top.  Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours.  
3. Remove meat and shred with 2 forks.  Discard bay leaves.  Return meat to the crock pot and toss with liquid.  Add more liquid if needed.  (Mine was a little salty, so I added water instead of more broth. )  Add more cumin or salt if needed.  Cook an additional 15 minutes.

Source: Gina's Skinny Taste
Printable Recipe

 

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Mexican Corn & Tomato Salad

Nothing says summer to me like fresh produce.  Seriously, there is no comparison to sweet, juicy corn picked straight from the garden or fresh, vine ripened tomatoes.  I've mentioned before that I wasn't a big fan of the summer, but I'll make an exception for fresh veggies.  ;-)  Oh yeah, and maybe one for watermelon too.

A few weeks ago I stumbled across this recipe on AllRecipes.com, and it was full of corn and tomatoes. In my attempt to lighten it up and because it just seems wrong to add butter to a salad, I made a little dressing with olive oil and lime juice and omitted the butter.  It gives your salad a little shine while using a healthy fat.  You get so much flavor from the fresh veggies, onion and cilantro that you don't need a ton of seasonings.

Another plus for the summer recipe is that you can do all of the "cooking" in the microwave, keeping your kitchen nice and cool.  I like to throw this together early in the day, let the flavors meld in the fridge and then nuke it in the microwave before serving at dinnertime.   The hubs prefers to eat it like a cold salsa with corn chips, but I like it warm.  Either way the salad is the ideal accompaniment to your favorite grilled meat.

Enjoy!

Recipe
3 ears of corn, shucked
3 Roma tomatoes, diced
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
2/3 c red onion, diced
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1 tsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp lime juice
salt, pepper, and lemon pepper seasoning to taste

1. Place shucked corn in a glass pie plate or dish with 1/2 inch of water.  Microwave on high for 5 minutes or until tender-crisp.  Cool slightly, cut corn from cob and place it in a bowl.
2. Add remaining ingredients, and season to taste. I like to zap this for a few minutes in the microwave and serve it warm.  The hubs likes it cold with corn chips.

Adapted from: AllRecipes.com

*Printable Version*

Linked to:

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This Week's Cravings 

Beefy Taco Soup

I know you're thinking, "It's June and a bazillion degrees outside.  Why is this crazy lady posting a soup recipe?"  Well, normally I wouldn't, but my family has been sick with the mother of all colds this week and soup just sounded good.  It's also helps clear out the ole sinuses a little.  (Not that you wanted to know that.)

If you have a garden, taco soup would be a great way to use up some of your fresh tomatoes, pepper and corn.  I can only imagine how yummy fresh, sweet corn would taste in this recipe.  You can make it now and freeze it for later!

One thing I've noticed about taco soup is that everybody and their brother has a recipe for it and somehow they are different.  It just shows you how versatile it is.  I like beans, but the hubs doesn't so we compromise by using only 1 can of beans and adding a can of hominy.  If you love beans, add more!

We like a little heat, but a lot of people don't, so I use mild Rotel.  Plus, in case you missed it earlier, it's a bazillion degrees outside, so I'll pass on the chili pepper hot flashes for now.  Use the regular or hot versions if you want to spice things up.  If you get it too hot, just add more water to dilute it.  Personally, I like it a little thinner, but the hubs thinks that all that liquid just gets in the way of the good stuff.  : P

Really, you can add whatever floats your boat.  That's the great thing about soup!

I hope your family enjoys this recipe, if not now, sometime in the future when there's a chill in the air and a football game on the big screen!

Ingredients:
1 lb lean ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 15 oz can corn, drained
1 15 oz can white hominy, drained
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
1 10 oz can Rotel, mild
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
1 16 oz can pinto beans or bean of choice
2 c water
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 pkg ranch dressing mix

Directions:

1. Brown ground beef and onion in medium skillet.  Drain, rinse and pour into slow cooker.  Add remaining ingredients and stir.
2. Cook 8 hours on low.  Serve with tortilla chips and a dollop of sour cream.

Printable Version

Cheesy Chicken Empanadas!

I love chicken empanadas.  I can't get enough of them, but I know they aren't that good for me.  That is why I was thrilled when I found a less fattening recipe at the Short Stop blog complete with an awesome tutorial!!  Her pics are a lot better than mine and you'll love her story to go along with the recipe, so check it out!  I believe Paula Deen, the southern queen, has a recipe like this as well.

You'll get a lot of these little devils, but you can bake and freeze them.  They reheat easily in a 400 degree for 8-10 minutes.  I can make and freeze them a week or two ahead for a dinner party, freeing up a lot of time on the day of the party.  The other great thing is that you can use whatever kind of ingredients you can imagine.  Fill them with chicken, cream cheese, ranch dressing mix , bacon, green onions and cheddar or use chicken, cream cheese, italian dressing mix, olives, mushrooms, sundried tomatoes and mozarella or parmesan cheese...

It takes a little practice to get the knack of shaping the empanadas, but once you do, they're pretty simple.  You'll just have to eat the ugly ones yourself to hide the evidence.  ;)  The main trick is to roll them pretty thin so that you can taste more than just the pie crust.  Not that there's anything wrong with eating pie crust... hehehe, but you'll want to taste that filling you've spent all that time making!

Serve these as an appetizer with queso or with my Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Soup.


Recipe
2 cooked chicken breasts, finely chopped (2 1/2 - 3 cups)
8 oz Mexican blend cheese, shredded
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup bell pepper, finely diced
1/3 cup onion, finely diced or 1 tsp onion powder
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
2 Tbsp cilantro, finely chopped
1 Tbsp cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 (15 oz) pkgs refrigerated pie crusts

1. Mix all ingredients except pie crust in a medium bowl with hands or spatula.
2. Unroll pie crust and roll until it's about 14 inches in diameter. You need it to be thin so that you can taste the filling.  Otherwise, it will just taste like a mouthful of crust. 
3. Use a large round cookie cutter- at least 4 inches and make your cuts.  Fill with a heaping tablespoon of chicken mixture.  Be careful not to overfill or the filling will ooze out and stick to your pan.
4. Dip your fingertip in water and wet the edges of the dough.  Fold dough over and seal the edges with a fork.  Make sure you seal them tightly so they would come apart.  
5. Reroll your scraps of dough and start over.
6. Bake for 15 minutes at 400 degrees.  Cool on a wire rack.

Source:  Adapted from Short Stop's Chicken Empanadas Ole'

Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Soup- Quick and Easy Pantry Meal!

It's a given that cooking meals at home instead of eating out saves money and in most cases puts healthier food on the table, but some days it's a struggle.  You have a grueling day at work and running to the grocery store to pick up a few items sounds about as fun as heading to the dentist's office for route canal.  Going through the drive-thru would be sooooo much easier.  This is when having a quick and easy back up plan ready in your pantry comes in especially handy. 

Keeping a few ingredients on hand that require no thawing, chopping, blending, peeling or shredding, make putting dinner together a snap!  This recipe takes about 20 minutes and NO prep!  Sure you'll have a lot of empty cans to toss, but hey, you only 1 pot to wash!  I call that a success!  Seriously, if you have to talk yourself into cooking dinner, you definitely don't want to wash a sink full of dishes.  Keep these ingredients together in your pantry along with a copy of this recipe so you won't be wondering why in the world you bought a can of navy beans 2 months from now.

Now on to this yummy, cheesy chicken enchilada soup recipe.   It's a combination of recipes from two different ladies with a few spices thrown in for good measure.  My husband requested this recipe on my behalf so I knew I had to make it.  He never asks me to get recipes, but this soup really got his attention and I'll admit it got mine too.  ;)

It's hard too mess this recipe up.  You can change it based on what you have on hand to come up with delicious new variations.  If you're serving it to company, make it ahead and put in a crockpot to stay warm so you spend time with your guests instead of in the kitchen. 

Serve with tortilla chips, cilantro, sour cream, cornbread or my chicken empanadas (recipe coming soon!)

Recipe
3 cans chicken broth
3 cans cream of chicken soup
2 cans chicken breast or 3 cups roasted chicken, shredded
2 cans shoepeg corn
1 can navy beans
1 can mild rotel
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 lb Velveeta, cubed

1. Bring all ingredients EXCEPT Velveeta to a boil in a large pot.
2. Add cheese and stir until melted and combined.  Do NOT boil once cheese is added.