Slow Cooker Chicken Rice Soup (non-cream)

Here I am, yet again, posting a soup that I love!  This is a soup I made sort of off-the-cuff, but it was delicious and the entire family gobbled it up.  I make a tasty cream of chicken rice soup and used that as the base for this non-cream soup.  You can play with it a little, adding or deleting veggies and/or seasonings that you prefer in your soup, but this is a great, basic soup for a chilly day.  (I tend to go a little overboard with veggies when I make soup; I always add more than it calls for.)  I also doubled this (other than the chicken; I just used 3 breasts) to maximize the use of my big crock pot.

Chicken Rice Soup

Ingredients:

2-3 chicken breasts (I used 3 frozen.)

4 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
1 package of Rice-a-Roni long grain and wild rice 
1/2 tsp salt (plus more to taste)
1/2 tsp pepper

1 Sazon Goya seasoning packet (see pic below, can be found in ethnic/Hispanic food section)
1 cup carrots, grated, diced, or chopped
1 cup celery, grated, chopped, or thinly sliced

Dump all ingredients into Crockpot. 

Cook on Low for 6 hours or High for 4 hours. 

Remove chicken from Crockpot and shred. 

Add chicken back to Crockpot. 

Let everything cook about 30 more minutes in Crockpot.

Serve.

(I’m Italian so I always sprinkle a little grated Parmesan cheese on my bowl of soup. Plus, everything is better with a little cheese, ya know. J )

Hamburger Stew

Ok, so I haven't made this yet but I can't figure out a way to pin it to Pinterest.  I'm just copy and pasting this from the Taste of Home Facebook page so I can keep it for later. :)

HAMBURGER STEW

From - www.tasteofhome.com



Note: Serve with buttered cornbread.
Ingredients:
2 pounds ground beef
2 medium yellow onions, chopped
4 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) stewed tomatoes
8 medium carrots, thinly sliced
4 celery ribs, thinly sliced
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 cups water
1/2 cup uncooked long grain rice
1 to 2 tablespoons salt
1 to 2 teaspoons pepper

Directions
Cook beef and onions over medium heat; drain. Add tomatoes, carrots, celery, potatoes, water, rice, salt and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30 minutes until vegetables and rice are tender. Uncover; simmer 20-30 minutes longer or until thickened!

Slow Cooker Cream of Chicken Wild Rice Soup (cream)

I love soup.  I've always loved soup.  I could eat it every day if I absolutely had to.  Okay, I could eat it every day on my own accord.  I even had friend in middle school who called me "soup"--thank goodness it was one of my short-lived nicknames.  Here in our house, we have a handful of go-to soups that I tend to cook pretty often.  I'm certain that this one will slip into that rotation quite easily.

When I have a few minutes (usually late at night) I browse Pinterest for new recipes I want to try.  This is one (on my Slow Cooker Board) that I've had my eye on for quite some time.  I decided to try it today since we have some sickness going around the house and I wasn't in the mood to have to figure out dinner tonight.  We were all very pleased with the turnout!  I doubled the recipe so we have plenty to spare.  I definitely found a winner with this recipe!

I modified the recipe slightly, but you can find the original here.

Cream of Chicken Wild Rice Soup

Ingredients:
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 package of Rice-a-Roni long grain and wild rice 
1/2 tsp salt 
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup butter (I used slightly less since I ran out.)
1 1/2 cups half and half
1 cup grated carrots (I chopped mine in a food processor.)
1 cup diced celery

Directions:

Combine broth, water, carrots, celery, chicken and rice (along with seasoning packet) in a large slow cooker. Cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 4 hours. 

Take out chicken and shred with two forks and then add back into slow cooker. In a small bowl combine salt, pepper, and flour. 

In medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in flour mixture by tablespoon to form a roux. Whisk in cream, a little at a time, until fully incorporated and smooth. 

Stir cream mixture into slow cooker and then let cook on low for 15 more minutes.

Enjoy!  Would pair easily with warm biscuits or croissants.

Tortellini Chicken Soup with Black Beans

Here’s another slow cooker soup I threw together yesterday.  I had most of the ingredients in the pantry, so it was something pretty quick and easy to put together.  This was one of those soups that you can just toss in a can of this or a cup of that if you have something you want to use up.

Tortellini Chicken Soup with Black Beans

Ingredients

1 can black beans

I can Rotel (I used Aldi brand.)

1 Can Mexicorn (I used Aldi brand.)

1 can diced tomatoes

1 onion, chopped or diced

1 small green pepper, chopped or diced

1 small red pepper, chopped or diced

2 32oz. chicken broth or stock

1 Ranch packet

3 Tbsp. garlic, minced

2 Tbsp. garlic salt (I added this about ½ hour before serving.  Add as much or as little as you like.)

1-2 Cups chicken breast, diced or shredded (I used 2 chicken breasts.)

1 bag frozen tortellini
Parmesan Cheese to sprinkle on top, if desired

Add all ingredients to the slow cooker except the tortellini.  Add the frozen tortellini to the soup about 30 minutes before serving.  In this final step, you basically just cook the soup until the tortellini is heated through.  Top each bowl with Parmesan cheese, if desired.  Enjoy!

I love simple recipes.  I really love simple slow cooker recipes.   

Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup

For some time now I’ve wanted to try making Split Pea soup.  Yes, I know it’s not the typical thing to make nor do most people enjoy it, but I do.  So there! J  I ended up back in my Make It Fast, CookIt Slow cookbooks.  If you don’t know it already, I absolutely LOVE Stephanie O’Dea’s books, blog, and recipes.  They are a must-have for those who use their slow cooker often.  I pretty much followed her exact recipe with the exception of the bacon.  I used one of the bags of bacon pieces found in the salad dressing aisle.  It was much quicker for me on the morning I was making the soup. This was one of the EASIEST slow cooker recipes ever.

Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup

 The Ingredients

16 oz. package of dried split peas

1 onion, diced

1 potato, peeled and diced

1 cup diced carrot

4 cups vegetable broth

1 cup water (next time I would add 1 additional cup 5-10 minutes before serving.  It got quite thick!)

1 pkg. Real Bacon Bits (despite my link here, I used Kroger brand.)

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

The Directions.

Add everything to the slow cooker.  Stir to mix well.

Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours or high for 4-6.

Use a potato masher to mash and mix the soup to get a combined, thick consistency.  This is when I would add an additional cup up water and blend together.  (If you have an immersible hand blender you can also use that to make your soup a bit more creamy and to have an even consistency.)

Serve.

Next time I will definitely double this recipe.  Other than it being quite thick, it was delicious and even the little squirt couldn't get enough of it.  It would be great with some fresh baked rolls or bread.

Adapted recipe from here.

Taco Soup

This week our Crock Pot Tuesday consisted of Taco Soup, an all-time favorite in our household.  Sam’s even old enough to love the beans, meat, and corn that are a part of this delicious soup.  The only thing I do differently from the original recipe is that I add 2 quarts of chicken broth or stock to make it more soup-y.  The original recipe has more of a chili consistency, but we like a good hearty soup, so I tried the change and we’ve never gone back!  You can't really mess up this recipe. Enjoy!

Taco Soup

1 lb browned and drained ground beef

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cans of kidney beans

2 cans of pinto beans

2 cans of corn with their juices

1  28oz. can of diced tomatoes with the juices

1  14oz. can tomatoes and chiles (Rotel), with the juices

1 packet taco seasoning

1 packet ranch dressing mix

1-2  32oz. cartons Chicken Stock (optional, this makes it more soup-like rather than chili-like; I always add this.)

Shredded cheese and sour cream for topping (optional)

The Directions:

Use at least 6-quart slow cooker.  Put the meat and onion into the slow cooker.  Drain and rinse the beans, and add to the cooker.  Add the corn and tomatoes.  Stir in contents of the seasoning packets.  Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours.  I think the longer you cook soup, the better, so if you have the time, opt for cooking on low.  Ladle into bowls.

        Add a handful of cheddar cheese and a dollop of sour cream to each bowl before eating.  Other topping possibilities:  soda crackers, corn chips, Sriracha

Adapted from this recipe.

Potato Soup

So it's Tuesday which means it's a Crock Pot day in our house.  We haven't made this soup in quite some time, and it's chilly outside, so what better time to revisit a family favorite?  I can't wait until dinner time and it's only 10am!

Loaded Baked Potato Soup Recipe

INGREDIENTS:

6 large baking potatoes, peeled, cut in 1/2-inch cubes
1 large onion, chopped
1 quart chicken broth
3 cloves garlic, minced (or pressed)
1/4 cup butter
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 cup cream or half-and-half cream
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
1 cup sour cream (optional)
8 slices bacon, fried & crumbled
cheese, for sprinkling

PREPARATION:

1.      Combine first seven ingredients in a large Crockpot; cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 8 hours (potato should be tender).

2.      Mash mixture until potatoes are coarsely chopped and soup is slightly thickened.
Stir in cream, cheese and chives.  (I let this bake for 30 mins. more after adding cream.)

3.      Top with sour cream (if used), sprinkle with bacon and more cheese.

Now, here are a few things I do differently:

·         I usually cook on low for 8ish hours.

·         I use green onions if I don’t have chives available, which is most of the time.

·         Instead of making bacon, I use a whole bag of Oscar Meyer/Kroger real bacon bits.  I add this in  about ½ way through the cooking time so the bacon flavor cooks in well. 

·         To make a whole crock pot full (approx. doubling the recipe), I use a whole bag of potatoes, 1-2 onions, 2-2.5 quarts chicken broth, 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, and more salt/pepper as desired.

Adapted from www.cdkitchen.com.