Frugal Recipe: Chicken Tortilla Crockpot Soup

If you’re anything like me, you have a case of the “Martha Envies” for the folks out there with well stocked Williams Sonoma type kitchens and the patience, ability and talent to make magazine worthy entrees.  Sadly though, envy is far as it goes.   If fiancé isn’t doing the cooking, chances are it needs to be stupid frugal, quick and easy otherwise it doesn’t end well for anyone. This, specifically is why I LOVE Crock Pot recipes.  They’re affordable and you throw everything in one pot to cook while you’re out and about or doing something funner than cooking and call it done.  Perfect for cold weather and when you’re unmotivated to do anything productive (which seems to go hand in hand for me!) All you need is a bunch of cans, frozen or fresh chicken breast and a Crock Pot. It’s that simple!

I’m still annoyed at my lack of food photography skills.  Now that it’s winter, it’s harder to get natural light to use on my photos…still looking for a solution to this but may just need to invest in a $300 flash for my camera since the built in flash is just rough… even when using a piece of scotch tape to dull the blazing flash it’s just… eh.  I tried. I promise the recipe itself tastes better than it looks…it’ll hit the spot and make you a culinary hero for your hungry family. You’re welcome!

Ingredients:

2 cans chicken or veggie broth/bullion cubes

1 can black beans (or pinto)*

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can corn (I use frozen corn)

1 onion, diced 2 cloves chopped garlic (canned garlic works fine!)

2-3 chicken breasts

1 can green chiles

1 bay leaf

1 tsp. cumin

2 tsp. chili powder or soup seasoning

Dash of hot sauce for flavor (optional)

*If you have dried beans on hand, soak them overnight before throwing them in the Crock Pot…dried beans are even cheaper than canned!

Garnish:

Cheddar cheese

Tortilla Chips (crushed or buy strips)

Sour cream

Cook Time: 6-8 Hours In A Slow Cooker

Instructions: If you’re using chicken or veggie bullion cubes, throw in a few cups of water and cubes, turning the Crock Pot on high.  To speed up the process, you can microwave or boil the water to melt the bullion.  Otherwise, throw all the ingredients (sans garnish) into the Crock Pot and turn it on high.  Don’t bother cubing the chicken, it will cook in the soup.

After a 6 hours of cooking (like while you’re at work or wonderously doing other tasks), pull the chicken breast out and let it cool for a few minutes on a plate.  You will be able to easily shred the chicken with a fork and place it back in the soup.   Garnish with tortilla chips, shredded cheddar and sour cream.

This is one of my favorite recipes, and it’s so easy to make even *I* could do it. If you want fresh meals but don’t have a lot of fresh produce on hand, this is a great way to try and maintain a healthy dinner without having to run to the store (just cut back on the dairy to cut calories!)

I hope you enjoy it- let me know what you think!