Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Soup

I saw this recipe on Foodie Melissa's blog and I knew I had to try it. I believe she got the recipe from AllRecipes.com. This was very good, and very easy for a weeknight meal. Next time I will try to use my own spices, instead of buying packaged taco seasoning.

• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 (16 oz) can chili beans (I assumed this meant red kidney beans)
• 1 (15 oz) can black beans
• 1 (15 oz) can whole kernel corn, drained
• 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
• 1 (12 fluid oz) can or bottle of beer
• 2 (10 oz) cans diced tomatoes with green chiles, undrained
• 1 (1.25 oz) package taco seasoning
• 3 whole, skinless, boneless chicken breasts (I used 2 breast halves, and it was more than enough chicken)
• I also added 2 cloves crushed garlic

1. Place the onion, chili beans, black beans, corn, tomato sauce, beer, and diced tomatoes (and garlic) in slow cooker. Add taco seasoning, and stir to blend. Lay chicken breasts on top of the mixture, pressing down slightly until just covered by the other ingredients. Set slow cooker for low heat, cover, and cook for 5 hours.
2. Remove chicken breasts from the soup, and allow to cool long enough to be handled. Stir the shredded chicken back into the soup, and continue cooking for 2 hours. Serve topped with shredded Cheddar cheese, a dollop of sour cream, and crushed tortilla chips, if desired. (I returned the chicken to the crock pot and just let it heat through -- the chicken was done).
   

Slow-Cooker Pot Roast

This was seriously the easiest dinner ever, and I threw out all my other pot roast recipes after I tasted this one. I very loosely used a recipe from AllRecipes -- I adapted it quite a bit and really only used the recipe for the gravy. The pot roast smelled fantastic, was incredibly tender, and yielded TONS of gravy -- my favorite part. Don't worry if you don't like mushrooms -- my husband hates them, and he said he couldn't taste them in the gravy at all. I like my potatoes and carrots very soft, but if you like yours a little firmer, put them in about an hour before the end of the cooking time. You can also use a smaller roast if you prefer; there are only two of us, so I used a 2# roast.

Slow Cooker Pot Roast

• 1 pound red potatoes, quartered


• 1/2 bag baby carrots


• 5 1/2 pound pot roast


• salt & pepper to taste


• 1 Tbsp. olive oil


• 2 (10.75 oz) cans low-sodium condensed cream of mushroom soup


• 1 (14 oz) can low-sodium beef broth


• 1 (1 oz) package dry onion soup mix


• 1 Tbsp. cornstarch


• 2 Tbsp. cold water

1. Quarter red potatoes. Place red potatoes and carrots in the bottom of a slow cooker.


2. Season pot roast with salt and pepper to taste. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown pot roast on all sides. Place roast in slow cooker on top of vegetables.


3. In a small bowl, mix together cream of mushroom soup, beef broth, and dry onion soup mix. Pour over roast and vegetables in slow cooker. Cook roast on LOW for 8 hours.


4. When roast is done, remove roast and vegetables from slow cooker (leaving gravy in slow cooker) -- keep roast and vegetables warm. In a small dish, mix together cornstarch and water until combined. Whisk cornstarch mixture into gravy, stirring constantly until thickened (about 2 minutes).