Chicken Tortilla Soup (Slow Cooker)

 Chicken Tortilla Soup (Slow Cooker)

Tasty and easy- this slow cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup is a winner!! There’s not much prep, just chopping the onion, pepper, garlic  and Serrano pepper- and everything gets dumped in the slow cooker for 8 hours on low (4 on high). Shredded the chicken at the end- hint: use the paddle attachment on the Kitchen Aid mixer and it’s a snap! This soup isn’t creamy, so we like to add lots of sour cream and cheese to our bowl, plus top with tortilla chips, sliced avocado, cilantro, whatever you like!! 

INGREDIENTS

 

• ▢ 1 lb chicken breast
• 1 can black beans, drained
• ▢ 15 oz sweet whole corn kernels, drained
• ▢ 15 oz diced tomatoes, drained
• ▢ 5 C chicken stock
• ▢ 3/4 C yellow onion, chopped
• ▢ 3/4 C red bell pepper, chopped
• ▢ 1 serrano pepper, minced
• ▢ 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• ▢ 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin powder
• ▢ 1 1/2 tsp salt, divided
• ▢ 1 tsp ground pepper, divided
• ▢ Mexican cheese, sour cream, Cilantro, avocado, tortilla chips- for topping optional

INSTRUCTIONS

 

• To your slow cooker add first 11 ingredients plus 1 tsp salt and 3/4 tsp ground pepper. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.
• Prior to serving, remove chicken breasts. Transfer chicken to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment for easy shredding. Alternately you may shred chicken by hand. Season chicken with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Return shredded seasoned chicken to slow cooker bowl. Stir gently.
• Divide among bowls and top off with a generous helping of shredded cheese, sour cream and seasoned tortilla strips, plus avocado and cilantro if desired. 

*If you want a creamier tortilla soup, you can add 4-8oz of cream cheese near the end of cooking. Stir in until melted into soup. 

Italian Beef (Slow Cooker)

 Italian Beef (slow cooker)

This crockpot recipe is FULL of flavor and very easy to make! I served it on a toasted bun with melty provolone cheese slices, so delicious and filling! You could also serve this over mashed potatoes and it would be great. 

Ingredients  

• ▢ 2.5-5 pound chuck roast
• ▢ 1-2 teaspoons sea salt 
• ▢ 1-2 teaspoons ground pepper
• ▢ 2-3 cups beef broth
• ▢ 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ▢ 1 teaspoon dried basil
• ▢ 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• ▢ 1 teaspoon onion powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ 1 bay leaf
• ▢ ¼ cup light brown sugar
• ▢ 1 package Italian-style salad dressing mix (dry)
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ▢ ½ cup pepperoncini juice
• ▢ 
• ▢ sub rolls, optional for serving
• ▢ provolone, optional for serving

Instructions

• Rub the roast with about a teaspoon or 2 each of salt and pepper and sear on all sides (I used canola oil on med-high for about 2-3 minutes per side). Transfer the roast to a slow cooker.
• In large bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients:
• 2 teaspoons sea salt, 
• 2-3cups beef broth
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 bay leaf
• ¼ cup light brown sugar
• package Italian-style salad dressing
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup pepperoncini juice
• Pour over the roast and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or high for 4 to 5 hours.
• With an hour left in the cooking process, remove the bay leaf and shred the meat, let cook for the remaining hour.
• Enjoy as a sandwich with provolone cheese on a sub roll or over mashed potatoes.

Luke’s Favorite Chili

 It’s the perfect time of year for chili, and finding the *perfect* chili recipe can be tricky. We’ve been on the hunt for a new recipe that didn’t use ground beef, but instead, some sort of brisket/chuck roast. This is the second one we tried and we were sold! It’s so rich and hearty and the flavors blend so nicely. The meat is tender from the low and slow cook time in the crockpot. Give this one a try if you are looking to break out from your usual Go-to chili recipe, you might just have a new favorite :)

Luke’s Favorite Chili

Ingredients

• 3 lb chuck roast cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 TBS salt
• 2 tsp black pepper
• 2 TBS vegetable oil
• 1 diced onion
• 1 diced bell pepper
• 1 TBS diced jalapeños
• 1 TBS minced garlic
• 1 28oz can of crushed tomatoes
• 1 14.5oz can of diced tomatoes
• 2 TBS tomato paste
• 2 15 oz cans of chili beans or red kidney beans (drained)
• 2 TBS Worcestershire sauce
• 1/3 cup ancho chili powder
• 2 TBS light brown sugar
• 2 TBS onion powder
• 1 TBS garlic powder
• 1 TBS Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp allspice
• 1 cup beef broth
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Desired toppings (cheese, sour cream, Fritos, cornbread)

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, mix the ancho chili powder, brown sugar, onion powder, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, cumin, and allspice together to make the Chili Seasoning. Set aside.
2. Season the roast pieces with 1 TBS of salt, 2 tsp black pepper, and 1 TBS of the Chili Seasoning.
3. Heat the vegetable in a pan.
4. Sear the roast pieces until all sides are brown. Do this in batches until all pieces have been seared. Do not crowd the pan.
5. Remove the roast.
6. In the same pan, add in the onion, bell pepper, and jalapeños.
7. Sauté until the veggies take on some color and the fond (brown bits at the bottom of the pan) have lifted and combined with the veggies.
8. Spray the Crockpot (slow cooker) with nonstick cooking spray.
9. Add in the roast with the juices it’s rendered.
10. Pour in the sautéed veggies, crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, beans, Worcestershire sauce, beef broth, and the rest of the Chili Seasoning.
11. Stir well.
12. Cover with the lid and slow cook on HIGH for 6-7 hours or on LOW for 10-12 hours.
13. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.
14. Serve with toppings of your choice. Cornbread, sour cream, Fritos, cheddar cheese

Raspberry Cobbler with Dark Chocolate Biscuits

 

This raspberry cobbler with dark chocolate biscuits is perfect for a Valentine’s treat! ❤️ it’s a little tart from the raspberries, the biscuits are so rich and chocolaty, pair it with some vanilla ice cream or whip cream and it’s a wonderful dessert!

Raspberry Cobbler with Dark Chocolate Biscuits

INGREDIENTS

For the filling: 

• 24 oz. frozen raspberries
• 3½ tbsp. sugar
• 3 tbsp. cornstarch
• 1 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tbsp. vanilla extract

For the biscuits: 

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup dark unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3 tbsp. sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 4 oz. (8 tbsp.) unsalted butter, cold and cut into small pieces
• ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk
• 2 oz. coarsely chopped chocolate

DIRECTIONS

• 01

  Preheat the oven to 425˚ F.  Lightly grease a 2 to 2.5 quart baking dish. In the dish, combine the raspberries, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice and vanilla.  Fold together gently with a spatula until evenly mixed.  Transfer to the oven and bake 10 minutes without the topping.

• 02

  Meanwhile, make the biscuits.  In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, sugar, and salt.  Whisk well to blend.  Add in the butter pieces and toss with the dry ingredients.  Cut the butter into the dry ingredients with a pastry blender or two knives until the mixture is crumbly and the largest butter pieces are the size of small peas.  Stir in the buttermilk and mix gently with a fork until a dough begins to form.  Knead together gently, just until the dry ingredients are incorporated.  Gently fold in the chopped chocolate.  Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat down into an even layer about 1 inch thick.  Use a cookie cutter to cut out heart-shaped biscuits, rerolling dough scraps if needed.

  
  

  • 03

    Add the biscuits to the warmed fruit and return the baking dish to the oven.  Bake about 15-20 minutes more, until the fruit mixture is bubbling and the biscuits are just set and baked through.  (The juices will settle after resting a few minutes, but if the fruit is too juicy, feel free to spoon a bit of the juice off or wick away with paper towels.)  Serve warm, with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream if desired.