Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Soup

For the most part, I really dislike winter time. Mostly because it's freezing and you have to bundle up EVERY time you go outside. Long gone are the days of going out in a short sleeve shirt. Hmm... I miss spring and summer already! The one thing I DO like about winter is all the delicious warm meals that we get to enjoy. Soups, in particular, are the best lunch and dinner when your toes are frozen!

If you make anything in your slow cooker this week, it has to be this soup!

Dinner cannot get any simpler than this. This is my go-to recipe that I've made over and over again. My husband gets so excited when I made this soup and I get so excited because it's so easy! 

Most of the ingredients are probably in your pantry right now.

So let's get cooking! 

Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Soup
Adapted from allrecipies.com

1 onion, chopped
1 (16 oz.) can kidney beans
1 (15 oz.) can black beans
1 (15 oz.) can whole kernel corn,drained
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups water
2 (4 oz.) cans diced green chilies
1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 (1.25 oz.) package taco seasoning
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
Sour cream (optional)
Crushed tortilla chips (optional)

1. Place the onion, kidney beans, black beans, corn, tomato sauce, water, green chilies and diced tomatoes in a 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 on 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.

Pumpkin Pie Pancakes

I love fall!

The beautifully colored leaves, the jacket weather and most of all we get to indulge in pumpkin!! If this delightful pumpkin recipe doesn't get you in the mood for Thanksgiving, then I don't know what will. We made them for dinner last night and I had the leftovers for lunch! I can still taste pumpkin pie in my mouth. Mmmm...

Another cool thing about this recipe is that it's a family recipe handed down from my great grandmother! Its original title is Feather Pancakes, I just added in the pumpkin and spices. So literally this recipe is one of the best homemade pancake recipes out there! Trust me; it's the only pancakes I've made... ever!
Making your pancakes from scratch is really easy too! Maybe not quite as easy as opening a bag and dumping out a pre-made mix into a bowl but they still are really easy. I'm sure it only takes a few more minutes to whip up a batch of home made batter. That way you know exactly what is going into your mix! Cooking from scratch give me peace of mind. :) I can't wait for you to try these!

Pumpkin Pie Pancakes

1 cup Milk
1 Egg
2 Tbsp. Oil
3/4 cup Pumpkin Puree
1/4 cup Water

1 cup Flour
2 Tbsp. Sugar
2 Tbsp. Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
1/8 tsp. Ground Ginger
1/8 tsp. Ground Cloves
Chopped Walnuts (optional)
Fat Free whipped topping (optional)

1. Mix together milk, egg, oil, pumpkin puree and water until smooth.
2. In a separate bowl mix flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and spices. Gradually add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.
3. Spoon onto hot oiled griddle. Brown on both sides.
4. Serve with a dollop of whipped topping and sprinkle with nuts, if desired.

Makes 6-8 medium pancakes.

WINTER DAY DINNER

Well, Fall is here and Winter is coming whether we like it or not! This dinner is perfect for this time of the year. My husband LOVES potatoes and cheese sauce, which is why he loves this dish so much! It's really easy to put together and it's pretty quick too if your husband will pitch in and help you like mine did. :) Make this once and it will become an instant favorite!

 

 

 

 

 

Winter Day Dinner

Adapted from Taste of Home

 

1 pound groud beef

1 medium yellow onion

2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

8 medium potatoes, sliced

1 (15 oz.) can corn

 

Cheese sauce:

1/4 cup butter, cubed

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

2 cups milk

4 oz. process cheese (velveeta), cubed

 

1. In a large skillet, cook the beef and onion over medium heat until the beef is no loner pink; drain. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper.

2. In a greased 13 x 9 baking dish, layer half of the potatoes, all of the meat mixture and corn and remaining potatoes; set aside.

3. In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in flour, salt and pepper until smooth. Gradually stir in milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in cheese until melted. Pour over the potatoes.

4. Cover and bake at 350 degrees F for 1 1/2 hours or until the potatoes are tender.

 

 

I really hope you love this recipe jusy as much as we do. Enjoy!!

Spanish Chicken & Potato Roast

This is a beautiful dish for a bargain! 

Buying chicken thighs can save so much money. I bought a package at Smith's for $5! That would feed a family of four easily. The seasoning is so simple but it has such a wonderful flavor! It's amazing what a few ordinary ingredients will do for chicken and potatoes. Paired with a green salad, it's the perfect Sunday meal!

Spanish Chicken & Potato Roast

Recipe adapted from foodnetwork.com

1 1/2 lbs. large Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces

4 cloves garlic, smashed and coarsely chopped

2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt

1 1/2 lbs. skinless, boneless chicken thighs (5 to 6 pieces)

2 tsp. smoked paprika

Freshly smoked pepper

4 Tbsp. roughly chopped fresh parsley or 4 tsp. dry parsley

1 lemon, juiced

2 large or 3 medium red onions, halved and thinly sliced

Position a rack in the upper third of the oven. Place a large cast-iron baking dish or a rimmed baking sheet on the rack and preheat to 500 degrees F. Put the potatoes, garlic, olive oil, 1 tablespoon water and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large microwave-safe baking dish and toss to coat. Cover with plastic wrap, pierce the plastic in a few places with a knife and microwave 8 minutes to partially cook.

Meanwhile, pat the chicken dry and transfer to a bowl. Sprinkle with the paprika, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Add 2 tablespoons parsley (or 2 tsp. dried) and the lemon juice; toss to coat. Set aside.

Remove the hot baking dish from the oven; carefully add the potatoes and spread in an even layer. Scatter the onions on top. Roast until the potatoes start to brown, about 12 minutes.

Flip the potatoes and lay the chicken pieces on top, adding any accumulated juices from the bowl; return to the oven and roast until the potatoes are tender and the chicken is cooked through, about 12 more minutes. Remove from the oven and top with the remaining 2 tablespoons fresh parsley (or 2 tsp. dried).

Preparing the chicken.

Adding the chicken with the potatoes and onions.

Summer Veggie & Beef Saute

Hello Readers!

I have taken a huge break from blogging. A lot has happened in our life and I think things have settled down enough now to where I can get back into it. We just recently moved three hours away from our home and families. It was pretty drastic and we are really sad we had to go but I think this will be a big learning experience for us. Sometimes you just have to take a risk and hope that you are making the right decision. We think we are! My husband is going back to school and we really believe it will help make our life better in the long run. So, wish us luck that the next two years will go by extremely fast! Thanks :)

 

Now, to my recipe. This is one of those dinners that is so versatile. Basically, if you have ground beef in your freezer and some veggies, you can make this dinner! This time I used onion, broccoli, yellow squash and zucchini. You could easily through in a tomato, green onion, mushrooms, peas, carrots, or whatever else floats your boat! Also, as far as I know this recipe is original. My mom is one of those people that just throws things together and they turn out delicious! So I owe this one all to her.

 

 

 

 

Summer Veggie & Beef Saute

Serves 2-4

 

2 Tbsp. Olive Oil

1 medium Yellow Onion, chopped

1 Tbsp. chopped Garlic

1 lb. Ground Beef

2 small Zucchini, sliced and halved

1 small Yellow Squash, sliced and halved

2 cups Broccoli

Salt and Pepper to taste

Sour cream (optional)

 

1. Heat olive oil in large pan. Add garlic and chopped onion. Saute until onion is transparent.

2. Add ground beef and brown.

3. Meanwhile, steam vegetables until tender.

4. Add vegetables to the beef mixture and stir until combined.

5. Salt and pepper to taste.

6. Serve with sour cream on top. It's delicious!

 

 

Please feel free to comment or leave suggestions below. Thanks!

 

 

Peanut Butter Cookies

If you love Peanut Butter as much as I do (and oh, do I love it!). 

Then you'll die over these Peanut Butter Cookies from the Better Homes & Gardens cookbook! 

They're so soft and moist and so ADDICTING! 

My advice is to make sure you put them in a plastic container or they might lose their moist goodness! 

~And as always, serve with a cold glass of milk~

Peanut Butter Cookies

 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

Directions:

1. Beat butter and peanut butter with an electric mixer or stand mixer with the paddle attachment on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. 

2. Add the granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, and baking powder. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl. 

3. Beat in the egg and vanilla until combined. 

4. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. stir in remaining flour. If necessary, cover and chill dough until easy to handle (about 20 minutes).

5. Preheat over to 375 degrees F. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. roll balls in additional granulated sugar to coat. Place balls 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet (they spread a little). Flatten by making crisscross marks with a fork. Bake for 7-9 minutes or until bottoms are light brown. transfer to a wire rack and let cool.

6. Once cooled, store in an air tight container for up to a week. (But they won't last that long anyway :)

*This post/recipe is dedicated to my Grandma VanWagoner. She is the most beautiful and wonderful grandma in the whole world. I think the reason why I love these cookies so much is because they remind me of her. She always has a cookie jar out on the counter filled with cookies, but the cookies I remember best were her Peanut Butter Cookies. Thank you Grandma for all you've done in your life to get me where I am today!

Beef & Bean Taco Casserole

I just LOVE dinners like this one!

Where there are only a few steps and it doesn't take all night to put together!

 I guess that's the beauty of a casserole and I appreciate it very much. 

I also had all the ingredients on hand, so you probably will too! 

I found this recipe on Pinterest {Love it} and it comes from Recipe.com which is such a great website! 

This is a really fun way to enjoy a taco without eating a boring old taco. I also added avocado and used a orange bell pepper to give it a little sweet note. The beauty of this recipe is that you can use as many vegetables as you'd like! 

You just might need a larger dish :)

Here are all the ingredients you'll be needing.

Layering the ingredients in the dish.

Final product. YUM! 

Beef & Bean Taco Casserole

Ingredients:

1 pound Lean Ground Beef

1 can (16 oz.) Vegetarian Refried Beans

2 Cups Salsa

1 package Taco Seasoning (or to taste)

1/2 medium Bell Pepper, Chopped (3/4 cup)

4 medium Green Onions, chopped (1/4 cup)

1 medium fresh tomato

1 can(15 oz.) Petite Diced tomatoes

1 Cup shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese

1 can (15 oz.) Olives, sliced

1 Cup shredded lettuce

1 medium-large Avocado

Tortilla Chips, coarsley broken (optional)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. In a skillet, cook beef over medium-high heat 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thoroughly cooked, drain. Stir in refried beans, salsa, and taco seasoning. reduce heat to medium. Heat through, stirring occasionally.

2. In an ungreased 2 quart casserole dish, spread beef mixture. Sprinkle with bell pepper, onions, canned petite diced tomatoes, cheese and olives.

3. Bake uncovered for 20-30 minutes or until hot and bubbly and cheese is melted. Top baked casserole with lettuce, chopped fresh tomato and avocado. Optional: Top with broken tortilla chips.

Enjoy!