Chicken Tortilla Soup ~ A Cold Evening Treat

I am one of those people who loves soup on a cold night.  It's comfort food, literally.

When my friend, Rebecca, posted on Facebook about an EASY Crock-pot Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe, I thought, "I was just wanting to try to make chicken tortilla soup!  What a coincidence!" So I quickly asked for her recipe and set off to the store...

Funny story... Uh, I accidentally bought HOT enchilada sauce -- Of course I figured that out AFTER I dumped it into my crock pot with the other ingredients.  YIKES!  My family does not do well with "too hot." (I do, but they don't.)  So, there began my experiment with extra mix-ins to make it not as hot.  It turned out great, if a tiny bit too hot.  To our surprise, our son really loved it.

Since yesterday was cold and dreary outside - a perfect day for some comfort food - I decided I would try it again, minus the "too hot" part.  Well, I couldn't find the recipe, so I messaged Rebecca again.  She gave me the "gist," but it was not the whole recipe.  I also tried Pinterest (of course) and none of the recipes I came across seemed quite right.

Long story short (not really short, but short for me - lol) I took what Rebecca gave me, what I remembered, and a recipe from allrecipes.com, put them together and came up with this tasty and very easy crock-pot sensation!

You'll need about 1 pound(ish) of chopped or shredded cooked chicken.  I cheated and used the breasts from one of these amazing guys:

You will need a bunch of cans of stuff, like these:

Take my lead and use amounts to your/your family's taste!  That's the fun part!

1 can Enchilada Sauce (you choose - mild, medium, or hot - lol)
1 can Ro-Tel (a staple in Texas that also comes in mild, original, and hot)
1 can Chicken Broth
1 can Diced Tomatoes
1-2 can(s) of Whole Kernal Corn, drained and rinsed
1-2 can(s) of Black Beans, drained

You'll also need:

1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic pods, minced
1 cup water
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
salt, pepper, and any additional seasonings you enjoy to taste
*ground red pepper and/or Tabasco will add heat if desired

Dump all of this into your crock-pot and let it simmer for 4-6 hours.

Tip to those new to crock-pot use:  Don't be tempted to lift the lid.  Each time you lift the lid, heat escapes, and because crock-pots are "slow cookers," it takes a while for them to return to the proper temperature for proper cooking. :)

So tempting...

FINALLY READY!!!

Garnish with tortilla strips or chips, shredded cheese, sour cream, guacamole, etc.

I chose to serve it with Mexican corn muffins this time, but we added a few corn chips as well.

BONUS - LEFTOVERS to freeze or refrigerate:
(Remember to cool before placing in refrigerator or freezer.)

Our college senior dropped by and snuggled up with a bowl.
It apparently smelled quite tasty!
My sissy, Annette, would definitely say, "Sweeeet Maddie."

Lesson for today -- Don't be afraid to make a recipe "your own."
Annette and I want you to have fun while you cook - like we do!

Always in Our PJs,
Beth & Annette