Do You Have to Make Dinner Again? Try This!

really good slow cooker chicken tortilla soup

I think that most people will agree with me when I say that cooking dinner is overrated. And that it should be simplified.  Like maybe with cold cereal.

But my family's taste buds are elevated and they just don't go for that. For example, when Jonathan was about five and I offered to take him to McDonald's for lunch his response was an emphatic sigh and a request to, "just go to Wegman's and get some cheese."

And when we go to family reunions my cousin-in-law, who is a chef, brings his sous-vide and foie gras. I'm not saying that we don't eat all kinds of low end food like donuts and Slurpees, but when it's time for dinner they all expect me to, like, cook. They hate frozen dinners, and chicken casserole, or box noodle kind of things, and really anything that might be fast and easy for me.

It's possible I am exaggerating but it's how I feel, okay?  And maybe it's a little my fault because usually I like to cook good meals but right now I don't feel like it and that should be my prerogative. 

So you can see that while I am fed up with the whole dinner making nonsense, it just keeps happening. Like Groundhog Day. I know you feel me. In response I have been doing a lot of slow cooker cooking this week in an effort to get something together for dinner early in the day before I start feeling really stubborn.

I've tried several so so recipes, but a couple days ago I finally hit on a keeper (yeah, I get it, I'm picky too) so I thought I'd share.

It's for a chicken tortilla soup and I adapted it from the one on Skinny Mom Blog. The main difference is that I can't use a packet of taco seasoning because one, gross, and two, Marc is allergic to msg. Instead I use a mix of spices to get that Mexican flavor.

these are great for seasoning taco meat too.

Here's the recipe:


• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (Just put them in frozen)
• 2 Tbsp minced garlic
• 1 onion, chopped
• 16 oz can  black beans, drained + rinsed
• 16 oz can kidney beans, drained + rinsed
• 8 oz can tomato paste
• 10 oz package of white corn, frozen
• 2 — 10 oz  diced tomatoes with chilies
• 1 Tbsp chili powder
• 1 Tbsp cumin
• 1/2 Tbsp coriander
• 2 tsp oregano
• 2 tsp dried cilantro leaves
• (really I don't measure any of the spices. I just put in a lot because it cooks so long in the slow cooker that you lose flavor if you only put in a little)
• 4 Cups of water 
• 4 Herb Ox Chicken Bouillon cubes (or 32 oz. chicken broth) I like these cubes though.
•  
• I topped ours with:
• light sour cream
• lime wedge squeezed over it
• crushed tortilla chips
• chopped avocado
• chopped  cilantro

1. Place chicken on the bottom of the slow cooker. Add remaining ingredients.
2. Cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours.
3. Remove chicken breasts and shred with a fork, return to slow cooker and mix well.

   

   this is how mine looked

4. Spoon soup into bowls and top with crumbled tortilla chips. 
5. Add optional toppings, especially the lime. Okay, especially all of them.

This was really good! Jonathan ate three bowls.