Paleo Slowcooker Curry Beef Soup

Paleo Slowcooker Curry Beef Soup
Makes 6 Servings
Recipe found on Everyday Paleo

1 tbsp of Thai red curry paste
2 cans coconut milk (not light!)
1 cup chicken broth
2 pounds cubed stew meat
1 cup baby carrots
½ bag shredded cabbage
16 oz. sweet potatoes, sliced or diced
Optional: red pepper flakes to taste

Mix all ingredients in a crock pot and cook on low 8 hours or until sweet potatoes and carrots are soft and stew meat falls apart.

Nutritional Information: 521 calories, 22 carbs, 33 fat grams and 29 protein grams.

Review: Thee difference between full vs. light coconut milk  is amazing - this was SO tasty and brothy - lots of good fat, and lots of protein, too, from the meat. And of course, the sweet potatoes helped beef it up, too. If you're worried about calories being too high, sub in 1 can of light coconut milk. I'm realizing with Paleo that calories just don't matter - it's low-carb, higher-fat and higher-protein which is so hard to get used to. However, recipes like this remind me why - it's so much more satisfying and filling to eat this way, and this is a great recipe that supports this Paleo-style eating!

Slowcooker Creamy Mexican Chicken

Slowcooker Creamy Mexican Chicken
Adapted from Food.com
Makes 4 Servings

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 can fat-free cream of chicken soup
1 cup salsa
1 package taco seasoning
1 cup fat-free sour cream
Cilantro, optional topping
8 oz. pasta (dry)

Put chicken, soup and salsa in slow cooker. Sprinkle taco seasoning over everything. Cook on high for 2.5 hours. After 2.5 hours, pull the breasts out and shred. Return them back to slow cooker and stir in the sour cream. Cover and heat for another 20 minutes. While it’s heating, cook pasta in boiling water on stovetop per package instructions.

Nutritional Information: 458 calories, 64 carbs, 3 fat grams and 35 protein grams.

Review: Excellent! Interesting that it was creamy and spicy. It was like an thick, heavy alfredo sauce - but instead of an alfredo flavor it was taco flavored! We're fans. We tried it reheated and frozen and it kept its thickness very well. You could easily do a smaller shape, but we liked the long noodles. To reduce the calories a bit, I would consider 3/4 cup sour cream and salsa, and you could probably take the pasta down a 1/2 ounce or ounce.

Slowcooker Mexican Beefy Mac

Slowcooker Mexican Beefy Mac
Makes 4 Servings

1 pound ground beef
1 tbsp minced garlic, jarred
salt and pepper, to taste
1 can fat-free cream of chicken soup
½ cup fat-free sour cream
1 can rotel
1 packet taco seasoning
1 tsp hot sauce
8 oz. pasta (short shape of your choice)

Add beef to slowcooker. Mix soup, garlic, sour cream, rotel, taco seasoning and hot sauce. Stir well and pour over beef. Cook on high 3 hours. Stir, ensuring beef is cooked/no longer pink. If cooked, stir in noodles. Cook for 20 minutes until noodles soften.

Nutritional Information: 457 calories, 60 carabs, 7 fat grams and 32 protein grams.

Review: This was super easy, yummy and spicy! I liked being able to just add raw meat and a few cans/packets to a slowcooker and then having a yummy meal. To reduce the spice, simply remove or decrease the hot sauce - easy peasy. I liked this dish too because I LOVE slowcooker dishes and that cook the pasta for me - gives the noodles a lot of great flavor. This one is an easy one and will definitely be repeated. To make it 6 servings I'd consider just adding a can of corn or a can of black beans! This is definitely one of those you can make your own by adding salsa instead of rotel, topping with guac or jalapeno, etc.

Crockpot Chicken Parmesan

Crockpot Chicken Parmesan
Inspired by Recipe Shoebox
Makes 4 Servings

1 pound chicken, 4 4-oz. chicken breasts (or 8 2-oz. chicken tenders) - defrosted/not cooked
¼ cup Italian bread crumbs
8 tsp grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 egg, beaten
¼ cup reduced fat mozzarella, grated
1.5 cups spaghetti sauce
8 oz. pasta (long shape of your choice)
Parsley, fresh for garnish (optional)

Spray crockpot with nonstick cooking spray. In a medium bowl, beat egg. In second medium bowl, mix bread crumbs, spices and grated Parmesan cheese together. Dip chicken in beaten egg and then toss into bread crumb mixture to coat on both sides. Place chicken on bottom of crockpot; add mozzarella on top. Cover chicken with sauce. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours. Serve over cooked pasta.

Nutritional information: 457 calories, 56 carbs, 8 fat grams and 41 protein grams.

Review: WOW - we have a new favorite slowcooker recipe! I loved not having to cook the chicken - just drip it in egg, dip it in bread crumb mix, drop on cheese, pour on sauce and walk away while it cooks into yumminess! Austin was a BIG fan - even better than when using the oven. The chicken just falls apart and the breading added a lot to the dish. We'll be having this A LOT - I think it's Austin's favorite slowcooker dish!

Slowcooker Buffalo Chicken Mac

Slowcooker Buffalo Chicken Mac
Makes 4 Servings

1 pound chicken, raw
2 tsp minced garlic, jarred
4 tbsp Frank’s Red Hot Wings Sauce
4 tbsp Fat-Free Ranch Dressing (Hidden Valley)
2 tbsp reduced fat parmesan cheese
1 cup fat-free milk
2 oz. Cabot 75% reduced fat cheese
1 tbsp Frank's Cayenne Pepper Sauce
1 tsp hot sauce
8 oz. pasta (small shape)

Add chicken to slowcooker sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Mix garlic, Frank’s hot wing sauce, ranch dressing, milk, and parmesan cheese; pour over chicken. Cook on high for three hours. Remove chicken, shred it, and add back to slowcooker. Stir in cheese, frank's cayenne pepper sauce, hot sauce and noodles; stir until noodles are coated in sauce. Cook on high for 25 minutes until noodles soften. Top with diced green onions or blue cheese crumbles as desired.

Nutritional Information: 428 calories, 54 carbs, 5 fat grams and 42 protein grams.

Review: Great recipe! Loved that it didn't have any 'cream of' anything - nice sauce based on the milk. I will say that I used penne, and I'd prefer it with a smaller shape like macaroni. Next time! I think my favorite part was that the recipe was one pot - everything cooked in the slowcooker so it was easy peasy - tough to mess up. And the calories/fat grams were great for a filling serving.

Creamy Slowcooker Pork Chops

Creamy Slowcooker Pork Chops
Makes 4 Servings
Recipe adapted from AllRecipes.com

1 pound pork chops, boneless medallions
Salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste
8 tbsp all-purpose flour, seasoned with pepper, garlic powder and paprkia
1 large onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 cubes chicken bouillon
2 cups boiling water
1 tbsp minced garlic, jarred
10 tbsp fat-free sour cream

Season pork chops with salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste, and then dredge in 6 tbsp seasoned flour. In a skillet sprayed with nonstick cooking spray over medium heat, lightly brown chops. Meanwhile, boil water in microwave. Once boiled, dissolve bouillon cubes in water. Stir in garlic. Place chops in slow cooker, and top with onion slices. Pour sauce over chops and onions in crock pot. Cover and cook on high 3 to 4 hours. Once done, add sour cream and stir. If still too thick, use cornstarch/cold water to thicken. Serve over egg noodles.

Nutritional Information: 452 calories, 58 carbs, 7 fat grams and 36 protein grams.

Review: If you like super soft, fall-apart pork chops in a creamy sauce you're good with this recipe! It was super creamy and I loved the softened onions - they added a lot. The first time I made it (sans minced garlic) I felt it needed something - so I added the garlic and it made the difference. I like a lot of flavor, and this was a great dish. I will say I could see how this would be good on the stove, too, but without the crockpot the onions and pork chops wouldn't be as soft. I also think you could put the pork chops in to the crock pot raw to cut out that step. I'm going to try that next time! Either way - yummy slowcooker dish!

Slow Cooker Coconut Chicken Curry

Slow Cooker Coconut Chicken Curry
Makes 4 Servings
Adapted from Salt & Paprika

½ cup onion
1 small green bell pepper, seeded & quartered
½ tbsp minced garlic
1 small can tomato paste
1 can light coconut milk
1 ½ tsp salt
1 tbsp curry powder
1 tbsp Garam Masala
1 pounds chicken breasts, cut into big chunks
Salt & pepper
1 tbsp water
3/4 tbsp cornstarch
4 servings jasmine rice, cooked per package instructions

Place onion and bell pepper into a food processor. Process until finely chopped. Add in garlic cloves, tomato paste, coconut milk, salt, curry powder and garam masala, then process until smooth. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Combine with sauce and cook in a crockpot on low for 4 hours. After 4 hours, stir water and cornstarch together then add into the crockpot. Keep the lid cracked and cook on high for 10-15 minutes. Serve over a bed of rice.

Nutritional Information: 419 calories, 49 carbs, 9 fat grams and 31 protein grams.

Review: Okay, this is officially the best curry I've ever made. And probably one of the easiest too. Austin is a fan of thick curry, but that's still has a lot of sauce. A lot of curries are thick, but not saucy, or are saucy but thin. This one is PERFECT. And it has so much flavor - the garam masala with the curry powder adds a lot, and it's not too spicy (although you could make it spicier by slow cooking it with some dried red chiles.) It also had a nice creamy consistency; it tasted like it was cooked with whipping cream even though it wasn't. Next time I plan to double the recipe and freeze half of it - I have no doubt it will reheat fabulousness. If you want to try an Inidian recipe or a slow cooker one I strongly suggest this one - and yes, it's too bad it's not prettier in photos! :( **Edited to add: we froze half in a plastic container and a week later, just made rice and defrosted it - awesome!

Cheesy Broccoli & Chicken

Cheesy Broccoli & Chicken
Recipe adapted from About.com recipe
Makes 4 Servings

1 can broccoli & cheese soup (not fat-free)
1 pound chicken, frozen
1 14-oz. bag frozen broccoli
½ cup skim milk
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, use more to taste
1/2 teaspoon paprika
2 teaspoons parsley, dried
Salt and pepper to taste
3 cups white rice, cooked per microwave instructions

Place chicken in crockpot. Cover with frozen veggies and soup. Add seasonings to taste. Cook on high 3 hours. Add milk and cook for another 30 minutes. Divide cooked rice into four servings, and spoon ¼ of the recipe onto each serving of rice.

Nutritional Information: 467 calories, 68 carbs, 4 fat grams and 32 protein grams.

Review: This tasted like Thanksgiving - for real! I loved how it tasted like cheesy broccoli, and the chicken just shredded right up and blended in to the mix. It tasted best fresh - super creamy and was great over the rice. Reheat wasn't bad, but I definitely had to add some water and salt to get it back up to par, so I'd suggest making this to eat that day (I would even bring this to a Thanksgiving pot luck - i'd just add cooked white rice at the end, stir, and turn it to warm! All in all, a recipe i'll make again.

Slowcooker Chicken Parisienne

Slowcooker Chicken Parisienne
Recipe adapted from Erica’s Kitchen Adventures

Makes 4 Servings

1 pound chicken
¼ tsp salt and pepper
¼ tsp Paprika
½ cup chardonnay or dry white wine
1 can fat-free cream of mushroom soup
8-10 oz. mushrooms
1 cup fat free sour cream
¼ cup flour
8 oz. pasta, cooked per package instructions

Add chicken to crockpot, and sprinkle with salt, pepper and paprika. In a medium bowl, combine wine, mushrooms and cream of mushroom soup. In a small bowl mix together the sour cream and flour. Add the sour cream mixture into the mushroom mixture and mix well.Pour sauce over chicken and add more salt, pepper and paprika if desired. Cook on high for 3-4 hours. Serve over pasta.

Nutritional Information: 472 calories, 62 carbs, 4 fat grams and 37 protein grams.

Review: Loved! I figured I would though - I heart a slowcooker dish, mushrooms and cream of mushroom mix! It reminded me a bit of Bacon Ranch Slowcooker chicken, but more 'mushroomy' and it almost had a marsala influence. It also kind of tasted like the Chicken Tortellini Bake, but less cheesy and more 'pastay.' Either way, this one was great and regardless of its subtle similarities to other dishes I've made, this one is a winner and will be made again. It's also a very budget friendly recipe!

Easy Alfredo Tomato chicken

Easy Alfredo Tomato chicken

Recipe found at 365 Days of Slowcooking
Makes 4 Servings

16 oz. chicken
2 cups Classico light spaghetti sauce
1/2 cup light alfredo sauce (2 servings)
1/4 cup Kraft parmesan cheese
4 oz. mushrooms
2 roma tomatoes, diced
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp garlic powder
8 oz. barilla pasta

Place chicken in the bottom of a crockpot. In a medium bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients. Pour over chicken. Cook on high for 3 hours. Shred chicken loosely with two forks. Cook pasta per instructions. Serve chicken/sauce mixture over pasta.

Nutritional Information: 424 calories, 56 carbs, 6 fat grams and 38 protein grams.

Review: This is a great, simple pasta dish. I liked the combination of sauces and thought it tasted even better once it was mixed with the pasta and refrigerated overnight. I'll definitely be making this again, although i'll probably double it and freeze half of the slowcooker mix - I think it would defrost/reheat well for later!

Rotel Slowcooker Chicken Burritos

Rotel Slowcooker Chicken Burritos
Recipe adapted from Fabulessly Frugal
Makes 6 Servings

16 oz. chicken
1 can Rotel
1/3 cup chicken broth
1 packet taco seasoning
6 large Mission flour tortillas
1 avocado (116 grams)
1 can Trader Joe’s refried beans with jalapeno seasoning*
60 grams (2 oz) cabot 75% reduced fat cheddar, divided into 6
6 tbsp Sour cream, divided into 6

*If you can’t find these, get a can of black beans, drain them, and mash them with a fork

Place chicken in slowcooker. Mix Rotel, chicken broth and taco seasoning and pour mixture over chicken. Cook on high for 4 hours. Remove chicken from slow cooker, shred it, and add back to slowcooker to blend with any remaining sauce. Scoop out contents of avocado and mash, leaving mixture chunky. Mix beans and avocado together and spread evenly on six warm tortillas (about 85 grams each). Sprinkle each with cheese (10 grams). Add a scoop of chicken mixture (114 grams) and a dollop of sour cream (15 grams). Fold into burritos and enjoy.

Nutritional Information: 462 calories, 58 carbs, 10 fat grams and 32 protein grams.

Review: Yum! The guacamole added so much mixed with those beans. It was almost like a bean burrito then no – there’s some spicy chicken! I liked the sour cream and that little bit of cheese went a long way. This was a great burrito/wrap that we’ll definitely be having again. Although, next time I’ll double the chicken and use the other half in salads or in a taco or enchilada bake!

The inside

Sausage and Pasta Soup

Recipe adapted from For the Love of Cooking’s Spaghetti with Meat Sauce
Sausage and Pasta Soup
Makes 4 Servings
Note: with it being 4 servings it makes it very soupy like – we like that and add noodles (baby wheels!) and eat it with a spoon.

1 tsp olive oil
3 links of chicken Italian sausage, diced
1/2 sweet yellow onion, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
8 oz button mushrooms, sliced
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp of dried basil
1 tsp of fennel seeds
1/2 tsp of dried oregano
Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
1 28 oz can of whole tomatoes and juices
1 14 oz can of tomato sauce
1/2 tsp splenda
3-4 fresh basil leaves
1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
Reduced Fat Parmesan cheese
8 oz. pasta (we used wheels!)

Add olive oil to slowcooker over high heat. Add sausage, onion, red bell pepper and mushrooms. Add garlic, and stir for 60 seconds. Add basil, fennel, oregano, salt and pepper. Mix to combine well then add the sugar, tomato sauce and whole tomatoes and their juice; crush tomatoes with your hands. Cover sauce and cook on high for 3 hours. When you’re ready to eat, prepare the spaghetti per instructions. Taste meat sauce and re-season if needed. Add the fresh basil and parsley, stir and serve over your favorite pasta.

Nutritional Information: 380 calories, 63 carbs, 7 fat grams and 20 protein grams.

Review: So yes, a little high on the carbs but so filling! You could easily take the pasta down to 1 oz. or 1.5 oz. per serving (instead of 2) and just add more sausage! (maybe one more link!)

Crockpot Pizza Soup

Recipe from A Year of Slow-Cooking’s
Crockpot Pizza Soup
Makes 4 Servings

1 jar (14 oz) of Ragu pizza sauce
3 empty jars full of water
1 cup green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped (1 cup)
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 whole tomato, diced
2 already-cooked Italian chicken sausage links, diced
20 sliced turkey pepperoni, sliced in quarters
1 tsp dried basil
1 tbsp dried oregano
6 oz. mini farfalle pasta
60 grams shredded mozzarella cheese (to add later; divided into 4 15-gram toppings)

Wash and prepare veggies. Dump them into the crockpot. Cut sausage and pepperoni into small pieces and add to crockpot. Add basil and oregano. Pour in pizza sauce, and follow with three empty jars of water. Stir, cover and cook on low for 6 hours. After six hours, add dry pasta, and turn to high for 20 minutes or until pasta softens. Top with shredded mozzarella cheese.

Nutritional Information: 338 calories, 47 carbs, 17 protein grams and 9 fat grams.

Review: I thought it was SO good – I’m a definite fan!! (and so are Austin and Devon!). If anything, next time I’ll add salt, maybe 5 oz. instead of 6 in pasta, and add more pepperoni! Still though – loved it!

Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

Recipe adapted from Real Mom Kitchen
Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
Makes 4 Servings

1 can black beans, drained
1 can corn, drained
1 can petite diced tomatoes (14.5 oz size - southwest style)
1 packet taco seasoning
1 1/2 cups water
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
1 can ( 10 3/4 oz) fat-free cream of chicken soup
2 cups fat-free milk
16 oz. chicken, boneless and skinless
Optional: 40 grams corn chips, divided

In crock pot, mix the taco packet together with the water and tomato sauce. Add cream of chicken soup and milk and whisk together until smooth. Add chicken. Pour drained black beans, drained corn and diced tomatoes on top of that. Cook on low 6-8 hours. Before serving, take out chicken and shred, then put back and stir it all together. Serve alone or with 10 grams tortilla chips.

Nutritional Information: 452 calories, 61 carbs, 4 fat grams and 40 protein grams. (before corn chips or other toppings).

Review: We really liked it! You could easily make it 5 or 6 servings, or less, and have as a side with a sandwich! I was just all about big, hearty bowls of soup!

Traditional Beef Chili

Traditional Chili
Makes 4 Servings

1 McCormick Mild Chli Packet
16 oz. 96/4 ground beef
2 8-oz. cans tomato sauce
1 14.5-oz can kidney beans
2 habaneros, finely diced
1 cup onions, finely diced

Toppings: 40 grams cabot 75% reduced fat cheddar, 4 tbsp sour cream and 40 grams of organic corn chippers (corn chips), divided

Spray slowcooker with nonstick spray. Add in all ingredients and cook on high for four hours. Remove from cooker, divide into four servings and serve each with fat free sour cream, fat free cheese and corn chips.

Nutritional Information: 340 calories, 28 carbs, 9 fat grams and 32 protein grams.

Review: We love it – but note that we like our chili a little spicy and a little thick… it’s both. It’s also kind of smoky if that makes sense. I’m a fan! You could easily pour the chili over low-fat hot dogs, over burgers for chili burgers or over pasta or rice for a change of pace.

Buffalo Chicken Chili

Buffalo Chicken Chili

Recipe from My Bizzy Kitchen

Makes 4 servings

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 stalks celery, diced
½ large red pepper, diced
2 tsp minced garlic
2 ½ tbsp of chili powder
1 tbsp ground cumin
½ tbsp paprika
¼ cup Frank’s Hot Sauce
1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (15 oz) diced tomatoes
1 (15 oz) black beans, drained
1 (15 oz) chili beans in sauce (do not drain)
salt and pepper to taste
4 tbsp fat-free sour cream
Jalapeno, sliced thinly

Add all ingredients to slow cooker and cook on high for 3 hours. Shred chicken with two forks. Divide into four servings and serve with fat-free sour cream and jalapeno slices.

Nutritional Information (including sour cream): 417 calories, 55 carbs, 3 fat grams and 40 protein grams.

Review: It DID NOT disappoint – OMG. So good. Spicy but cool, flavorful, filling and I really felt like I was eating something really bad for me – but it’s not! I used all of Biz’s stuff – just cut it in half and decided to use the slow cooker...and was lazy and didn't puree the celery, garlic and red pepper!

spoonful

Quesadilla Roll Ups

Recipe adapted from a Rachel Ray book
Quesadilla Roll Ups
Makes 4 Servings

16 oz. chicken + 1 pack taco seasoning, slow cooked for 3 hours on high and shredded; divided into 4 servings
4 mission burrito size tortillas
2 oz. cabot 75% fat-free cheese, grated, divided into 4 servings
2 oz. fat-free cheddar cheese, grated, divided into 4 servings
½ cup green salsa, divided

Add tortilla over medium heat. Top with cheese spread evenly. Cook until tortilla is slightly browned. Heat up a serving of chicken in the microwave (about 1 minute). Remove tortilla from heat and top with chicken. Roll up and cut into pieces. Serve each with 2 tbsp salsa.

Nutritional Information: 417 calories, 42 carbs, 7 fat grams and 41 protein grams.

Review: GREAT! I love these – super filling and flavorful. Next time I may add a tbsp of fat-free sour cream. For more calories (AKA for Austin) serve with chips and salsa on the side or a ½ cup of black beans. One thing to note – if you them crispy (which we did) make sure the chicken is dry – so pour some of the taco seasoning/sauce out (or just drain it). Also, you could easily skillet fry the chicken with taco seasoning on a pan - I just like to slowcook huge batches of chicken and use it in different recipes!

Slow Cooker Spaghetti

Real Mom Kitchen Recipe
Slow Cooker Spaghetti
Makes six servings

1 28 oz can whole peeled tomatoes
1 15oz can of tomato sauce (roasted garlic)
1 12.5 oz Italian flavored diced tomatoes
10 oz fresh mushrooms
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
1 lb 96/4 ground beef
½ tsp dried basil
2 tsp minced garlic
Other: 6 tbsp reduced fat parmesan; 12 oz. dried spaghetti; 6 slices light wheat bread; spray butter and garlic salt.

Add thawed meat to a slow cooker covered in nonstick spray. Add in all the cans of tomatoes, and break the ground meat up with a large spoon. Stir in the spices and mushrooms. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. When done cooking, break up the ground meat a bit more, add dried basil and minced garlic. Serve over pasta of your choice, adding 1 tbsp parmesan on top of each.(2 oz. dried pasta per serving).

Nutritional Information: We chose spaghetti and, including a slice of light wheat bread sprinkled with garlic salt and toasted, it came out to 457 calories, 65 carbs, 7 fat grams and 33 protein grams.

Review: So yummy and SO filling. This will be a staple around here for sure! Bonus: the house smelled amazing all. day. long. YUM!

Taco Soup

Taco Soup
Recipe from my friend Monica’s friend Beth
Makes 6 Servings

1 pound lean ground beef (96/4) OR ground turkey
½ onion (simmer with beef)
1 can tomato sauce (14.5 oz)
1 can rotel
1 14.5-oz can diced tomatoes, do not drain
1 can corn
1 can black eyed peas, drained
1 can light kidney beans, drained
1 can dark kidney beans, drained
1 packet dry ranch dressing
1 packet taco seasoning
3 tbsp Cilantro
Optional: ¾ cup fat-free cheddar cheese and 60 grams of Trader Joe’s Organic Corn Chip Dippers.

**Put large pot over medium heat. Spray with nonstick cooking spray. Add onions and cook for 2-3 minutes until fragrant. Add beef and cook until no longer pink. Add all drained vegetables and season packets. Once everything is combined and stirred up good, add cilantro, then turn heat to medium-high. Once it comes to a boil, move to simmer for 10 minutes and then serve topped with cheddar cheese and corn chips.

**Other option: put ALL ingredients (except for chips and cheese) in slowcooker. Put meat in raw. Cook on high for 3 minutes, then top with cheese and corn chips.

Nutritional Information per serving (including 1/8 cup fat-free cheddar cheese and 10 grams of Trader Joe’s Organic Corn Chip Dippers): 399 calories, 49 carbs, 8 fat grams and 30 protein grams.

Review: Family favorite! I make this all the time now. It's super hearty and even though it's a soup it's thicker like a chili. I seriously have this year round and it never gets old. I've thought about adding a jalapeno, but it really has enough kick to it without it. Sometimes when i'm feeling super lazy - I omit the onion and throw it all (including raw ground beef) in a slowcooker for 3.5 hours on high. Great recipe and super easy so long as you have a can opener! And note, I've subbed in ground turkey before - it's JUST as good!

Slow Cooker Sweet & Spicy Tacos

Recipe adapted from Real Mom Kitchen

Slow Cooker Sweet & Spicy Tacos

Makes 4 servings

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
5 tbsp light brown sugar
1 14-ounce can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
½ tsp red pepper flakes
8 6” corn tortillas

Coat crock pot with no stick cooking spray, and add all ingredients but tortillas. Cook on high for 4 hours. Shred Chicken with a fork. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Chicken will absorb liquid after it is shredded. Serve in tacos.

Nutritional information for ¼ of recipe including two tortillas: 339 calories, 49 carbs, 1 fat gram and 30 protein grams.

Review: We LOVED these! Definitely making them again – maybe with more chicken? I don’t know – just to make it a bit more filling. Either way – SO good!! Definitely don't eat these if you're expecting "real tacos" - they taste different but I like it! They're also a bit runny so if you prefer less juice consider straining first or using a slotted spoon to serve.