Slow Cooker Southwest Chicken & Black Bean Soup

*originally posted on www.WGLR.com on 11-4-13

I just love the blend of Mexican spices in dishes, especially in soups. This soup fits the bill. It is hearty and filling, and you can easily stir in some sour cream and sprinkle with cheese and crushed tortilla chips to make a taco in a bowl. Mmmm yum. Make a double batch and freeze half of it for an easy dinner later in the season. So here you go, Southwest Chicken & Black Bean Soup!

SOUTHWEST CHICKEN & BLACK BEAN SOUP

• 1 lb. chicken breasts (frozen works fine)
• 1 large carrot, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 cup onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 cup petite diced tomatoes, undrained
• 2 cans (14.5 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
• 4 cups no salt added chicken broth
• juice of 2 limes
• 2 teaspoons fresh cilantro, chopped (or 4 tsp dried)

Lay chicken on bottom of crock, and add all ingredients on top. Cook on low for about 6 hours, or high for 3. Take chicken out and shred up with 2 forks. Return chicken to crock pot and cook on low for another hour or on high for another half hour.

Serve with sour cream, cheese, etc. 1 cup serving is only about 150 calories! Without the extras on top, of course :)

Bell Pepper Stew with Ground Turkey

(originally posted on WGLR.com on 3-18-13)

Hard to believe this is my last Crock of the Week for the season (You’ll still get one next week, BUT it will be the winning recipe from “The Crock of the Week Crock Pot Giveaway!”).

So, remember, I told you at the New Year that you would be getting some healthier crock pot recipes because the Jacobs’ household was making an effort to get healthy? I am happy to say we have stuck to the resolution, haha! This soup is one I have made a few times for us in the last few months. It is delicious AND healthy, and works great for The Husband and I to take to work for lunches. Make a double batch, and you’ll have lunch at work for a week for you and another person.

So now, let’s talk ground turkey. Some love it, some hate it. It is a healthier option than ground beef, BUT I have to say I am not a fan of a regular old boring turkey burger. However, I am a HUGE fan of it in combination recipes. It works awesome for Mexican dishes like tacos, and also in Italian dishes like lasagna. So, if you aren’t usually a fan of ground turkey, give it a chance in this recipe. You won’t be disappointed. Don’t let the recipe name scare you away! This tastes like stuffed peppers in a soup, it really does! And a 1 cup serving is only 140 calories!!! For real!

GROUND TURKEY BELL PEPPER STEW

1.5 lbs lean ground turkey

1 onion, diced

salt & pepper

paprika

1 tsp minced garlic

30 oz canned diced tomatoes (you can use no-salt if you’d like)

32 oz chicken or turkey broth (I use low-sodium)

Two bell peppers, diced (you can use green, red or yellow. I use one green and one red)

4 oz uncooked brown rice

curry

Brown the turkey in a skillet with the onion, garlic, some dashes of salt & pepper and paprika. transfer mixture to the crock pot and add all the remaining ingredients. You can throw in some more salt & pepper and curry to taste if you would like once everything is mixed together.  Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4.5 hours. Serve with some shredded mozzarella cheese if you would like.

This week's recipe is something that you may have prepared before in your oven, but honestly, you should make them in your slow cooker! STUFFED PEPPERS! They made our house smell REALLY good! And everybody feels special with their own little pepper on their own little plate :)

This recipe made 5 peppers and they fit well in my 6 quart crock pot (I took one out to cool down for my 3 year old before I remembered to take a photo, oops!). I probably could have fit a 6th one in too if I had to, but I used all the filling in 5 peppers. Look for wide & fat peppers with straight bottoms, as opposed to tall and skinny ones. The fat ones will sit in the crock better.

***TIP!! Traditionally, stuffed pepper recipes call for COOKED rice, but save yourself some time and use uncooked minute rice in the mixture! Works like a charm and saves you a dirty dish/pan too!

SLOW COOKER STUFFED PEPPERS

- 5-6 green peppers (yellow or red work too!)

- 1 lb ground beef

- 1 cup cooked rice or 3/4 cup uncooked minute rice

- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

- 2 T ketchup

- 1 tsp black pepper

- 1 tsp salt

-1/3 cup water

Wash peppers and slice the tops off, save tops. Scrape out the center/seeds. Mix the ground beef, rice, Worcestershire sauce,  ketchup, and salt & pepper together in a medium bowl. Generously fill each pepper with the meat mixture, and place in the crock pot. Set the tops back on each pepper. Pour the water into the bottom of the crock.

Cover and cook for 6-8 hours on low, or 4 hours on high. Serve each pepper whole! Yum!