How many recipes do you have that require shredded chicken? I could probably come up with a lonnnnnng list, but I will save that for another time. My favorite uses of shredded chicken are in casseroles, soups, and CHICKEN SALAD!!! My family just loves chicken salad, and it is so easy to whip up using either my Crock Pot Shredded Chicken recipe, or left over Crock Pot Whole Chicken…or even a store bought Rotisserie Chicken. You chose which chicken route you prefer, but today I am going to share with you first my Crock Pot Shredded Chicken… and then check out my recipe for my Homemade Chicken Salad!!!
Ingredients:
3-4 Chicken Breasts
2 Carrots- chopped in large chunks
3 stalks Celery- chopped in large chunks
1/2 medium Onion- chopped in large chunks
2 cloves Garlic, minced
1 Jalapeño- diced (optional)
2-3 cups Chicken Broth or 1 cube Bouillon in 2-3 cups Water OR 2-3 cups Water
Garlic Salt (to taste)
Pepper (to taste)
Optional: 1 tsp Dried Basil
Instructions:
1- Heat Crock Pot to High.
2- Add the Chicken Breasts to the bottom of the Crock Pot, topped with all chopped veggies.
3- Cover chicken and veggies with Chicken Broth.
4- Cover Crock Pot and cook on high for 3-4 hours, or until chicken is tender enough to cut with a fork (or to desired doneness.) (or if you prefer, cook on Low for 5-6hours)
Today, I am excited to share the second recipe in my Homemade Soup series. This recipe is a recipe that my mom created when she was on her weight loss journey. I have to brag for a second… My mom lost 80lbs on Weight Watchers (and her own healthy recipes), and all by healthy lifestyle changes!! She changed her eating habits, and started exercising again, and was able to accomplish her goals. As I always say, change does not come overnight, but if you stick with it, you can accomplish anything your heart desires!
So enough of that… back to FOOD! Today’s recipe is Chicken Veggie Soup! This is a meal that I have loved since I was growing up, and I just love to make this recipe. It is soooo easy to make. It is a great meal for a cold, rainy day, or for a easy meal after a long day at the beach. It freezes well, so leftovers are easy!
Are you ready?!? Here is is:
Ingredients:
6 cups- Water
1 can- Diced Tomatoes
3 stalks- Celery, diced
1 -Onion, diced
3- Carrots, diced
2 cubes- Bouillon or 4tbsp- Bouillon powder
1 or 2- Chicken Breasts
1 package- Frozen Mixed Soup Veggies
1 cup -Frozen Green Beans
2 cups- chopped Cabbage
1 tsp- Rosemary
1 tsp-Thyme
1 tsp- Basil
1 tsp- Garlic Powder
Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions:
1- Bring 4 cups of water to boil and add diced tomatoes, celery, onion, and bouillon. Add the spices (rosemary, thyme, basil, garlic powder). Cook for 20 minutes.
2- Add Chicken breasts, and cook until cooked through.
3- Remove the chicken breasts and dice into small pieces. Add the frozen veggies and green beans. Return Chicken to soup.
4- Add the final 2 cups of water. If the soup needs more flavor, add another Tbsp of bouillon. Cook until all veggies are tender.
5- Add chopped cabbage and cook until tender.
6- Serve immediately as is, or top with a light layer of mozzarella/parmesan cheese.
So there you have it… Chicken Veggie Soup!! Here is the link to your printable recipe card: Chicken Veggie Soup
What do you think? Sounds yummy, right? Give it a try for your dinner, and let me know how you like it! Enjoy 🙂
So I was finally able to do it… I branched out from Cauliflower! This week I am bringing you a series on healthy, homemade soups. Over the next few days, I will have 3 different soup recipes for you that are delicious, fairly easy to make, and will satisfy the whole family any time of year.
I really love making soups because I can prepare the meal ahead of time, and just leave it to simmer on the stove until everyone is ready to enjoy. With it being so hot these days, I prefer to prepare the meal in the morning and have everything ready so when it gets closer to meal time, I can just throw everything together and let it cook.
The first of the three soups is a new favorite of mine. I made this for the first time this past weekend, and I am just so eager to share it with you!
So for Round 1, I share with you… Homemade Chicken Tortilla Soup:
The key to this recipe is the oven roasted tomatoes. Getting hungry yet? Well here’s the recipe:
Ingredients:
8- whole Roma Tomatoes, quartered
3 tbsp- Olive or Garlic Oil
1- medium Onion, diced
3 stalks- Celery, diced
1- Jalapeño, diced (or more for added spice)
4 cloves- Garlic, minced
4 cups- Chicken broth- (I use Bouillon cubes with water)
Garnish with Tortilla Chips, Light Sour Cream, Diced Avocado, Lime Wedges & Shredded Cheddar or Monterrey Jack Cheese
Instructions:
1- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2- Wash tomatoes, quarter them, and remove some of the seeds. Toss tomato quarters with 1 tablespoon olive/garlic oil and place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast for 30 minutes.
3- While tomatoes are roasting, heat 2 tablespoons of olive/garlic oil in stock pot over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and jalapeño. Stir occasionally and cook for about 8 minutes until vegetables are soft and translucent.
4- Add the chicken breast , garlic, cumin, paprika, and salt and sauté for another 6 minutes. Add the chicken broth, lime juice, and bay leaf and bring soup to a gentle simmer. Add tomatoes when they are finished roasting and simmer soup gently for about 45-60 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5- Serve soup topped with tortilla chips and your choice of other garnishes. (I serve each bowl individually, and usually garnish with tortilla chips, shredded cheese, 1 tbsp of light sour cream, diced avocado, and a lime wedge.) Serve Immediately.
So there you have it… Homemade Chicken Tortilla Soup. Here is the link to your printable recipe card: Homemade Chicken Tortilla Soup
As I said before, one wonderful thing about this soup is that the longer you simmer it, the more it enhances the flavor… And by the way, it reheats well for leftovers the next day. Well, I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family does. Stay tuned for the next 2 soups in my Homemade Soup series.
I’m starting to believe I have an addiction to Cauliflower. As I have been trying to continue with lots of healthy recipes, I keep going back to using Cauliflower as or in my main dishes. I came across a recipe similar to this on Pinterest, so I had to try it out… but of course I added a few of my own touches. This recipe is quick and easy to prepare, and it bakes in one dish, for less mess and clean up. Its hard to go wrong when combining cauliflower with cheese and chicken, and when you throw in a few other veggies, it makes a delightful casserole for everyone to enjoy.
So here you have it:
Ingredients:
1 1/2 breasts Chicken, cooked and diced
1 head Cauliflower, steamed and chopped
6 ounces Cheddar Cheese, shredded
6 ounces Monterey Jack Cheese, shredded
1 Egg
1/2 Onion, diced ( You can also substitute Green Onions)
4 slices Turkey Bacon, crumbled
1 clove Garlic, minced
1/2 Jalapeño, diced (optional)
Salt & pepper
Instructions:
1- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2- Steam cauliflower until tender. In a separate sauce pan, place uncooked chicken breasts, 2 cups of water, and 1 cube of chicken bouillon. Bring to a boil, and simmer until cooked through.
3- Meanwhile, combine cheeses in a large bowl. Remove ¼ of cheese and set aside. (*I use a pre-packaged cheese blend to save time.)
4-Once chicken is cooked, remove from water, and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Once cooled, dice chicken, then mix chicken, onion, bacon, garlic, and jalapeño together with remaining cheese.
5- Stir cauliflower into cheese mixture, and add the egg. Mix all ingredients well, and season with salt & pepper. Pour into a 8×8 or larger glass baking dish sprayed well with non stick cooking spray.
6- Bake for 25 minutes, or until cheese is well melted and casserole starts to bubble. Remove from oven and top with additional cheese.
7- Return to oven and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Serve immediately!
So this recipe is super simple to prepare, as you mix it all together and bake it. You can omit the 1 egg, but the casserole will not stay together as well. I prefer it with the egg, as it made the flavor better. I hope you enjoy this simple casserole with cauliflower and chicken… It really is YUMMY! In the next weeks, I am going to (well, try to) branch out and bring you some healthy recipes with Spinach, Broccoli, and much more! Stay Tuned, but for now, ENJOY! 🙂
Craving Mexican tonight, but want something low calorie?? Give my Layered Taco Dip a try. We had this last night for dinner, and it was GREAT! This dish is great because you can use it as an appetizer, as a meal, or even a great dish to bring to a party! My favorite part is it can be low carb, and vegetarian… OR you can add in some hamburger or chicken meat and serve it with tortilla chips!
So for the Vegetarian Version:
Omit the meat. Instead of cooking the meat with the Taco Seasoning, mix the Taco seasoning in with the Light or Low Fat Sour Cream.
For Low Carb:
Serve the Taco Dip on a Lettuce Leaf or just eat it as is!
Other options:
Instead of using Hamburger meat, try using either Ground Turkey meat, or diced Chicken. If you do not like particularly spicy food, either cut the amount of jalapeños in half, or omit completely. Use your favorite salsa on the side to add even more yummy flavor to this simple Mexican dish!
Here is the full recipe:
Ingredients:
1 lb Ground Hamburger or Turkey Meat
1 envelope Taco Seasoning (I use Old El Paso)
8oz Light Sour Cream
1 16oz can Refried beans
1/2- 1 cup sliced pickled Jalapeños
1 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1 cup Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
1 cup Lettuce, shredded
1 Large Tomato, diced
1/2 cup Onion, diced
Instructions:
1- Cook hamburger meat in a skillet until cooked through. Add taco seasoning and 2/3 cup water, and cook on low for another 10 minutes.
2- On a large plate, spread refried beans, topped with a layer of sour cream. Add cooked hamburger meat followed by a layer of jalapeños.
3-Add a layer of mixed cheese (1 1/2 cup total), followed by a layer of each lettuce, tomato, and onions. Top off with final 1/2 cup of cheese, and any leftover jalapeños.
4- Serve immediately, or refrigerate for 30 minutes to cool, depending on preference!
*Amount of jalapeños will vary depending on your spice preference. **If not using meat, mix taco seasoning into sour cream!
Check out a printable recipe card of the full Layered Taco Dip Recipe here: Layered Taco Dip
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do. Give it a try and let me know what you think! Feel free to submit your comments here on the blog or on my Facebook page, Fitness With Kayla. Enjoy 🙂
