Slow Cooker Green Pepper and Garlic Sauce

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Makes 4-6 servings

1 large onion, coarsely chopped
1 jalapeno, minced (seeds removed)
4 green bell peppers, coarsely chopped
1 Tbsp minced garlic
6 roma tomatoes, diced
1 Tbsp dried oregano
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp kosher salt
1 Tbsp quick cooking tapioca
1/2 tsp black pepper

1.  Combine all ingredients in a 4-6 quart slow cooker.
2.  Cover and cook on LOW for 5-7 hours, or until veggies are soft
3.  Pour contents into a blender or food processor and pulse about 5 or 6 times until a chunky consistency.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Adjust seasonings.
4.  Serve sauce over spaghetti squash, noodles or rice.

Review:
I had a bunch of green peppers at my house from my bountiful basket that I needed to use up so I decided to make a pepper sauce similar to this one.  The addition of the jalapeno gave it quite a kick.  I cooled it down a bit by stirring in some sour cream.  I ate it and liked it but I did feel that there was just too much green pepper.  I really prefer red bell peppers much more.  I served it over spaghetti and I masked the veggies from my kids by stirring in plenty of cheese and sour cream and they ate it happily.  Hey, you gotta do what you gotta do.  Serve over spaghetti squash for a totally healthy, low cal meal.  You could even add in ground turkey to add in some protein if you'd like.  3 stars.

Slow Cooker Jambalaya

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Makes 4-6 servings

8 oz boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into chunks

8 oz cooked ham, sausage or kielbasa (use what you prefer and what you have on hand)

1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 Tbsp dried minced onion

1/2 cup water

1/2 tsp chicken bouillon granules or 1/4 tsp Shirley J chicken bouillon

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp Cajun seasoning

1/4 tsp ground red pepper (more if you like it hot)

1/4 tsp dried ground thyme

1 tsp dried parley flakes

1 tsp minced garlic

1 bay leaf

1 Tbsp quick-cooking tapioca

2 Tbsp tomato paste

Salt and pepper

2 1/2 cups hot cooked rice (I used brown rice)

1.  Add the chicken, ham or sausage, tomatoes, onion, water, bouillon, oregano, Cajun seasoning, red pepper, thyme, parsley, garlic, bay leaf, tapioca and tomato paste to the slow cooker.  Stir to combine.

2.  Cover and cook on LOW for 4-6 hours.  Remove bay leaf.  Stir in rice.  Adjust seasonings and salt and pepper to taste.  Serve.

Recipe adapted from Crockpot Tuesdays.

Review:

I have a new way of deciding if I like a recipe or not:  if the leftovers get eaten and how fast.  This recipe seemed tasty enough the day of...probably a 3 star recipe.  As the leftovers sat in my fridge over several days it seemed less and less appetizing.  I don't know if I really like jambalaya all that much to begin with.  I don't think I do.  Maybe I've never had really great jambalaya.  Maybe I don't really like spicy things.  Anyhow, it's an okay recipe.  There are many that are far better.  2 stars.

Slow Cooker Sweet and Sour Chicken

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Makes 4 servings

1/2 cup ketchup

1/4 cup vinegar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup diced onion

1 tsp oil

1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of fat

1.  Place chicken in bottom of slow cooker.

2.  Saute the onion in a teaspoon of oil until soft.

3. In a small bowl combine the ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar, Worcestershire and onion.  Pour over the chicken.

4.  Cover and cook on LOW for 4-6 hours.  Serve over hot cooked rice.

Review:

My husband said to me about this meal, "I can't believe you would ruin chicken by putting sugar in it."  We are not the biggest fans of our meats being sweet.  Even knowing this, I thought, "I haven't done a sweet and sour chicken ever in the slow cooker...I need to."  I knew full well that I wouldn't love it but felt I didn't want to deprive any of you that enjoy this sort of thing.  So for me personally I would give this 2 stars, but I'm sure if you love this sort of thing, you'd rank it higher.

Slow Cooker Curried Chicken

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Makes 4-6 servings

1 cup diced onion

1 1/2 tsp minced garlic

1 Tbsp grated ginger

2 tsp curry powder

2 tsp oil

1 Tbsp tomato paste

1/2 cup chicken broth

2 Tbsp quick-cooking tapioca

5 or 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and each cut into 4 pieces

Salt and pepper

1 (5 oz) container plain Greek yogurt

Toppings:  cilantro, raisins, almonds

1.  Combine onion, garlic, ginger, curry powder, oil and tomato paste in a microwave-safe bowl.  Place in microwave and cook for 5 minutes, stirring every minute.  Transfer to slow cooker.

2.  Add the broth and the tapioca to the slow cooker.  Salt and pepper the chicken and place into the slow cooker.  

3.  Cover and cook on LOW for 4-6 hours.  

4.  Add in yogurt and stir.  Salt and pepper to taste.

5.  Serve chicken and sauce over rice and garnish with desired toppings.

Review:

I was pleasantly surprised with the results of this recipe.  I loved the creamy texture after I added in the yogurt.  The garlic, onion and curry powder give it a strong, but not over-powering flavor.  My family ate this without complaining...always a happy thing for a mom.  3 1/2 stars.

Slow Cooker Turkey Pesto Meatballs

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Makes 12 meatballs

1 lb ground turkey (85% lean)

2/3 cup plain bread crumbs

2/3 cup fresh pesto

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

1 egg yolk

1 (26 oz) jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce

Hot cooked noodles

Salt and pepper

1.  In a bowl combine the turkey, bread crumbs, pesto, Parmesan and egg yolk.  Use your hands to really mix the ingredients well.  Form into 1 1/2 inch balls and place one a large plate.  Place plate in the microwave and microwave on high for about 5-7 minutes.  Meatballs will get firm.  Drain grease off.
2.  Pour spaghetti sauce in bottom of slow cooker.  Gently place meatballs on top of sauce.
3.  Cover and cook on LOW for about 3-5 hours.  Serve meatballs and sauce over hot cooked noodles.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Review:
I was excited to eat these meatballs because I love pesto.  I was surprised that the flavor of the pesto was pretty subdued.  They were super yummy just not really pesto-y.  Because pesto is so expensive (almost $5.00 for a little container) I probably won't make this recipe again, as is.  I would just substitute tomato sauce (or something) for the pesto to bring down the price.  The microwave is worth using because if you don't you'll have a ground turkey spaghetti sauce instead of meatballs.  4 stars.

5-Minute Prep Slow Cooker Asian Chicken

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Makes 4 servings

5 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 Tbsp quick-cooking tapioca

1 tsp minced garlic

1 Tbsp brown sugar

2 Tbsp oyster sauce

1.  Use this trick, if you have a slow cooker liner.

2.  Place thighs in slow cooker.

3.  In a small bowl whisk the soy sauce, Worcestershire, tapioca, garlic, brown sugar and oyster sauce together.

4.  Pour over the top of the chicken and tie up the liner.

5.  Cover and cook on LOW for 4-6 hours.  

6.  Break up chicken into pieces with 2 forks.  If you want, you can thicken up the sauce with some cornstarch.  Serve chicken and sauce over rice.

Review:

I just found my new go-to meal.  Garlic Lime Chicken was my old fave and now this one is my new fave.  It had the perfect flavor balance and using the slow cooker liner made the chicken so tender and delicious.  Plus, I always have all the ingredients on hand and it takes about 5 minutes to put together!  The only thing that I would change is maybe double the sauce or 1 1/2 times it.  We ran out of sauce before we ran out of chicken.  It was also very runny so adding another tablespoon of tapioca or dredging the chicken in some flour might be helpful too.  5 stars (easy, budget friendly and everyone liked it) 

Potato and Ham Soup with Barley and Mushrooms

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Makes 6 servings


1 lb red potatoes, cubed
1 lb fully cooked ham, cubed
6-8 oz mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup pearl barley (not quick cooking)
2 tsp minced garlic
1 small onion, minced
5 cups water
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried basil
2 tsp beef bouillon granules or 1 tsp Shirley J beef bouillon
Salt and pepper to taste

1.  Combine potatoes, ham, mushrooms, barley, garlic, onion, water, bay leaf, thyme, basil and bouillon in a medium to large slow cooker.
2.  Cover and cook on LOW for 4-6 hours, until potatoes are tender and barley is cooked through.
3.  Remove bay leaf.  Salt and pepper to taste and add additional seasonings, if needed.

Review:
Talk about a loaded soup...potatoes, ham, mushrooms and barley.  This was a hearty but somewhat healthy recipe.  My family all actually really liked this and ate it until it was gone.  My husband and I looked at our kids slurping their bowls down and just had a small moment of "I'm so proud of our kids, they're eating mushrooms and barley!"  It was awesome.  If you have leftover ham lying around this is a good recipe to use it with.  4 stars.

Slow Cooker Honey Lime Enchiladas

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Makes 6 servings

2-3 cups cooked chicken

2 Tbsp honey

2 Tbsp lime juice

1 tsp garlic

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

2 cups salsa verde, divided

1 cup shredded cheddar, divided

6 tortillas (I use whole wheat)

1.  Make a foil collar and place it on the hot spot in your slow cooker.

2.  In a bowl, combine chicken, honey, lime juice, garlic, cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, 1/2 cup salsa verde and 1/2 cup cheddar.  Stir until combined.

3.  Spoon 1/2 cup of chicken mixture down the middle of each tortilla and roll up.  Place rolled up tortillas in the bottom of slow cooker that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.  

4.  Spoon the rest of the salsa verde over the top of the tortillas.

5.  Cover and cook on LOW for 4-6 hours or on HIGH for 2-3.  Sprinkle rest of grated cheese on top and let melt.  Serve with sour cream and cilantro.

Review:

Yum.  I loved the filling for these enchiladas.  The slight sweetness with the honey and the lime juice combination was delish.  You could easily make these in the oven, if you prefer.  4 stars.

Chicken Stroganoff with a Seasoned Slow Cooker Liner

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Makes 4-6 servings

1 Flavorseal Homestyle Gravy Liner

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, frozen

1 small onion, diced

1 Tbsp tomato paste

1 Tbsp water

2 cups water

8 oz sliced mushrooms

1/2 cup sour cream

1 Tbsp flour

1.  Unfold liner an place into slow cooker.  

2.  In a microwave-safe bowl combine the onion, tomato paste and 1 Tbsp water.  Microwave for 5 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes.  

3.  Place chicken in bottom of liner.  Top with onion mixture and mushrooms.  Pour water into liner making sure to wet all sides of the seasoned liner.  Swish the water around and really get all sides of the liner moistened.

4.  Tie up the bag with some string

5.  Cover and cook on LOW for 4-6 hours.

6.  Carefully untie the bag.  Remove chicken and shred it.  Add back into the slow cooker.

7.  Mix the flour into the sour cream and then stir it into the slow cooker.  Cook on HIGH with the lid off for another 30 minutes or so.  

8.  Serve chicken and sauce over egg noodles.

Review:

Out of all three Flavorseal liner's I've used I definitely think that the Homestyle Gravy Liner is the best.  I loved the chicken pot pie and I loved this easy stroganoff.  When using these liners I really recommend getting them totally moistened beforehand or else you'll have crusty unused seasonings at the end.  I also love tying up the bags as they keep all the seasonings and juices into the meat.  4 stars.

Easy Chicken Filling in the Slow Cooker

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Makes 6 servings

6 bone-in chicken thighs with skin removed or boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat

1 (13.75 oz) can cream of chicken soup

1 cup Picante sauce or salsa

2 Tbsp taco seasoning

1 (4 oz) can green chiles, optional

Salt and pepper

1.  (Use the slow cooker liner trick if you have one).  Place chicken in bottom of medium slow cooker.

2.  In a separate bowl combine the soup, picante sauce, taco seasoning and green chiles.  Spoon over the top of the chicken.

3.  Cover and cook on LOW for 4-6 hours.  Remove chicken shred it (get rid of the bones).  Stir in with the sauce.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Serve as a filling in tacos, over quesadillas, nachos, over rice...the possibilities are endless.

Review:

Totally easy recipe if you're on the run and need to throw in some dinner.  The serving possibilities are endless as well.  I like to get away from using "cream of" soups all the time but every now and then it's just fine, I think.  My whole family liked this recipe.  The kids ate it as tacos and Greg and I ate it over salad.  I think it would be really yummy to add in a can of beans and some corn as well.  3 1/2 stars.

Turkey Meatloaf with Mushrooms and Spinach in the Slow Cooker

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Makes 6 servings

1.25 lbs (20 oz) lean ground turkey

2 eggs

6 oz white button mushrooms, chopped

6 oz frozen spinach, rinsed with hot water until thawed and then blotted with paper towels to get rid of excess water

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 Tbsp tomato paste

1/4 cup bread crumbs

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

1.  In a mixing bowl combine all ingredients.  Stir until all ingredients are well-incorporated.

2.  In a bread pan that fits inside your slow large slow cooker,  spoon meat mixture and pat to form a loaf.

3.  Place a small rack in the bottom of your slow cooker (if you don't have a rack, ball up pieces of foil).  Place pan on top of rack.  Cover slow cooker and cook on LOW for 4-6 hours.

4.  Remove pan and drain off any liquid that has formed on top.  Place pan in the oven and broil for about 5 minutes.  Slice and serve.

Review:

I loved the idea of adding veggies into a meatloaf.  This one turned out beautifully.  My husband and kids gobbled it until it was all gone.  I put ketchup on my kids plate with the meatloaf and they loved it...no complaints about the spinach or mushrooms either.  They were small enough that they couldn't tell they were in there.  Putting it under the broiler for a few minutes browned it up nicely as well.  I would definitely make this again.  4 stars.

Turkey Black Bean Soup in the Slow Cooker

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Makes 4 servings

1 (14 oz) can black beans, undrained

1 (14.5 oz) can stewed tomatoes or diced tomatoes

1 cup water

1/2 tsp chicken bouillon granules or 1/4 tsp Shirley J chicken bouillon

2 Tbsp taco seasoning

About 1/2 lb leftover fully cooked turkey

1 cup Picante sauce (I used mild)

Optional toppings:  sour cream, cilantro, sliced avocados, grated cheese

1.  Combine all ingredients in a 3-4 quart slow cooker.

2.  Cover and cook on LOW for 4-6 hours.

3.  Season to taste and serve with desired toppings.

Review:

A very easy recipe for a cold day.  I had been sick and really wanted to have soup for dinner but didn't want to expend a lot of energy so this was the perfect solution.  It took about 5-10 minutes tops.  It tasted good too and was totally gone with no leftovers.  3 1/2 stars.

Slow Cooker Vegetable Lasagna

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Happy Monday everyone!  Thanks for all who have entered to win my cookbook.  If you haven't entered yet, you can do so here.

For today's recipe, check out this delicious 5 star vegetable lasagna that I made in the slow cooker!  I am guest posting today on Jaymee's beautiful blog, E is of Eat.  Feel free to peruse her blog and bookmark or pin some recipes while you're at it.  The food she makes looks almost too good to eat!

Slow Cooker Red Potatoes

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Small red potatoes

Water

1.  Place clean potatoes in a 1-2 quart oven safe dish that fits inside your slow cooker.  Place dish in bottom of 6-quart slow cooker.

2.  Pour water into the bottom of slow cooker.  It should be about 1 inch of water.

3.  Cover slow cooker and cook on LOW for about 6-8 hours or on HIGH for about 4.  Serve with desired toppings.

Review:

An easy way to make these delicious little red potatoes.  I got these gourmet red potatoes in my bountiful basket and have loved them.  They are the perfect size and have such a great taste.  4 stars.

Easy Creamy Low-Fat Tomato Basil Soup

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Serves 4-6

2 (14.5 oz) cans diced peeled tomatoes in juice

1 tsp salt

2 Tbsp tomato paste

1 bay leaf

1/2 tsp minced garlic

2 Tbsp flour

3 tsp sugar

2 cups frozen or fresh ravioli (optional)

3/4 cup warmed milk (I used 1% but if you wanted to use skim that would work.  If you're wanting creamier you could use heavy cream or half and half)

1/4 cup fresh basil, finely minced

Freshly grated parmesan

Salt and pepper to taste

1.  Combine tomatoes, salt, tomato paste, bay leaf, garlic, flour and sugar in slow cooker.  Whisk a little until flour is smooth and combined.  

2.  Cover and cook on LOW for 4-6 hours.  Remove lid.  Remove the bay leaf.  Pour soup into a blender and puree until totally smooth (or use an immersion blender to puree).  Pour back into the slow cooker.

3.  Add in raviolis (if desired) and basil and pour in warmed milk.  Let cook for another 30 minutes or so, until raviolis are done.  Salt and pepper to taste and serve with Parmesan cheese.

Review:  

I've had so many hits on this Tomato Basil Parmesan soup lately it's been unreal.  I've had a lot of people want to know how to make it and skinny it up a bit.  I decided to create a new tomato soup recipe that is skinny and delicious, not to mention totally easy and quick.  I was happy with the consistency of the soup.  It wasn't runny but nice and creamy.  The fresh basil gave it great flavor too.  I added raviolis into mine so my kids would eat it and they were yummalicious.  We served ours with grilled cheese sandwiches.  4 stars.

Tarragon Chicken with Mushroom Cream Sauce

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5 bone-in thighs, skin removed (or boneless skinless thighs but not chicken breasts)

1 cup finely diced green peppers

2 cups chopped baby bella mushrooms (you could also use white button mushrooms and I'm sure it would be fine)

1 small onion, diced 

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp dried tarragon leaves

2 tsp minced garlic

1 Tbsp canola oil

Salt and Pepper

2 bay leaves

1/2 cup chicken broth

1 Tbsp soy sauce

3 Tbsp butter (not margarine)

6 Tbsp flour

6 Tbsp heavy cream (or half and half or even milk if you're trying to make it healthier)

1.  Place chicken in bottom of 3-5 quart slow cooker.  Salt and pepper.

2.  Place peppers, mushrooms, onions and garlic on a cookie sheet.  Salt and pepper.  Drizzle with oil.  Sprinkle with thyme and tarragon.  Stir until veggies are coated with the seasonings and oil.  Place pan in a 400 degree pre-heated oven.  Cook for about 15-20 minutes.  Scrape the veggies off the sheet and place onto the top of the chicken.

3.  Pour chicken broth into the slow cooker and slip the bay leaves into the bottom of the slow cooker.  Drizzle  the chicken with soy sauce.

4.  Cover and cook on LOW for 4-6 hours until chicken is tender.  Remove chicken from slow cooker and place on a plate.  Loosely tent it with foil.

5.  In a pan melt the butter over low heat (it should be frothy).  Slowly whisk in one tablespoon of flour at a time to form a roux.  After all the flour is added the mixture will be really thick.  Slowly add in the juices from the slow cooker (1/4 cup at a time).  Whisk until the mixture is nice and thick and creamy.  Then slowly add in 1 tablespoon of cream at a time.  Season with extra tarragon and thyme, if needed.  Salt and pepper to taste.

6.  If you're ready to eat, place chicken on individual serving plates and top generously with the creamy sauce.

Review:

I made this for Valentine's dinner and it turned out absolutely AMAZING!  I had eaten a bunch of candy and stuff all day and wasn't even hungry when it came time for dinner but I had to eat this because it tasted so amazing.  This is definitely a little more involved than some of my recipes, but if you're having company or if it's a special occasion or if you have some extra time on your hands this is totally worth it!!!  I loved the chunks of veggies in my sauce but if you're wanting something more creamy without chunks you could use an immersion blender and puree it.  The roasting of the vegetables really brought out the flavors and was worth the extra step.   I served mine with mashed potatoes and asparagus.  It would also be good over rice or noodles.  5 stars!

Garlic Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes

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Makes 4-6 servings

1 head of cauliflower

3 cups water

4 large garlic cloves, peeled

1 tsp salt

1 bay leaf

1 Tbsp butter

Milk (if needed)

Salt and Pepper

1.  Cut the cauliflower into florets and place in the slow cooker.

2.  Add in the water, garlic cloves, salt and bay leaf.

3.  Cover and cook on HIGH for 2-3 hours or on LOW for 4-6 hours.

4.  Remove the garlic cloves and bay leaf.  Drain the water. 

5.  Add in the butter and let it melt.  

6.  Use a potato masher to mash the cauliflower or if you want to use an immersion blender to make it more creamy you can do that.  If it needs milk add it in a tablespoon at a time.

7.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Serve with chives or green onions.

Review:

The Bountiful Basket strikes again.  This time with cauliflower.  I halved this recipe and actually ate the entire thing by myself.  What a great way to eat vegetables!  Obviously it has a different taste than mashed potatoes but if you like the creamy texture of potatoes this might be a good way to save some calories.  3 1/2 stars. 

Easy Chicken Pot Pie

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Slow Cooker Easy Chicken Pot Pie

Makes 8 servings (1 biscuit each)

1 Homestyle Gravy Seasoned Slow Cooker Liner

4 frozen boneless, skinless chicken thighs

2 cups water

1 bag frozen vegetable mix

1 can of biscuits

1.  Unfold liner and place into slow cooker, gently pushing sides so that liner is evenly spread out.

2.  Place chicken thighs in the slow cooker.  

3.  Pour water over the sides of the liner wetting all the seasoning.

4.  Tie up the liner with some kitchen string.  Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 4-6 hours (depending on how hot your slow cooker cooks).  

5.  Carefully remove string.  Remove the chicken and place on a cutting board.  Shred the chicken and return to slow cooker liner.

6.  Add in the veggies.  Cover and cook on HIGH for another 15-30 minutes until veggies are warmed through.  

7.  While veggies are warming, bake biscuits according to directions on package.  Ladle chicken, veggies and gravy over the top of the biscuits and serve.

Review:

Have you seen these seasoned slow cooker liners yet?  They are like the regular liners but they have all the seasonings you need to make a perfect meal already in them.  So you add a couple of ingredients, get a perfectly seasoned meal, and then clean up is a total breeze!  Awesome.

I really really really loved this particular flavor on this liner.  The chicken was absolutely perfect.  Tying of the liner kept the chicken totally moist and really got the flavor into the meat.  I would make this any day of the week so I give it 5 stars.

You obviously could use this particular liner (homestyle gravy) for different recipes besides chicken pot pie...the possibilities are endless!

Kickin' Chili (Dollar Store Challenge)

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The food items from the dollar store needed for this chili recipe

  

Easy easy easy easy chili recipe in the slow cooker!

Blair from allfreeslowcookerrecipes.com issued a challenge to me:  Make a slow cooker recipe using only products from the dollar store.  I accepted the challenge (of course).  I headed to Dollar Tree with my daughter and we had fun looking up and down each aisle and then finally deciding on a spicy chili.  It was so easy...not to mention it serves 6 and cost $4.00!  If you're not into spicy stuff then just buy regular diced tomatoes instead of the tomatoes with the green chiles.

Makes 6 servings

2 (13 oz) cans of chili with beans ($2.00)
2 (13 oz) cans of diced tomatoes with green chiles (came in a bonus 2-pack so they were $1.00 total)
1 (14 oz) can corn, drained ($1.00)

1.  Combine all the ingredients in the slow cooker.  Stir until combined.
2.  Cover and cook on LOW for 4-6 hours until flavors are blended.
3.  Serve with sour cream and cheese, if desired.

Review:
Easiest recipe ever.  Plus it was totally budget-friendly.  It was a little too spicy for my taste (next time I would just buy regular diced tomatoes).  I added some sour cream to cool it down a bit and that helped.  But for those of you who like things hot hot hot you'd love this.  If you're cooking- challenged this is a good way to make "homemade" chili to bring to the potluck or to the neighbor's house without really having to cook (they'll think your a star).
 4 stars.  Thanks for the challenge, Blair!!

Slow Cooker Chicken Cordon Bleu Soup

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Chicken Cordon Bleu Soup in the slow cooker

Makes 6-8 servings

5 cups water

4 tsp chicken bouillon granules or 2 tsp Shirley J chicken bouillon

1/2 cup diced onion (frozen is fine)

1/2 cup diced celery

3 or 4 boneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of fat (frozen is fine)

1 1/2 cups ham cubes

1/2 tsp dried tarragon

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp garlic powder

4 Tbsp butter

1/4 cup flour

1 cup shredded Swiss cheese

1.  Add water, bouillon, onion, celery, chicken, ham, tarragon, basil and garlic powder to the slow cooker.

2.  Cover and cook on LOW for 4-6 hours.

3.  Prepare a roux.  Melt butter over low heat in a skillet and add  flour very slowly while whisking it in to the butter.  Slowly stir in 1 cup hot soup.  Stir until thickened.  Then add in another 2 cups of soup and stir until smooth.  Add all back into the slow cooker and stir.  Season to taste.

4.  Ladle soup into individual serving bowls and top with shredded Swiss cheese.

Review:

Chicken cordon bleu can be challenging even for students in online cooking schools, but this recipe makes it easy. I saw a recipe in a magazine for "Chicken Cordon Bleu Soup."  I instantly thought I need to make that in the slow cooker.  Well I have no idea where the magazine went but the thought stayed with me and I created this recipe.  

It was very flavorful, thanks to the ham.  My kids slurped their bowls down (my daughter literally got a straw and used it to drink the broth and all). I was totally shocked because they usually don't love when I make soup.  I think they appreciated the ham cubes and cheese.  

My issue with this recipe is that it turned out not really as a cream soup but not as a broth-y soup either.  I think I should have added more flour in with the roux to make it a bit heftier.  It tasted great but the consistency was a bit weird.  So add maybe 1/4 cup more flour in when you're adding the cups a soup...stir until nice and smooth.  I think that should help things out a bit.  Another thought I had was that cubed red potatoes would be really delicious to add to this soup as well (not really part of the chicken cordon bleu dinner but this would add some nice texture and taste to the soup).  4 stars.