Chicken Enchilada Soup

Chicken Enchilada Soup

Chicken Enchilada Soup has everything you love about chicken enchiladas… in one big bowl of soup!


Chicken Enchilada Soup (Slow Cooker and Instant Pot)

★★★★★

Skinny Taste, Soups & Stews

INGREDIENTS

2 tsp olive oil

1/2 cup onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 cups less sodium chicken broth

8 oz can tomato sauce

1-2 tsp chipotle chili in adobo sauce, or more to taste

1/4 cup chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish

15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained

14.5 oz can petite diced tomatoes

2 cups frozen corn

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp dried oregano

2 skinless chicken breasts, 16 oz total

For topping:

3/4 cup shredded part skim cheddar cheese

1/4 cup chopped scallions

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

4 oz 1 small haas avocado, diced

6 tbsp reduced fat sour cream, optional

DIRECTIONS

Slow Cooker Directions:

Heat oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onion and garlic and sautĂŠ until soft, 3-4 minutes. Slowly add the chicken broth, tomato sauce and chipotle adobo sauce and bring to a boil. Add cilantro and remove from heat. Pour into crock pot.

Add the drained beans, diced tomatoes, corn, cumin, oregano and stir. Add the chicken breasts; cover and cook on low heat for 4-6 hours.

Remove chicken and shred with two forks. Add chicken back into the soup, adjust salt and cumin to taste. Serve in bowls and top with cheese, avocado, scallions and cilantro. Also great with sour cream or crushed tortilla chips. Enjoy!

Instant Pot Directions:

Press saute on the Instant Pot. Add onion and garlic and sautĂŠ until soft, 3-4 minutes. Slowly add the chicken broth, tomato sauce and chipotle adobo sauce and cilantro.

Add the drained beans, diced tomatoes, corn, cumin, oregano and stir. Add the chicken breasts; cover and cook on high pressure for 20 minutes. Quick or natural release.

Remove chicken and shred with two forks. Add chicken back into the soup, adjust salt and cumin to taste. Serve in bowls and top with cheese, avocado, scallions and cilantro. Also great with sour cream or crushed tortilla chips. Enjoy!

NUTRITION

333 Cals 30 Protein 35 Carbs 10 Fats
Serving: 11/2 cups, Calories: 333kcal, Carbohydrates: 35g, Protein: 30g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 2.5g, Cholesterol: 65.5mg, Sodium: 812.5mg, Fiber: 9.5g, Sugar: 6g Blue Smart Points: 3 Green Smart Points: 7 Purple Smart Points: 3 Points +: 8

Lemon Blueberry Pound Cake

When it’s half gone and not yet frosted, I’d say that’s a ringing endorsement 😂

It reminds me of a blueberry muffin recipe I make in the way it’s assembled, but the glaze is much like, if not exactly like, my favorite Lemon Bundt Cake.

Lemon Blueberry Pound Cake

★★★★★

Baked goods, Cakes

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE CAKE:

1/2 cup milk

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest, packed (see note)

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 cups + 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off with a knife

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup blueberries (if using frozen blueberries, do not defrost)

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened

1-1/4 cups granulated sugar

2 large eggs

FOR THE GLAZE:

3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar

1/4 teaspoon lemon zest, packed

1-1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

DIRECTIONS

Begin by zesting the lemons.

In a small bowl, whisk together the milk, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Let sit for at least 10 minutes while you proceed with the recipe. (It will curdle; that’s okay.)

In a medium bowl, whisk together the 2 cups flour, baking soda, and salt.

In a small bowl, toss the blueberries with the remaining teaspoon of flour. Set both aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or beaters), combine the butter and sugar.

Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.

Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then beat in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

With the mixer on low speed, beat in a third of the flour mixture.

Next, beat in half of the milk mixture.

Beat in another third of the flour mixture, then the remaining milk mixture, followed by the remaining flour mixture. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix briefly to make sure the batter is evenly combined.

Add the flour-dusted blueberries to the batter and, using a spatula, fold until evenly combined.

Transfer the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until the cake is golden brown and a tester comes out clean.

Let the cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely.

When the cake is cool, transfer it to a serving platter and make the glaze. In a small bowl, combine the confectioners’ sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice.

Add more confectioners’ sugar or lemon juice as necessary to make a thick but pourable glaze (it should be a little thicker than you’d think, about the consistency of molasses or honey).

Spoon the glaze over the top of the cake, letting it drip down the sides.

Let the glaze set for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Slice with a serrated knife. The cake will keep on the countertop for up to 3 days; store in a covered container or wrap in plastic wrap.

Wrap it securely with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap, or place it in heavy-duty freezer bag. Thaw overnight on the countertop before serving. (Add the glaze after the cake is thawed.)

NOTES

Note: You’ll need 2 large lemons for the entire recipe. Be sure to zest them before you juice them.

Couldn’t wait for the glaze …

Classic Short Beef Ribs in an Instapot

Beef Short Ribs

Classic Short Beef Ribs with Red Wine in an InstantPot

★★★★★

Practically falling off the bone tender, this recipe made a convert out of me.

INSTAPOT/Pressure Cooking, Meats

INGREDIENTS

3-5 pounds short ribs

2 TBSP oil for sautĂŠing 

2 cups beef/chicken broth (or water)

1 cup red wine (or additional broth)

1½ cups onion in 1” dice

4 cloves of garlic, minced

2 TBSP vinegar

2 TBSP soy sauce

2 TBSP Worcestershire sauce

1 TBSP brown sugar

1 tsp dried basil

1Âź tsp thyme

1 bay leaf

1/2 tsp pepper

3 TBSP flour

½ cup water

DESCRIPTION

Mouthwatering, nearly fall off the bone short ribs 

DIRECTIONS

Hit SautĂŠ and when the display says HOT, add the oil. Swirl it around to coat the pan and add the ribs. Brown the ribs well on all sides. Browning greatly improves the flavor. Transfer the ribs to a plate and add the broth and wine to the pot. Thoroughly deglaze it by using a wooden spoon to scrape ALL the browned bits off the bottom. Do not skip this step or the Instant Pot may interpret the stuck bits as burning food. That can result in the dreaded Burn warning.

Add all the other ingredients except the flour and water. 

All assembled and ready to pressure cook

Return the ribs to the pot and turn to coat all sides with the sauce. Secure the lid and make sure the valve is set to Sealing. Push the Pressure Cook (or Manual) button. Adjust the time using the + and – buttons to get to 40 minutes. When it beeps that it’s done, leave it for 15 minutes natural release.

While it’s releasing pressure, whisk the flour and water until smooth. Flip the valve from Sealing to Venting for a quick release of any remaining pressure and when the pin drops, remove the lid. Carefully transfer the ribs to a warm platter and cover them with foil to keep them warm. 

Hit Sauté and whisk the flour/water slurry again to freshen it. When the broth comes to a boil, add about half the flour slurry. Bring back to a boil to thicken. Add more slurry if you like a thicker gravy but don’t get carried away. It will thicken a little more as it cools a bit and you don’t want porridge. Taste and adjust seasoning and prepare for Oooos and AHHHs.

One thing I always do is to use a fat separator for any gravy made by a pressure cooker. This one by OXO is amazing and can be put in the dishwasher 🙌🏻

Oxo gravy fat separator

Fresh 🍓Strawberry Pie đŸĽ§

Fresh Strawberry Pie

Nothing I like better than to buy a couple flats of strawberries in season, to make my favorite recipes 🍓

Fresh Strawberry Pie
★★★★★
Baked goods, Desserts
Makes 8 servings – source: Cooking Light
INGREDIENTS

Crust:
50 Reduced calorie vanilla wafers
Âź cup butter or stick margarine melted
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon grated orange rind
cooking spray
Filling:
2 cups ripe strawberries
½ cup water
⅔ cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
6 cups small ripe strawberries
½ cup frozen reduced calorie whipped topping thawed and divided
(I used fresh whipped cream 🙂
DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven.

To prepare crust, place wafers in a food processor and process until finely ground. Add butter, 2 tablespoons sugar, and orange rind, and pulse 10 times or just until wafers are moist. Press into bottom and up sides of a 9-inch pie plate coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, cool on a wire rack.

To prepare filling, mash 2 cups strawberries with a potato masher. Combine mashed strawberries and water in a small saucepan; bring to a boil and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Press the strawberry mixture through a sieve into a bowl, and reserve 1 cup strawberry liquid (add enough water to measure 1 cup, if necessary). Discard pulp.Combine 2/3 cup sugar and cornstarch in a pan; add strawberry liquid, stirring well with a whisk.

Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Reduce heat, and cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in lemon juice.

Arrange a layer of small strawberries, stem sides down, in the crust. Spoon about one-third of sauce over the strawberries. Arrange the remaining strawberries on top, spooning the remaining sauce over the strawberries.

Chill for at least 3 hours.

Serve with whipped topping. Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 wedge and 1 tablespoon whipped topping).

Calories 285 (27% from fat); Fat 8.5 grams (sat 4.6g, mono 2.5g, poly 0.9g); protein 1.9 g; Carb 52.2g; Fiber 3.5g; chol 16mg; iron 1.2mg; sodium 146mg; Calc 42mg

Spicy Hot Mess Crab 🦀 Legs with garlic, butter & parsley

Spicy Hot Mess Crab 🦀 Legs

If garlic bread and crab boil had a baby, this would surely be it! Sweet dungeness crab gets tossed in the classic garlic bread mixture — garlic, butter, and parsley — and served with crusty bread to soak up any extra butter. It is a bit messy, but feel free to use the bread as a tasty napkin!

Spicy Hot Mess Crab Legs with Garlic, Butter, and Parsley

★★★★★

Seafood

INGREDIENTS

3 to 4 Dungeness crab clusters, thawed

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 large garlic cloves, minced

Âź to ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Kosher salt

½ lemon

Crusty bread for serving and dipping

DIRECTIONS

SEPARATE CRAB

Separate the crab legs from the body. Using a sturdy knife cut the bodies in half.

STEAM CRAB

Place the crab into a wok or skillet with 1 inch of water and bring to a boil. Cover and steam just until heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain well and wipe out the pan.

STIR-FRY

Return the pan to medium-high heat and add the butter, oil, garlic, and as much red pepper flakes as desired, and sautĂŠ just until sizzling. Add the crab, parsley, and a pinch of salt, and stir-fry until coated with the sizzling mixture. Transfer to a deep platter, scraping all of the butter and aromatics on top and add a squeeze of lemon. Serve right away with claw crackers, bread, and lots of napkins. Dip the crab meat and bread into the surrounding butter and enjoy!

Steam
Drain well
SautĂŠ
Serve
Serve with cheddar garlic drop biscuits

Bacon and Egg Puff Pastry Tart

A creamy cheesy Puff Pastry Tart with poached eggs, bacon and some delish greens on top.

Bacon & Egg Puff Pastry Tart

Bacon and Egg Puff Pastry Tart

★★★★★

Breakfast, Eggs

INGREDIENTS

1 cup grated Gruyere cheese

1/2 cup crème fraĂŽche

1 lemon, juiced and zested (divided)

Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper

1 sheet store bought Puff Pastry, thawed

1 egg, beaten

2-3 tablespoons This Is Everything Seasoning

6 slices cooked bacon

Toppings

4 eggs, poached

1 cup upland cress or arugula

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons chives to garnish

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Mix gruyere cheese and crĂŠme fraiche in a small bowl. Season with salt, pepper and lemon zest to taste. Set aside.

Roll out the puff pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface to make a large rectangle just smaller than a half sheet pan. Place on a parchment lined sheet pan. Create a border by scoring with a knife, an inch from the edges. Dock the dough by poking holes with a fork in the center area. Brush the border edges with beaten egg and sprinkle with This Is Everything. Refrigerate dough for 10 minutes.

Spread cheese mixture in the center of the pastry dough. Place the bacon on top. Bake for 15-20 minutes until puffed and golden. Remove from the oven.

While the tart is baking, poach the eggs. Toss upland cress with the olive oil, and lemon juice in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Remove the tart from the oven, add the poached eggs and break open, garnish with the upland cress salad and chives. Serve immediately

Them Apples 🍎 🍏🍎 – a recipe for an Apple Dutch Baby

I love fresh fruit from an orchard and had been looking for a source for apples, when I found honeycrisp.com.

Honeycrisp Apples

The apples in the image above were shipped to me in October. Yes, 4 months ago. I ordered a bushel. I was saving these to take with us on our month of travel in January, but they got left behind. I wasn’t sure what condition they’d be in, but they’ll be pie filling and apple sauce by day’s end.

But FIRST, an Apple Dutch Baby

Apple Dutch Baby

★★★★★

Breakfast, Pancakes

INGREDIENTS

4 Tbsp butter

2-3 Gala apples sliced thinly (I used Honeycrisp)

3/4 C flour

3/4 C milk

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking powder

1 Tbsp sugar

4 eggs

Cinnamon Topping:

1/2 C sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400.

Place butter into a 12″ cast iron frying pan and place in the oven to melt butter.

In a bowl combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, milk and eggs.

Place the sliced apples into the bottom of the pan on top of the melted butter. Pour egg mixture over apples.

Combine sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the top of the egg mixture evenly.

Bake in oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

This handy device makes quick work of the coring, peeling and slicing. Just love it. It’s made by Cucina Pro.

Apple peeler in action demo by hubby 😍
Prior to adding topping (which I almost FORGOT to add)
that’s better
You know it’s good if a piece is gone before you’re finished photographing it 😎

I made two batches of apple pie filling but decided to freeze them.

Apple 🍎 pie 🥧 filling

And last but not least, the Instapot No Peel Apple sauce.

Applesauce in 4 Instapot minutes
Instapot No Peel applesauce

Pizza Sausage Rolls

Pizza Sausage Rolls

Pizza Sausage Rolls wrapped in bagel dough with Italian chicken sausage, marinara and mozzarella make a fun recipe your whole family will love. Great game day food!

Pizza Sausage Rolls

Pizza Sausage rolls

Baked goods, Breads, Italian, Kid-Friendly

INGREDIENTS

For bagel dough:

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting, (5 oz in weight) use cup4cup for GF*

2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup non-fat Greek yogurt, (should be thick) I recommend Stonyfield

1 egg white, beaten (whole egg works fine too)

sesame seeds, for topping (optional)

For filling:

2 raw chicken Italian sausage links, 3 oz total (halved lengthwise) I like Premio

4 slices provolone or mozzarella cheese

8 teaspoons pizza sauce or marinara

marinara sauce, for serving (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place parchment paper or a silpat on a baking sheet. If using parchment paper, spray with oil to avoid sticking.

In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt and whisk well.

Add the yogurt and mix with a fork or spatula until well combined (it will be sticky and look like small crumbles).

Lightly dust flour on a work surface and remove dough from the bowl, knead the dough a few times until dough is tacky, but not sticky, about 15 turns (it should not leave dough on your hand when you pull away). If it’s too sticky, add a few extra sprinkles of flour.

Divide in 4 equal balls.

Working with 1 ball at a time, lightly dust a rolling pin and a work surface and roll dough into a 5 ½” circle, about ¼” thick.

Spread 2 teaspoons pizza sauce down the middle of the circle, leaving about 1/2” border.

Lay 1 slice of cheese in the middle of the circle then top with 1/2 sausage link.

Carefully bring both sides of the dough up, wrap one side around the sausage then the other.

Press dough together so it’s sealed around the sausage and place it on the prepared sheet pan seam side-down.

Repeat with remaining dough, sauce, cheese and sausage.

Brush each with egg wash, top with sesame seeds, if using, and bake for 25-30 minutes.

Allow to cool for 5 minutes then slice into 6 pieces and serve.

NOTES

*I have not tested these with GF flour, but I have made the bagels with cup4cup and had great success so I am sure it will work. You may have to add 5 more minutes to the bake time.

NUTRITION

302 Cals 22 Protein 30 Carbs 10 Fats
Serving: 1roll, Calories: 302kcal, Carbohydrates: 30g, Protein: 22g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 4.5g, Cholesterol: 51mg, Sodium: 957mg, Fiber: 1.5g, Sugar: 4g Blue Smart Points: 8 Green Smart Points: 9 Purple Smart Points: 8

Breakfast Egg Rolls

These Breakfast Egg Rolls, loaded with eggs, sausage, and veggies cooked in the oven or air fryer, are a fun twist on an egg sandwich. Perfect for making ahead and reheating as needed.

Breakfast Egg Rolls
SkinnyTaste’s Breakfast Egg Rolls

Breakfast Egg Rolls

★★★★★

Breakfast, Make Ahead, TO TRY

INGREDIENTS

6 large eggs

1 tablespoon water

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

black pepper, to taste

1/2 pound chicken or turkey sausage

2 tablespoons chopped green onions

2 tablespoons diced red bell pepper

olive oil spray

12 egg roll wrappers

salsa, optional for dipping

DESCRIPTION

These Breakfast Egg Rolls, loaded with eggs, sausage, and veggies cooked in the oven or air fryer, are a fun twist on an egg sandwich. Perfect for making ahead and reheating as needed.

DIRECTIONS

Beat eggs with water, salt and black pepper.

In a medium nonstick skillet, cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink, 4 minutes, breaking into crumbles; drain.

Stir in scallions and peppers and cook 2 minutes. Set aside on a dish.

Heat the skillet over medium heat and spray with oil.

Pour in egg mixture and cook stirring until eggs are fluffy and cooked. Stir in sausage mixture.

Place 1 eggroll wrapper on a clean, dry work surface with corners positioned like a diamond.

Add 1/4 cup of the egg mixture on the bottom third of the wrapper.

Carefully lift the bottom point nearest to you and wrap it around the filling. Dip your finger into a small bowl of water and run it along the edges of the wrapper.

Fold the left and right corners in toward the center and continue to roll into a tight cylinder.

Repeat with remaining filling and wrappers.

Spray all sides of the egg rolls with oil and rub with your hands to evenly coat.

Preheat air fryer to 370F.

Cook egg rolls in batches for 10 minutes, turning halfway or until golden brown and crisp.

Serve immediately with salsa, if desired.

Egg Roll Oven Recipe:

Bake 400F in a preheated oven 12 to 16 minutes, flipping halfway.

From frozen, 375F 18 to 20 minutes, flipping halfway.

NUTRITION

Serving: 2egg rolls, Calories: 240kcal, Carbohydrates: 24.5g, Protein: 17.5g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 2.5g, Cholesterol: 221.5mg, Sodium: 585mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g Blue Smart Points: 4 Green Smart Points: 6 Purple Smart Points: 4

Virgin Bloody Mary

Virgin Bloody Mary

★★★★★

Craving a Bloody Mary but doing a dry challenge? Make this Virgin Bloody Mary, also known as the Virgin Mary, and you won’t miss the vodka!

BEVERAGE

INGREDIENTS

2 cups prepared tomato juice, preferably low sodium

1/4 cup dill pickle juice OR olive brine

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon prepared horseradish

1 teaspoon hot sauce, such as Franks

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon celery seeds

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

4 small celery heart stalks with leaves, for serving

4 lemon wedges, for garnish

12 large olives, optional for serving

DESCRIPTION

Craving a Bloody Mary but doing a dry challenge? Make this Virgin Bloody Mary, also known as the Virgin Mary, and you won’t miss the vodka!

DIRECTIONS

Combine tomato juice, pickle juice, lemon juice, horseradish, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, celery seeds, and cayenne in a large pitcher.

To serve, pour about 2/3 cup into 4 ice-filled glasses. Garnish each with a celery stalk, olives and a lemon wedge.

Can be made 4 days ahead; keep chilled.

NUTRITION

Serving: 2/3 cup, Calories: 33kcal, Carbohydrates: 7g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 0.5g, Sodium: 295mg, Fiber: 1.5g, Sugar: 4.5g Blue Smart Points: 1 Green Smart Points: 1 Purple Smart Points: 1