chiles

Super Simple Chicken Taco Soup

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How many times in my life, after a very indulgent food weekend, have I said the words, “I’m going to have eat nothing but baked chicken and broccoli all next week!”?  I’m sure that those who know me roll their eyes as they laugh, because it’s no secret that I am not a fan of self-deprivation. This girl gotta eat!  In fact, I often find that when I try to deprive myself of food that makes me feel satisfied, I end up eating more in the long run.  Just about the only thing that helps me get myself back on track after a few days of eating “all the things” is doing some serious food-prep leg work.  

If you’ve been following around here for long, you know that I am a big fan of soups and stews.  I’m one of those people who can eat a bowl of soup or chili in the middle of an August afternoon.  Soups and stews are super easy to make and can easily fit into my food planning and pre-prepping rotations.  They are also great to help me feel full without going full-tilt down a crazy eating path. This Super Simple Chicken Taco Soup is one of my favorite make ahead meals.  It’s my go-to lunch this week and is saving me after a weekend of eating out.  ~ Tracy 

SuperSimpleChickenTacoSoup

Ingredients:

4 medium sized chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

1 can black beans, drained (15.5 oz.)

1 can pinto beans, drained (15.5 oz.)

1 can tomato sauce (8 oz.)

1 can diced tomatoes and green chiles, such as Ro-Tel

1 c. frozen corn

½ c. finely chopped yellow onion

½ c. finely chopped red bell pepper

1 c. water

2 T. taco seasoning

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. chili powder

Add all ingredients together in a large stock pot or soup pan.  Bring to a low boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer on low heat for approximately 30 minutes.

Serve topped with your favorite shredded cheese or sour cream.

This soup makes approximately 7 cups and is zero points/cup on the WW Freestyle/Blue plan.

 

 

Black Bean & Beef Green Chile Bake

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Black Bean & Beef Green Chile Bake
from Four Sisters Dish

I created this recipe because I wanted something new, but I also wanted something healthy that did not take any time to cook. Before I come across as too lazy, my kids had called me on the sugar cookies I promised before the school break had ended. Operation sugar cookie was already in full swing as dinner approached.

So on my wee end of the counter, I decided I could throw something Mexican together, and I realized I had never tried anything with beef and green chiles together, which I absolutely love. (I’m pretty sure Santa Fe, NM, might be heaven – at least during Hatch chile season…)

What emerged took only few minutes of prep and about 10 minutes of cooking in the oven. And it tasted like it should have been an old family casserole that had taken FAR more time. When it comes to meal prep, I’m always for fabulous foods making it seem like I worked harder than I did! ~Robin

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb of 97% lean ground beef
  • 1 package of taco seasoning (I use Taco Bell brand)
  • 1 can of black beans, rinsed
  • 2 8-inch tortillas (Tumaro’s 8” White Low-in-Carb Wraps)
  • 2 7-oz cans of chopped green chiles (I use Old El Paso brand)
  • 1 4.5-oz. can of chopped green chiles
  • ½ cup shredded reduced-fat Colby Jack (I like Kraft Natural)
  • 1 jalepeno pepper, sliced (if desired for garnish)
  • ½ c. cherry tomatoes, sliced in half (if desired for garnish)
  • Taco sauce or salsa, if desired, for serving 

Instructions: 

Preheat oven to 350° F.  In a 9”x 9” pan, take one 8” tortilla and tear it up into 1.5-2” square-ish chunks and spread across the bottom of the pan; set aside.  In a large skillet, cook lean ground beef until browned. Drain any fat that cooks out.   Add taco seasoning and ¾ c. water according to taco seasoning instructions (except I don’t let it cook down for a full 10 minutes – just until most of the water is cooked out).  Add drained green chiles and drained black beans.  Stir gently until mixed well and heated well throughout.  Then turn off heat.  

Into the 9×9 pan, pour ½ of the beef mixture into the pan over the tortilla chunks, spreading evenly.  Then do another layer of torn up tortilla spread evenly across the beef mixture.  Pour the rest of the beef mixture over this and spread evenly.  Sprinkle the top with your ½ c. of cheese.  Bake for about 10 minutes – until bubbly hot and cheese is melted well across the top.

WW Freestyle Info.:  This recipe makes 6 very filling portions at just 4 points each. 

Chicken Tortilla Chowder

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When the temperatures in our neck of Oklahoma dip into the area where the meteorologists start using snowflake and icicle graphics, I look for any excuse to stay cuddled up by my fireplace. I want to sip coffee and cocoa all day long and eat nothing but steaming hot bowls of soup. What I do not want to do is spend a lot of time in the kitchen, so this recipe for a creamy and hearty Chicken Tortilla Chowder is perfect! I use pre-shredded rotisserie chicken that I always keep in my freezer so the prep time is super short, but you can use any white meat chicken (boiled, grilled, or open a can if you’re really in a hurry). Not only is this soup really good, it’s only 4 Weight Watchers Freestyle Points per cup, without the cheese. Makes 12, 1 cup servings. ~Tracy

TortillaChowderLogo

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups canned chicken broth
  • 2 cans (10 oz. each) cream of potato soup
  • 2 cans (10 oz. each) healthy request cream of chicken soup
  • 2 cups low fat milk
  • 2 cups shredded white meat chicken
  • 1 can (11 oz.) Mexicorn, drained (regular corn is fine too if you can’t find Mexicorn)
  • 2 cans (4 oz. each) chopped green chili peppers (we like it spicy so I use ½ jalapenos)
  • 6, 6” fat free flour tortillas, torn into bite size pieces
  • Optional garnishes: your favorite shredded cheese and some chopped green onions to taste

Instructions:

Combine broth, soups, and milk in large soup pan. Heat on medium low temp until all combined. Add the chicken, corn, chili peppers, and mix well. Simmer for 10-15 minutes.

Add the torn pieces of tortilla and heat on medium heat for approximately 20 minutes until tortillas become somewhat softened.

Serve topped with green onions and a little of your favorite shredded cheese. We also like ours with a big slice of corn bread!

Weight Watchers Info.: This recipe makes 12 1-cup servings. Each cup is 4 Freestyle SmartPoints.

Aunt Annie’s Green Chile Corn Casserole

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Ever have a day when all you want to do is hang out with the kids instead of spending time in the kitchen? Well, Robin felt that way daily while she was going to school and working full-time. 🙂 We’re sure many of you can relate to an overly busy schedule at times…Enter Aunt Annie’s green chile corn casserole!

Always one of our favorites, this rich and creamy corn dish with a mild chile flavor can be thrown together very quickly – and even cooked in the microwave if needed on those days when the oven is full.

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Garnish with a pepper if you want to get fancy!

This recipe makes enough for a crowd, so you may want to cut it in half. This is the perfect side dish for busy week nights, but it’s decadent enough to serve on holidays. ~Robin

Ingredients:

  • 2 4-oz. cans of chopped green chiles, drained (Hatch chiles are best, if available)
  • 4 15-oz. cans of whole kernel corn, drained
  • 2 packages cream cheese, softened to room temperature
  • 1 stick butter, softened
  • ½ c. of milk
  • Salt to taste

Instructions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Soften cream cheese and butter in the microwave (just enough that they’ll mix in well), heating on high for short intervals. Set aside.

Drain chiles and dump into a small separate bowl; remove any stray stems.

Place drained corn into a 3 quart, oven-safe casserole dish. Add drained chiles, cream cheese, butter, and milk. Stir together, then salt to taste (will taste saltier when cooked so be sure to err on the side of caution with salt). Cook until boiling.

Tips:

For better presentation, stir well again before serving.

If cooking in the microwave, loosely cover the dish with a paper towel to prevent splattering or, if using a lid, be sure to tilt the lid to the side to allow space for steam to vent for safety. Cook on high, first for 3 minutes, then in 2 minute intervals, stirring each time.