Zesty queso chicken soup – keto

Why do I love soup so much? Not just because they are warm and delicious! Many of them are a dump and go recipe. I had a busy day at work so I threw this in the crockpot yesterday afternoon. Only thing that took a minute was to shred the chicken and dump it back in. Literally, took me a minute. Does it get any easier than that? No browning meat. No dirtying a bunch of dishes. Just a creamy soup with great flavor and a little kick. Well, the way I made it anyway. But I love the spicy stuff. This is a keto recipe but can easily be altered.

INGREDIENTS

2 large boneless skinless chicken breast halves

2 tablespoons taco seasoning

14 ounces petite diced tomatoes not drained

2 10 oz cans of rotel

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

2 cups chicken broth

8 ounces cream cheese softened

Optional:

2 cups baby spinach

1 tbsp diced jalapeno

 

Optional toppings:

Avocado

Monterrey or Colby jack cheese

Jalapenos

Dash of hot sauce

 

Non keto add ons:

Black beans

Corn

Tortilla strips on top

Notes: The original recipe called for 28 oz of diced tomatoes and 1 cup salsa verde or green salsa. I opted for the combination of diced tomatoes and rotel above because that’s what I had on hand. I also added 2 cups of spinach because I need more greens. I’m allergic to avocado so that’s a no go for me but I did top it with a pinch of shredded Colby jack.

DIRECTIONS

Instapot:

Place chicken, taco seasoning, tomatoes with juices, salt, chicken broth, and green salsa in Instant Pot. Set to manual mode and cook for 10 minutes at high pressure. Allow pressure to release naturally (about 15 minutes), remove and shred the chicken. Set aside. Stir softened cream cheese into the soup in the pot and whisk until fully melted. Return chicken to the soup and serve with diced avocado and monterrey jack cheese.

Slow Cooker:

Place all ingredients except cream cheese in the slow cooker and cook on low for 6 hours or until the chicken is tender and shreds easily. Add cream cheese and stir until melted.

Cheesy Chicken Penne Pasta (clean eating)

If you think clean eating can't be delicious, this recipe will prove you wrong. I can’t say enough how phenomenal this pasta dish was. Also, it says 4 servings, but it makes a very large batch. It ended up being 6 servings for me. I’ve never cooked the spinach this way and I was nervous it wouldn’t work but it did. New cooking hack! This is definitely going into my dinner rotation. Also, feel free to add mushrooms or other veggies that you enjoy too.

Makes: 4 servings

Each Serving Contains: 2 Proteins, 1 Carbohydrate, 2 Vegetables, 1 Fat

INGREDIENTS

1 cup whole wheat penne pasta, uncooked

1 tsp olive oil

1 lb chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces

5 cups baby spinach

1 tsp dried basil

1 14.5-oz jar spaghetti sauce (I used organic)

2 cloves garlic

1 14.5-oz can diced tomatoes, liquid drained

2 oz ricotta cheese

1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375°F. Cook pasta according to package directions (omit salt). Add spinach to boiling water for the last minute of cooking.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and basil. Cook 3 minutes. Stir in spaghetti sauce, garlic and drained tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Simmer on low heat for 3 minutes or until chicken is done. Stir in ricotta cheese.

Drain pasta and return to pan. Stir in chicken mixture and 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese. Spoon into 2-quart baking dish. Bake 20 minutes. Top with remaining mozzarella cheese and bake 3 minutes more, or until cheese is melted.

One Pot Kielbasa Pasta

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil

1 lb smoked kielbasa or turkey/chicken sausage sliced 1/4 inch thick

1.5 cups diced onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

10 oz can diced tomatoes

8 oz dry pasta(small pasta)

1/2 cup milk or heavy cream

1/2 tsp salt and pepper, each

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

1/3 cup thinly sliced scallions, for garnish

Add olive oil to a 4-5 quart saute pan over medium high heat.  Fry the kielbasa and onions.  Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Add chicken broth, tomatoes, heavy cream, pasta, and seasonings.  Simmer for 15 minutes, or until pasta is tender. Remove skillet from heat and stir in 1/2 cup cheese.  Top with remaining cheese and cover until cheese is melted, spotty brown, and bubbly.  Sprinkle with sliced scallions and serve.

This was easy to throw together and very tasty.  I had most of the ingredients on hand so it was super cheap to make.  

One Pan Cheesy Smoked Sausage & Pasta Skillet

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 lb Hillshire Farm Smoked Turkey Sausage, sliced

1 cup diced onion

1 Tbsp minced garlic (about two fresh cloves)

2 cups Chicken Broth

1 (10 oz) can diced tomatoes

1/2 cup milk or heavy cream

8 oz dry pasta (any small pasta will do)

1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper, each

1 cup shredded Cheddar-Jack cheese

1/3 cup chopped scallions, for garnish

Add olive oil to a 4-5 quart sauté pan over medium high heat. Add onions and sausage and cook until lightly browned. Add garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.

Add chicken broth, tomatoes, milk, pasta, and seasonings. Bring the mixture to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer for about 15 minutes, or until pasta is tender.

Turn off the heat and stir in 1/2 cup of cheese. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top and cover for about five minutes to allow cheese to melt. Top with sliced scallions and serve.

Makes about 4 servings.

Goulash

Growing up, this was the ultimate comfort food in my mother’s kitchen.  Simple to make dinner that warmed the soul and the belly. 

Ingredients:

1 pound of ground hamburger or pork, browned                                    

2 C. elbow noodles

1 large can diced tomatoes

Minced garlic

Chopped onions

Salt & pepper

Red pepper flakes (optional)

Hot sauce (optional)

  

Brown burger in pan with minced garlic and chopped onions.   Boil water and cook noodles per instructions. Drain and add all other ingredients.  I like to add a few dashes of red pepper flakes and hot sauce for flavor but that is totally optional. Once heated through, serve plain or topped with some shredded cheddar cheese.  

Ritz Bruschetta

Who doesn’t love a good bruschetta?  For those times when you don’t have a loaf of crusty bread on hand this is a great substation because if your house is like mine, there are always crackers in the cupboards. 

Ingredients:

3 plum tomatoes, chopped (1 cup)

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

2 green onions, chopped

1 Tbsp. zesty Italian dressing (I used a light version)

36 Ritz crackers (I used reduced fat)

2 Tbsp. shredded parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 400°F. Combine first 4 ingredients.  Place crackers on baking sheet; top with tomato mixture and Parmesan cheese.  

Bake 8 to 10 min. or until cheese is melted. Serve warm.

This was tasty and super simple to make. Next time I would make the topping beforehand so that the flavors had time to mix together a bit more.  But as far as a quick and easy snack, this was all that and more. 

Meat & noodle casserole

Review by Lyndee:

½ cup diced onion

1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes

2 pounds lean ground beef, pork or turkey

½ bag macaroni or other noodles

1 cup cheddar

1 cup mozzarella cheeses

2 tbsp cream cheese

optional seasonings: I used salt, black pepper, crushed red pepper, garlic and a dash of hot sauce

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Brown onions and meat in pan.  Boil noodles according to directions and drain.  Once the meat is browned, mix in cream cheese and diced tomatoes.  Remove from heat and stir in noodles.  Pour into a greased 9 x 13 baking dish. Bake covered for 30 minutes.  Remove tinfoil and top with the shredded cheeses.  Bake for 10 more minutes or until cheese is golden brown.  (This can also be refrigerated overnight and cooked the next day. ) Sprinkle with parmesan and enjoy. 

I used ground pork for this recipe because it was something different and I had it on hand.  I used egg noodles instead of macaroni.  The original recipe did not call for the cream cheese but I felt it was a nice touch.  I made mine last night and warmed it up today for lunch.  I added a little bit of spaghetti sauce as I knew it probably dried out a bit in the fridge last night.  It was a pretty tasty casserole that was easy and cheap to make.