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.

Taco aka Crack Dip

I can't believe I've never posted this dip! Whenever my friends have get togethers, this is what they ask me to bring. It's one of the easiest things you can make. And, as the name suggests, once you start eating it, you can't stop! 

Ingredients:

2 blocks cream cheese, room temperature

16 oz. sour cream

1 taco seasoning packet

½ cup salsa

Couple dashes of hot sauce

2 cups shredded Colby Jack or Mexican cheese

In a medium size Tupperware bowl, combine all ingredients except for the cheese with a hand mixer.  Stir in cheese.  Refrigerate for an hour or two so that flavors combine.  I usually make mine up a day ahead of time. 

Serve with tortilla chips!

Rather than doing this in a bowl, feel free to spread out in a pan and top with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, olives, etc. 

Lyndee's Lazy Day Tacos

I walked to the kitchen about 15 times yesterday, hoping each time I opened the fridge door that some food would’ve magically appeared. I was feeling so lazy I didn’t even want to go out and pick up food at a restaurant.  A friend suggested that tacos make everything better and I couldn’t disagree with that logic at all.  I whipped these up and I was not disappointed! They took little effort and totally hit the spot. 

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef, browned

1 small onion

1 tbsp. minced garlic

Hot sauce

Salt and pepper

3 tbsp. taco seasoning

¾ cup water

Small flour tortillas

Toppings

Shredded cheese

Feta cheese

Green onions

Salsa or pico

Cilantro

Brown ground beef with chopped onion, minced garlic, a few dashes of hot sauce and salt and pepper.  Drain. Add the taco seasoning and ¾ cup of water.  Stir and let simmer for 5-10 minutes. 

Spray small pan with cooking spray and cook tortilla a few minutes on each side to warm. You can also throw tortillas in the microwave for 15 seconds too.

Garnish with the cheese and toppings of your choice! I like shredded Colby jack, feta cheese, green onion, cilantro and salsa.  But feel free to add olives, sour cream, tomatoes or anything else that floats your boat. 

Southwest Dip

Ingredients

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 packet dry ranch dip mix

½ Tbsp. taco seasoning

16 oz. sour cream

1 can corn, drained well

1 can low-sodium black beans, drained and rinsed well

½ c. shredded cheddar cheese

4 green onions, sliced thin

In a medium sized mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, ranch mix and taco seasoning until smooth.  Add in sour cream and beat to combine.  With a spoon, fold in corn, black beans, cheese and green onions.

Eat right away with chips or refrigerate to let the flavors blend together. Enjoy!

Variations:

I used half a can of black beans since I’m not a big fan.

I used 1 ½ Tbsp of hot and spicy taco seasoning

I made this dip for tailgating and a party at my house this weekend.  It was magnificent.  My friend Teresa said it was like crack.  Easy to put together.  Cheap to make.  Great flavor.  

Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili

Ingredients:

1 small onion, chopped

1 jalapeno, finely chopped

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 small can diced green chiles

1 packet taco seasoning

14.5 oz. can chicken broth

2 cans northern beans, drained and rinsed (I used one)

8 oz. block cream cheese

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

sliced green onions

Frito chips

Place onion and jalapeno in bottom of crock pot. Put chicken on top.  Add green chiles, taco seasoning, chicken broth, and beans. Cover crock pot and cook on LOW for 5 to 6 hours.  Add cream cheese and cook on LOW for 1 more hour.  Add shredded cheese and stir until cheese melts, shredding the chicken as you stir. If cheese doesn't melt all the way, cover for 5 to 10 minutes.  Serve with green onions and Frito chips.

As odd as it sounds, I had never made or even eaten white chicken chili before but man am I glad I did! Throw everything together in the crockpot and wait for a creamy, delicious meal? Yes, please! 

Tortilla Roll Ups

1 package of large flour tortillas (about 16)

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

1 package taco seasoning

1 small can chopped black olives (optional)

1 small can chopped green chilies

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

24 ounces sour cream (I used 16 oz regular and 8 oz Mexican flavor sour cream)

Few dashes of hot sauce

In a large bowl, mix the cream cheese and sour cream until it is smooth and there are no lumps. Add the taco seasoning and mix well. Add the cheese, olives and chilies and mix. Spread the mixture on the tortillas to the edges and roll up. Store in the refrigerator until firm. Cut up and serve.

The flavor of these is good but they are a bit messy. Next time I would do 16 oz cream cheese and 16 oz of sour cream.