Slow Cooker Taco Soup

Chilly days call for big pots of soup!

We have been cooking up a lot of soup in our house the past few months!!

One of our favorites, Taco Soup, is a hearty combination of beans, corn, tomatoes, and taco seasonings, slow cooked with ground beef ! And the best part......the slow cooker does all the work, so you don't have to!!

SLOW COOKER TACO SOUP
(printable recipe)

1 pound ground beef
1 (16 oz) can chili beans
1 (15 oz) can kidney beans, drained
1 (15oz) can corn, drained
1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
2 c. water
1 (14.5 oz) Rotel diced tomatoes
1 (4oz) can diced chopped green chilies
1 pkg taco season mix
1 pkg ranch dressing mix

• Brown ground beef and drain
• Add Taco seasoning and ranch dressing mix
• Stir and cook for 1 min.
• place seasoned meat in crock pot
  
• add remaining ingredients
• Mix to blend and cook low for 8-10 hours
  

Serve with tortilla chips, a dollop of sour cream and shredded cheddar cheese.

I'm sharing this recipe at Tempt Your Tummy Tuesday, Balancing Beauty and Bedlam Mouth Watering Mondays and Tuesdays at the Table, Crockpot Wednesdays and Ultimate Recipe Swap Foodie Friday recipe exchanges, and Kimba's DIY Day.

Creamy Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

We are having the wettest and one of the coldest Octobers on record here in St. Louis.

So I've been in a soup mood!!

Soup is a GREAT Halloween meal as well, you can fix a big pot during the day, and easily eat before or after Trick-or-Treating!

One of my favorites at St. Louis Bread (Panera Bread) is their

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup!

So, I've been on a search for similar recipe! I found one and tweaked it just a bit!!

OMG! I LOVE LOVE LOVED how this soup turned out!!

It's filling, hearty and makes GREAT leftovers! Just be sure to add a little water when re-heating.

It will definitely become a regular in our house!

Creamy Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

Ingredients:

• 2-3 Tbl Olive Oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 cup carrots
• 1/2 celery
• 4 cups chicken broth
  
• 2 cups water
• 2 cooked, boneless chicken breast halves, shredded
• 1 (4.5 ounce) package quick cooking long grain and wild rice with seasoning packet
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 cups heavy cream

Directions:

1. Cook chicken breast - I cooked mine in a skillet with a little bit of olive oil until cooked thru (about 4-5 mins on each side), removed from pan and shredded with a knife and fork. **You could also use a rotisserie chicken, just pull chicken from bone. Set cooked chicken aside.

2. In a large pot over medium heat saute garlic cloves in olive oil, then add carrot and celery and saute for a few minutes until softened.

3. Add broth, water and chicken. Bring just to boiling, then stir in rice, reserving seasoning packet. Cover and remove from heat.

4. In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper and flour. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in contents of seasoning packet until mixture is bubbly. Reduce heat to low, then stir in flour mixture with a wooden spoon by tablespoons, until thick, to form a roux. Whisk in cream, a little at a time, until fully mixed and smooth. Cook until thickened about 5 minutes.

5. Add cream mixture into broth and rice, stir slowly. Cook over medium heat until heated through, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Yields approximately 8 servings.

Check out these great links for more fabulous recipes!!