Winter Wonder: Slow Cooker Salsa Verde Chicken Casserole

This Tex-Mex chicken casserole has the bold flavors of green chiles and salsa verde; plus it's made in the slow cooker for a one pot comfort meal!

 

Slow Cooker Salsa Verde Chicken Casserole

 

We had one heck of a storm over here in Southern California!  It rained to 3 days non-stop and we got about 8-11 inches of rain.  All the flooding and mudslides caused us to hunker down where it's dry and safe and think of all the comfort food dishes we could make to tide us over.  My slow cooker is one of my comfort food tools.  I love using it during the winter months.  So I wanted to share a Tex-Mex style chicken casserole that I made in the slow cooker.  It's sort of a cross between a green Enchilada casserole and a King Ranch Casserole.

Using the flavors of salsa verde, green chiles, and Latin flavors like cumin and cilantro you can make one zesty comfort meal.  You layer plain old tortilla chips, (they become soft when cooked and your base for the layers) a shredded chicken mix and and a layer of a salsa verde that's mixed with cream cheese to make it rich and creamy.  Set it and forget it in your slow cooker and then top it with some shredded cheddar cheese and some crunchy tortillas and dinner is served.  Excellent comfort food and really just a dump and go kind of meal.

Enjoy!

What Ingredients do I need?

• shredded chicken - (3 cups) buy a rotisserie chicken, use leftovers, poach your own, or make it in the instant pot like I did.

• cream cheese - I used Neufchatel cheese to reduce the fat and calories - block style

• salsa verde - 16 oz jar

• diced green chiles, mild, medium or hot depending upon your heat preference

• yellow onion

• cilantro - for garnish

• garlic

• cumin

• tortilla chips

• cheddar cheese - shredded

Substitutions and Variations

Protein: use shredded beef or pork for a different flavor

Add vegetables: sliced bell pepper (any color) or poblano pepper would work well. Add corn if you like.

Switch up the cheese:  use pepper jack or queso fresco

Base layer: use torn up corn tortillas instead of tortilla chips as your base layer. They will turn out the same.

Kitchen Tips and Notes

Shredded Chicken:  I cooked my chicken in the Instant Pot and then shredded it.  You could buy rotisserie chicken, or purchase already shredded chicken.  Or you could use leftover chicken.

Softened cream cheese:  Make sure to leave your cream cheese out for at least an hour to bring to room temperature.  It will need to be soft to mix with the salsa.

Leftovers will stay in the refrigerator for 3 days.

Time: Cook in the slow cooker on low for 4 hours or on high for 2 hours.

Toppings:  cheese and crumbled tortilla chips for extra crunch.

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Slow Cooker Salsa Verde Chicken Casserole

serves 6

1 8 oz package cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1 16 ounce jar salsa verde
3 cups cooked shredded chicken
2 4 oz cans diced green chiles, undrained
½ cup yellow onion, diced
⅓ cup cilantro, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
8 cups tortilla chips
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese 

Spray the lining of your slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray.  

In a large bowl stir together cream cheese and salsa verde until combined. Add the shredded chicken, chiles, onion, cilantro, garlic and cumin.  Stir until combined.

Layer 2 cups of the tortilla chips in the bottom of  the slow cooker. Top with one-third of the chicken mixture. Repeat layers two more times.

Cover; cook on low 4 hours or on high 2 hours. Top with shredded cheese and let stand 5 minutes or until cheese melts.  Serve in individual bowls or plates and top with the remaining tortilla chips (crunched if you like).

Cinco de Mayo: Easy Chicken Enchilada Verde Casserole

Chicken Enchiladas Verde made into a casserole has all the Mexican flavors you crave, but is so easy you can make it on a weeknight!

Easy Chicken Enchilada Verde Casserole

With Cinco de Mayo around the corner and falling on a weeknight this year why not keep it simple yet still celebrate with all the Mexican flavors you love.  My Chicken Enchilada Verde Casserole is just that...easy.  With a combination of green salsa and green enchilada sauce, mixed with chicken, chiles, and cheese, you get the flavor punch and the ease of a quick meal.

This dish comes together fast and has crazy good flavor.  How can you go wrong with a saucy layered chicken and tortilla dish with melted cheese?  Sounds about perfect to me.

Enjoy!

What Ingredients do I need?

• green enchilada sauce
• salsa verde
• diced green chiles
• cooked shredded chicken breast
• spices: garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, chili powder, cumin
• corn tortillas
• Monterey Jack cheese

Substitutions and Variations

• Use light or dark or a combination of chicken.

• Use ground beef, turkey, or chicken instead.

• Switch out the green sauce for red.

• How about Pepper Jack cheese? or Top with Cotija cheese or Queso Fresco.

• Mince up Jalapenos and add them - or use jarred pickled jalapenos.

• Swap out the chiles for veggies like zucchini, mushrooms, or add black beans.

• Sprinkle fresh tomatoes on top.

• Dollop with sour cream or Mexican crema.

Kitchen Tips and Notes

• For the chicken: use leftover chicken, a rotisserie, or make your own shredded chicken by poaching it. (An instant pot comes in handy for this method)

• Shred your cheese from a block of cheese. Pre-shredded cheese are loaded with additives to keep it from clumping, plus they don't melt as well.

• Allow the casserole to sit for 10-15 minutes once removed from the oven.  This will allow the layers to set and will help with everything running all over the plate.

• Serve with Mexican rice or a green salad on the side.  

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Easy Chicken Enchilada Verde Casserole

serves 4-6

10 oz can green enchilada sauce
6 oz salsa verde
4 oz diced green chiles
2 cups cooked shredded chicken breast
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
salt & pepper to taste
7 corn tortillas, cut in half
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Spray an 8x8 pan with cooking spray and set aside.

In a medium bowl add the green enchilada sauce and the salsa verde and stir until combined.  In a small bowl add all the spices and stir until blended.  In another medium bowl add the chicken and the green chiles.  Sprinkle over the spice mix and toss with the chicken and chiles until coated.  

Spread 1/3 of the sauce mixture in the bottom of your prepared pan.  Lay 4-5 tortilla halves over the sauce covering most of the bottom of the pan.  Add 1/2 of the chicken mixture and top with 1/2 the cheese. Add another 1/3 of the sauce over the cheese.   Repeat with another layer of tortilla halves, chicken, cheese, and the remainder of the sauce.

Cover with foil and bake for 30-40 minutes.  Uncover and back for another 10 minutes.  Remove from the oven and allow to set up 10-15 minutes before cutting.

Cozy Family Faves: Tex-Mex Chicken Soup

Hot soup full of chicken, carrots, celery, onion, pasilla peppers, and Latin spices will warm you up on a cold winter's night. 

With the holidays in full swing I wanted to post some family favorites that are easy one-pot meals with some kicked-up flavor.  This one is perfect for busy days and cold nights.

Tex-Mex Chicken Soup

Stove Top, Instant Pot, and Slow Cooker versions

Winter is the best time for hot soups and this one is a wonderful variation of your standard chicken soup.  This soup has a tex-mex flair which comes from the pasilla peppers.  They pack great flavor and a little spice.  Hot soup full of chicken, carrots, celery, onion, pasilla pepper, beans, and Latin spices will warm you up on a cold winter's night.  The best thing is it is made in one pot and is done in a flash!

What to eat with the soup?

• Crusty Hot Bread
• Green Salad
• Caprese Panini or Turkey and Swiss Panini
• Spicy Hot Ham & Swiss Croissant 
• Turkey Havarti Hot Sandwich

What ingredients do I need?

• Chicken Breasts
• Onion
• Carrots
• Celery
• Pasilla Peppers
• Chicken Broth
• Cannellini Beans
• Cumin
• Coriander
• Garlic Cloves
• toppings

Substitutions and Variations

• Chicken Thighs instead of chicken breasts
• Poblano peppers instead of Pasilla peppers
• Diced Green Chilis instead of peppers
• Any white bean for the Cannellini beans
• Pinto beans 

Kitchen Notes and Tips

• To make this go quicker use store bought shredded chicken and put in the soup at the end of the cooking to warm through
• Use a rotisserie chicken for a quicker mealtime
• Pasilla peppers are a little spicy, use an anaheim for less spice
• Add some jalepeno hot sauce to amp up the spice
• Freeze left over soup in portions for quick lunches 

Enjoy!

Tex-Mex Chicken Soup

serves:  6

1 medium yellow onion, diced

3 celery stalks, sliced

4 carrots, peeled and sliced

2 pasilla peppers, seeded and chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon cumin

1 tablespoon coriander

1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts

4 cups low sodium Chicken Broth

2 14oz cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

salt & pepper

Garnish:  shredded Monterey jack cheese, lime juice, tortilla chips (optional)

Stove Top:

In a dutch oven heat 2 tablespoons of canola oil over medium heat.  Add onion, carrots, celery, and peppers.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until starting to get tender, about 4-5 minutes.  Add in the garlic, cumin, coriander, chicken broth, chicken breasts, and beans.  Season with salt & pepper.  Bring to a bowl then reduce heat to a simmer (medium-low or low) and cook for 30-35 minutes.  Remove chicken from the pot and shred.  Return shredded chicken back to the pot and stir to combine.  Check seasoning and add additional salt & pepper if needed.  Served topped with garnishes if desired.

Instant Pot:

Turn your instant pot on using the Saute feature.  Add 2 tablespoons of canola oil and heat.  Add the onion, carrots, celery, and peppers.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until starting to get tender, about 4-5 minutes.  Turn off the saute function by hitting cancel.  Add the remainder of the ingredient.  Season with salt & pepper.  Place the lid on the Instant Pot and turn the vent knob to "sealing".  Hit the Manual Pressure button and adjust the time to cook for 13 minutes.  Once it has finished cooking turn the vent knob to venting for a quick release.  Once it completes releasing the steam open the lid and set aside.  Remove the chicken breasts and shred.  Return chicken back to the pot and stir to combine.  Serve topped with garnishes if desired.

Slow Cooker:

To the slow cooker bowl add all the ingredients except garnishes.  Make sure to salt & pepper to taste.  Cook on low for 4-5 hours and high for 2-3 hours.  Remove chicken and shred it then return it back to the slow cooker.  Serve in bowls topped with garnishes if you would like.

  

Slow Cooker Lighter King Ranch Chicken Soup

Yum

I'm back with another soup recipe today!

Work has been a bear these past two weeks.  I'm working on an enormous 2 month project and yesterday was the deadline.  I don't have time to even get up from my desk, which causes me to sit for long periods of time, eating lunch in front of the computer and not doing much else other that pushing this project through to completion.

Needless to say I come home after long, long work hours and I am too tired to cook.  As you can see from my lack of posts I'm too tired to blog as well!  The only cooking I'm actually doing is on the weekends, and then I'm still tired so the cooking has to be easy.

Today's soup recipe is just that...easy.  This is a slow cooker soup recipe that is to die for! It may take one additional step to make a roux, and some chopping of veggies, but it's pretty easy to throw together.  

SLOW COOKER LIGHTER KING RANCH CHICKEN SOUP

I'm sure you've heard of King Ranch Chicken Casserole right?  Well I came across a recipe that is a riff off of that infamous casserole in soup form.  You know I love a good soup, and with this long winter that just won't let go, a hot hearty bowl of soup hits the spot.  I was also drawn to this soup because of the word..."lighter".   King Ranch Chicken Casserole is filled with cheese and cream of chicken soup.  Two items that load up the calories in a dish.  This soup is lighter on the cheese and there isn't a can of cream of anything in sight!

With just 4-6 hours on low or 2-3 hours on high this slow cooker soup is ready when you are.  We typically go for a drive or over to Barnes and Noble's book store to relax on  Sunday's so making this before we leave is a great idea, because dinner is ready when we get home.

I have to say, I think this soup is my new favorite soup!  Imagine a bowl of steaming hot and hearty soup that is filled with shredded chicken, peppers, tomatoes, and southwestern flavors that pack a huge punch! Man! I'm getting hungry right now.....

Enjoy!





Slow Cooker Lighter King Ranch Chicken Soup

serves 4

3 Tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cloves garlic (minced)
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 Tablespoon cumin
1/2 Tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper (to taste)
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chiles
1 jalapeno pepper (minced and seeded)
1 red bell pepper (diced)
1 yellow onion (diced)
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Tortilla chips

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add in the garlic and stir for about 1 minute. Whisk in the flour (whisking continually for 1 minute so that it does not burn).

Slowly pour in the chicken broth, whisking as your pour it in, and stir for a few minutes until the sauce has thickened up.

Remove the saucepan from the heat, and stir in the seasonings (chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper). Set the sauce aside for a minute.

Place the chicken breasts in the bottom of the slow cooker. Top them with the diced tomatoes, jalapeño, bell peppers, and onion. Pour the sauce over the top.

Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours (or high for 2-3 hours), making sure to not overcook the chicken.

Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and stir the cheese into the slow cooker.

Using 2 forks, shred the chicken and add it back into the slow cooker, stirring everything together. Let the slow cooker cook on low heat for 15 minutes, allowing the cheese to melt.

Serve topped with crushed tortilla chips if desired.

slightly adapted from Six Sister's Stuff

 

MGG and I spent the weekend looking at an investment property.  

We found a massive house/mansion tucked inside a hill high above the valley.  Oh the views...and oh the STAIRS!  87 to be exact.  87 slippery, tall, concrete steps leading to the front door.  Since the garage was at the bottom, and the only access are those lovely steps, you have no choice but to get some exercise.  

I couldn't imagine carrying two arms full of groceries in the rain, let alone moving furniture up those steps. Holy cow, what a workout!  But once there, the view....oh my!

Let me tell you, fixing up a property won't be a pretty task.  The shape that this house was in was shameful.  Beautiful marble floors worth salvaging, but the ceilings and walls had holes and structural damage from earthquakes.  Man, it's sad what a mess this house was left in.  So it's giving us something to think about.  A large money investment that would have a huge payoff, and a large time investment to fix it.

So, I came home to make a soothing soup that was not so much of an investment.  This is a soup that I made before in one of my Williams-Sonoma cooking classes.  Spicy and satisfying, just what we needed after taking in that house!  This isn't your average tortilla soup as it starts out with a chili and spice paste/puree which is added as the base of the soup.  So delishhhh!  It takes a little bit of time, but is well worth the effort.

Enjoy an investment in this wonderful soup!

Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:

• 5 dried ancho chilies, soaked in boiling water, drained, seeded and chopped
• 4 fresh Anaheim chilies, seeded and chopped
• 3 cups chopped peeled tomatoes
• 1 large white onion, diced
• 7 garlic cloves, minced 
• 2 corn tortillas, torn into pieces
• 2 Tbs. canola oil
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 2 cups water
• 1 1⁄2 lb. cooked chicken, cut into 1⁄2-inch dice
• 2⁄3 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus leaves for garnish
• Vegetable oil for deep-frying
• 6 corn tortillas, cut into strips 2 inches long
• 6 oz. crumbled queso fresco or shredded jack cheese
• 1 avocado, pitted, peeled and sliced

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine the ancho and Anaheim chilies, the tomatoes, onion and garlic, and the two corn tortilla pieces. Working in batches, coarsely puree in a food processor. Transfer to another bowl.

In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, warm the canola oil until almost smoking. Add the chili mixture and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Stir in the stock and water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in the chicken and chopped cilantro.

Meanwhile, in a deep fryer, pour in vegetable oil and heat to 375°F according to the manufacturer's instructions. Working in batches, fry the tortilla strips until crisp, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain.

Ladle the soup into warmed bowls. Garnish with the tortilla strips, cilantro leaves, cheese and avocado slices and serve immediately. Serves 6.

Source:  Williams-Sonoma Kitchen.