Crockpot Taco Enchilada Soup

I posted this recipe on my Facebook Page a few weeks back and wanted you to have it to refer back to! This soup was a big hit with my family and a great alternative to plain old Taco Tuesday :)

Serves 6+

INGREDIENTS
1lb lean ground turkey
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15oz) can cannelini beans, drained and rinsed (or any bean you like, really!)
1 (14 oz.) can diced fire roasted tomatoes with juices
1 cup frozen corn
1 can red enchilada sauce (about 14 oz.)
2 cups chicken stock
1 packet low sodium taco seasoning
Optional toppings: Plain Greek yogurt or sour cream, avocado, cilantro.

INSTRUCTIONS
1. In a skillet, brown meat, crumbling as you go.
2. Add meat to crockpot along will all other items. Give it a big stir!
3. Cook on LOW for 7-8 hours or on HIGH for 4-5 hours until it bubbles and thickens a bit.
4. Top with plain Greek Yogurt, cheese, avocado and cilantro, if desired. Enjoy!!

 

Crockpot Greek Chicken Pitas with Tzatziki and Cucumber + Tomato Salad

These ((CROCKPOT))Greek Chicken Pita Pockets are FULL of flavor and makes a great anytime meal! The Tzatziki sauce is to die for-it makes a veggie dip too!

INGREDIENTS
Chicken 
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup lemon juice (preferably freshly squeezed)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Whole wheat pita pockets, for serving
Mixed greens or romaine lettuce, for serving

Tzatziki Sauce

¾ cup plain Greek yogurt
1 cup English or Persian cucumber, peeled (if desired) and diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fresh dill, chopped
Juice of 1/2 a lemon (or more)
Salt, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Combine tzatziki ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Chill about an hour before serving to allow the flavors to marry.
2. Spray inside of the crockpot with cooking spray or use a liner; add chicken.
3. Combine garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, vinegar, and oregano; pour over chicken.
4. Cook on high 2-3 hours or on low for 3-4 hours (do not overcook or chicken will get dry!). 
5. When chicken is done, shred with a fork and toss in juices from the crockpot.
6. Pile chicken into a pita pocket and top with mixed greens and lots of the tzatziki sauce!
7. Serve cucumber and tomato salad on the side!

Cucumber and Tomato Salad
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 English cucumber, diced
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Toss all ingredients in a large bowl, season to taste and serve!

Crockpot Sweet Potatoes ~ Two Ways!

Sweet potatoes -- i have heard them called "the healthiest food in the world!" They are packed with vitamin A, beta carotene, iron, vitamin D....the list goes ON and ON!

The real game changer was when I discovered you can cook them in the crockpot! Who wants to wait an hour of them to bake in the oven?? And sure the microwave is great but what if you want to cook more than 1 or 2 ?? The crockpot is the answer! It's SO flipping easy:



Crockpot Sweet Potatoes

Ingredient
3-6 sweet potatoes or yams
Instructions
1. Wash and scrub sweet potatoes/yams well, making sure they have lots of water on them.
2. Place wet potatoes in the slow cooker (they need the water to help steam them).
3. Cook on high for 2.5 to 3 hours or low 4.5 to 5 hours until tender. DONE!
**You can store them wrapped in foil for up to 5 days in the fridge!
Here are two of my favorite ways to enjoy "baked" sweet potatoes!

Buffalo Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
1 cooked sweet potato
1 cup cooked chicken, chopped (leftover grilled or rotisserie works great!)
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt or cottage cheese**
1/4 cup (or more) prepared Buffalo Wing Sauce or other hot sauce
Blue cheese crumbles
Green onions, optional
**I know cottage cheese might sound so weird, but it's delish!
Instructions
1. Toss chicken with buffalo sauce.
2. Cut open potato and top with chicken/sauce, yogurt or cottage cheese, blue cheese crumbles and scallions. Enjoy!

Broccoli and Cheddar Sweet Potato
Ingredients
1 cooked sweet potato
1 cup broccoli, chopped and steamed
1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper (or to taste)
Salt (to taste)

Instructions
1. On a baking sheet or dish, cut open sweet potato. Sprinkle with lemon pepper and a little salt.
2. Stuff potato with broccoli and top with cheese.
3. Bake 7-10 minutes in a 400 degree oven until cheese is melted and bubbly.
**If you want to be extra sinful, sprinkle bacon on top!! YUM!

Photo Credit: Homemade Nutrition

Do you like sweet potatoes or yams? Have you ever cooked them in the crockpot?? Give it a try!!

Crockpot Chicken Parmesan Soup

This delicious Chicken Parmesan Soup is literally like having a nice plate of Chicken Parmesan...in a bowl! :) I also love this crockpot recipe because it's a "dump and go" recipe! Throw everything into the crockpot, turn it on and a few hours later dinner is served!


Chicken Parmesan Soup
Serves 4-6
Ingredients

3 garlic cloves, minced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 can (14.5 ounces) crushed tomatoes
2 -3 (raw) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 cups chicken stock, plus additional if needed
1/2 cup chopped white onion
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, plus extra for garnish
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil, chopped (plus more for serving)
2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano (or 1 teaspoon dried)
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or more if you like it spicy!)
½ cup (uncooked) small pasta (whole wheat is best)
Chopped fresh basil or parsley, for garnish

Instructions
1. In slow cooker, stir together garlic, bell pepper, crushed tomatoes, chicken, broth, onion, 1/3 cup cheese, basil, oregano and red pepper flakes. Cook on high 3 1/ 2 hours or on low 5-6 hours.

2. Transfer chicken breasts to cutting board and coarsely shred; return to slow cooker. Stir in pasta. Cook on high 30 minutes longer or until pasta is cooked al dente. If soup becomes too thick after pasta is cooked, stir in additional broth until desired consistency is reached, and warm through.

3. Serve garnished with lots of extra Parmesan cheese and chopped basil.

The Best Crockpot Minestrone Soup ~ 21 Day Fix Approved

This winter has been sickness central over here in the Rooney house. Add in a little rain and dreary weather and it's just straight up time to bust out the soup!! This 21 Day Fix Approved Minestrone Soup is just AWESOME. It's easy and it's PACKED with veggies, protein, vitamins and antioxidants galore!

This recipe was one of the recipes in my free online crockpot group I hosted on Facebook a few months back and it was a HIT!!!

In the meantime, make up a huge crockpot full of this soup--you won't be sorry!! And for all of you following the 21 Day Fix--it fits perfectly into the plan :)



Crockpot Minestrone Soup
Serves 6+

Ingredients
1 lb sweet Italian turkey sausage
1 small onion, diced
2-3 carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups frozen green beans
1 small zucchini, diced
1 cup fresh spinach
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes, with juices
6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 (15 oz) can cannellini beans or Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary (or 1 teaspoon fresh)
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
1/2 cup elbow or small sized pasta (whole wheat if you can find it)
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Freshly-grated Parmesan cheese for serving (optional)
Instructions

1. Brown sausage in a skillet, breaking into small pieces; add to crockpot.
2. Add onion, carrots, celery, garlic, green beans, tomatoes, broth, and beans to crockpot
3. Add the bay leaves, oregano, rosemary, and red pepper flakes and stir to combine.
4. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.
5. 30-40 minutes before the soup is done cooking, add in the zucchini, pasta, and spinach.
6. Cook until pasta is tender.
7. Remove bay leaves. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste.
8. Ladle soup into bowls and serve with Parmesan cheese and mixed greens.

Enjoy!!!!

3 Clean Eating Crockpot Recipes

Nothing makes me more happy than an easy recipe that pleases everyone in my family!!! These three crockpot recipes fit the bill! I hope you enjoy them as much as we do!

1. Cilantro Lime Chicken~ The great thing about this crockpot gem is that it's great in winter OR summer and only has SIX ingredients and NO CHOPPING!

Ingredients
Serves 4
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 container fresh-made, store bought salsa
1 packet of low sodium taco seasoning
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup of cilantro, roughly chopped
Juice and zest of 2 limes
Optional toppings ~ sour cream, lime, cheese, avocado, lettuce
Instructions
1. In a crockpot, stir together salsa, taco seasoning, onion, cilantro and lime juice/zest.
2. Add whole chicken breasts and stir to combine.
3. Cook on HIGH about 4 hours or on LOW 6-7 hours until chicken in tender and shreds easily.
4. When chicken is done, shred into large pieces and serve one of the ways below....
My Favorite Ways to Serve ~
1. Soft Tacos: Wrap chicken in soft flour or whole wheat tortillas, top with toppings listed above. Add a side of black beans!
2. Burritos: During the last hour of cooking, add a can of black beans (drained) to the chicken. When heated through, spoon mixture into large tortillas, top with toppings and serve as a delicious burrito!
3. Chicken & Rice: Spoon chicken and all of the delicious sauce over brown rice!
4. Quesadillas: Leftover shredded chicken makes AWESOME quesadillas!


2. Crockpot Chicken Taco "Skillet" ~ Another family fave...the only problem is I always forget to double it for leftovers! Trust me, you will want to double this recipe! I love having this over brown rice, and my family likes it with tortillas or taco shells. It also works cold over romaine lettuce as a taco salad.

Ingredients

Serves 4

1lb ground chicken
1 small onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
1 zucchini, diced
1 packet low sodium taco seasoning

1 can low sodium black beans (drained and rinsed)
1 can diced tomatoes with green chilis
1 cup (or more) shredded cheddar cheese
Cilantro (optional)

 

Instructions

1. Add diced vegetables and ground chicken to slow cooker with taco seasoning.

2. Cook on low for 4-5 hours, 2-3 hours on high.

3. When meat and vegetables are cooked, top with shredded cheddar cheese and cilantro and serve!

(adapted from Sweet C's)

 

3. Crockpot Mongolian Beef ~ Ok, so there is a bit of sugar in this one so it's not 100% "clean," but it's still pretty darn healthy and my family loves it. You can substitute honey or Stevia for the brown sugar if you want to keep it clean.

Ingredients

Serves 2-4

 

1 1/2 lbs flank steak, cut into thin strips
1/4 cup cornstarch (optional, to thicken)
1 teaspoon ginger, grated
4 cloves garlic, ,minced
3/4 cup soy sauce (low sodium)
1/2 cup water
1/2 brown sugar
2 cups shredded carrots (i used the kind in the bag)
3-4 scallions for garnish

 

 

Instructions

1. Add steak to crockpot.
2. Whisk together ginger, garlic, soy sauce, water, brown sugar and cornstarch (optional); pour sauce over meat.
3. Cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours or LOW 5-6 hours until meat is tender and sauce has thickened (if using corn starch).
4. A few minutes before you are ready to serve, stir in carrots ( i like to add them late in the cooking process so they don't get soggy) .
4. Serve over brown rice and garnish with scallions!

 

 

Hope you and your family enjoys these easy clean crockpot recipes!

 

 

 

St. Patty's Day Crockpot Beef + Guinness Stew

Happy St. Patty's Day to ya! Is it St. PATTY'S or St. Paddy's?? It's short for St. Patrick so why do people spell it with  two "d"'s?? #lifesmysteries. Anyhoo, today I am am sharing and oldie but goodie recipe I have had in the archives for years--Crockpot Beef + Guinness Stew!

Is it totally healthy? Mmmmm..let's call it "healthy'ish." After all, I do insist on eating right 80% of the time and St. Patty's Day I believe falls into the other 20%. :) The reason I love this stew is because it's E-A-S-Y! Enjoy!!!

Photo Credit: Blissfully Delicious

INGREDIENTS

1 lb. stew meat, cut into large chunks
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 14.5 oz can of Guinness
1 cup beef stock (or more, as it cooks)
3-4 large carrots, cut into chunks
2 springs fresh thyme
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt/Pepper

 INSTRUCTIONS

1. Toss stew meat with flour, smoked paprika, salt and pepper.
2. Heat a tablespoon or two of olive oil in a large skillet and cook meat in batches until it is just golden brown on the outside (does NOT need to be cooked through).
**LAZY GIRL NOTE: You can skip the browning of the meat and just throw it right until the crockpot after you have seasoned it, but know that you will be missing a KEY layer of flavor that happens when you brown the meat.
3. Toss browned meat into the crockpot along with the onions, garlic, carrot, tomato paste and sprigs of thyme. Pour beef stock and Guinness down over the top of everything and give everything a nice stir.
4. Cook on LOW for 7-8 hours or HIGH for 5-6 hours until meat is tender. If the stew needs more liquid as it cooks, feel free to add more beer or beef stock :)
5. Serve with Irish soda bread or any crusty bread...and more Guinness :) Because remember...

Crockpot Sicilian Style Stew

This surprisingly easy Martha Stewart recipe is the BOMB! Such a great alternative (with a little twist!) to traditional stew!

3 lbs stew meat or beef chuck (I used tri tip!!), cut into chunks
1 large onion, sliced
1/2 cup red wine
1 28oz can whole tomatoes
1 bulb fennel, sliced
1 large sprig rosemary
2 large strips of orange zest
1 cup pitted green olives, sliced
Olive oil for browning meat

1. Season meat with salt and pepper and brown in a large non stick skillet and about 1-2 teaspoons of olive oil. Transfer to crockpot.
2. Add wine to pan and scrap off any brown bits; transfer to crockpot. 
3. To crockpot, add onions, fennel, tomatoes, rosemary and orange zest.
4. Cover and cook on low 7-8 hours or HIGH 4-5 hours until meat is super tender. Remove rosemary sprig and orange zest.
5. Stir in olives and serve with crusty bread, mashed potatoes, polenta ..and it's fine just on it's own too!!!

**adapted from Martha Stewart


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Crockpot Turkey Lasagna Soup

It doesn't get much easier or delicious than this! It's like having lasagna without the hour of prep work and cooking! And guess what? It's pretty darn healthy, too!!

Turkey Lasagna Soup

Ingredients:
1 pound lean ground turkey (or ground beef)
1 (24 ounce) jar of your favorite tomato basil marinara, Rao’s is awesome!
4 cups chicken stock, low​ sodium (more or less depending on consistency desired)
1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, to taste
1∕2 teaspoon dried oregano
8 lasagna noodles, broken into pieces (whole wheat noodles are best(
1 cup (part skim) mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup ricotta cheese, reduced fat
Fresh basil for serving, optional  

Instructions:
1. In a skillet over medium heat, cook ground turkey, breaking up with a fork.
2. Add  turkey to slow cooker, along with marinara, chicken broth, parsley sprigs, salt, and  pepper. Stir to combine. Cover and cook on low 4-​­6 hours.
3. The last 30 minutes of cooking time, add broken lasagna noodles, mozzarella. and  basil.
4. Check noodles to make sure they are tender, but not mushy.
5. Serve in bowls with a dollop of ricotta cheese and garnish with fresh basil

ENJOY!!


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Clean Eating Crockpot Challenge!!!

 Happy Friday, friends!!! I wanted to let you all know about a great Facebook event I am running next week!! A **FREE** 5 day Crockpot Challenge Group!! What is the world is a Crockpot Challenge Group, you ask??! Here's what it's all about ~

Who wants to cook in the midst of all the holiday craziness??! Not me! Let's get out our crockpots and make them work for us during this hectic time so we can get a delicious, HEALTHY meal on the table every night ..with minimal effort :)

Here's what you'll get:

- 5 Clean Eating Crock-Pot recipes (one for each day of the week...with leftovers!)

- A grocery list to keep shopping SIMPLE.

- You'll be meeting other like-minded ladies and will be supporting each other through the week.

- You'll have me as your FREE coach!

I will provide the menu and the motivation. YOU check into the group everyday and give your family a healthy meal!! If you participated in my last crockpot group, we had so much fun, didn't we??!! This time around we'll have ALL-NEW recipes to add to your collection! The group will officially start Monday 12/14. The shopping list will be released on Friday 12/11 (that's TODAY!).

This is a perfect way to kick start the holiday season HEALTHY! Who wants in??! We will have to be Facebook friends for me to add you, so feel free to send me a friend request: Casey Shanks Rooney. Or comment below! Our last group was a hit...you can check out some of the recipes from the last group HERE.


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Friday Favorites ~ Fall Favorites + Giveaway!

I haven't done a Friday Favorites in awhile so I decided to get in the Fall mood and post my fall faves! Also, I'm excited to be hosting a giveaway with Measurable Difference (a sub company of Lashem), so at the bottom of this post you'll have the chance to win a beautiful eye shadow kit in perfect fall colors! Here we go.....

The 21 Day Fix. I can't say enough about this program. I love it so much and it's changed the way I look at food and working out. I have not felt this good in YEARS and I am so happy my friend Deena turned me on to this!!! Read my full review HERE. The reason this is a Fall Fave is because I am looking ahead to Thanksgiving dinner and the holidays and this will definitely give me a jump start on staying healthy over the holidays! :)

These boots!!!

After wanting these boots for 4 stinkin' YEARS, I finally pulled the trigger and now that it's almost Fall I am getting so excited to wear them!!! 

I got them at the Anniversary sale, but you can find them HERE. Boots and jeans are probably my favorite thing to wear in the fall and winter! I especially love all of these jeans and boots outfits! 

Have you guys heard of Scentsy? They sell these awesome candle warmers and they seriously have THE best scents, especially for fall!! I'm not a big candle-in-the-summer girl, but once fall hits, I have my candle warmer going 24-7!! Everyone who walks into my house comments on how good it smells. I have this warmer ~

But how cute is this one for Fall??

My favorite scents are: Baked Apple Pie, Cinnamon Vanilla, Honey Pear and Sugar Cookie. My  cousin is a consultant so feel free to check out her website HERE! You'll be addicted!

My crockpot, slow cooker whatever you want to call it! I use it during the summer, but it really gets a workout in the Fall/Winter months!! I can't wait to break it out and start cooking up some yummy soups, stews and other deliciousness! Here are two of my favorite crock pot recipes ~

Cilantro Lime Chicken ~

Stew with Red Wine & Bacon ~

Fall makeup! I always like to change up my skincare and makeup routine a little come Fall. I go for slightly darker nail polish, blush and eye shadow colors. Here are a few of my favorite fall makeup items:

Nail Polish ~ LOVE Essie's Fall Collection!

Blush/Highlighter ~

Eyeshadow ~ Measurable Difference Desert Nights Eye Shadow

Not only is this palette perfect for fall, it's also super affordable! I also love how the company's mission is "helping women of all ages and cultures feel beautiful..and uniquely special." You have the chance to get this perfect fall eye shadow palette for FREE, girls!!! Enter to win below!!!**

What are some of your Fall faves?? Have a great weekend girls!!!

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** I received free product for featuring this product but all opinions are my own. Powered by BrandBacker.

Recipe Wednesday: The Crock Pot and the Best Pulled Pork Ever!

**Fun News** The recipes on this blog are now "pin"able! So if you have a Pinterest account, just hover over the picture, click on the Pin It icon and you're good to go! :) Now on to the business of the day...

Do you own a crockpot? If the answer is no, you need one. Like, now. They are pretty cheap and once you learn a few recipes and get into the habit of using it, it will be one of your most valuable kitchen items. The 2 recipes I'm going to share today ALONE are reasons enough to get a crockpot. I'm serious. They are THAT good. The pulled pork recipe has a 2 minute prep time..and that includes washing the knife you used to prep. How good does that sound for a busy weeknight???

First things first. Buy a crockpot. They are available in all sizes and price ranges. I suggest getting an oval one. You can cook an entire chicken in that thing! Here's one from Target for $29:

Or you can get a slightly smaller one from Wal-Mart for about $15! Comes in fancy colors, too :)

Or go for broke and get this one from Williams Sonoma for $249. Wow, whatever is cooking in there looks AMAZING!! I'd eat that--bones and all.

Ok, so now that you have a crockpot, on to the AMAZING recipe--Soda Pop Pulled Pork. It's fantastic. It's delcious. It's sweet, it's tangy. It's just downright AWESOME! And it's probably the easiest "recipe" in the history of man. Here you go...

Soda Pop Pulled Pork

1 3-5 lb pork shoulder (can also be called a pork roast)
2 cans of soda (I use Dr. Pepper but you can use whatever...Coke, Root Beer, something dark)
1 large onion, chopped into chunks
1 cup (or more) of your favorite BBQ sauce (i love Jack Daniels Original No. 7)
Scallions (optional)
Hamburger Buns (if you are making sandwiches)

1. Trim pork of any excess fat on the outside (optional, but I like mine as lean as possible)
2. Place chopped onions into the bottom of the slow cooker.
3. Place pork on top of onions and pour both cans of soda into the slow cooker.
4. Cook on HIGH for 7-8 hours or on LOW for 10-12 hours. Pork should be falling apart when you touch it with a fork.
5. After cooking, carefully remove pork from crockpot. Drain all liquid and onions from the pot; discard.
6. With two forks, shred the pork until it is fine and there are no big "chunks" left.
7. Return shredded pork to the crockpot and stir in the BBQ sauce. **here you can taste and decide whether or not you like more or less sauce. I tend to like it more "pork-y" and less "sauce-y" but that's just me :-).
8. You can stir in your scallions and serve immediately OR set the pot on low or the "keep warm" setting and serve in a hour or so.

It's so.darn.good!!! BUT! Not as good as this next recipe, which is what you can have the next day with your leftover pulled pork. Scott declared it his "new favorite meal" and the best leftovers EVER (and he HATES leftovers!) So here you go....

Pulled Pork Nachos
1-2 cups leftover pulled pork
4-5 large handfuls of good tortilla chips (thick ones!)
1-2 cups of your favorite cheese, shredded (we use sharp cheddar and pepperjack)
Scallions, sour cream and pico de gallo or fresh salsa for topping!

1. In a small saucepan, heat pork until warm.
2. While pork is heating up, spread tortilla chips in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet.
3. Top chips with pork and shredded cheese
4. Place into a 425 degree oven for about 3-5 minutes until cheese is melted.
5. Top with scallions, sour cream and fresh salsa.

OMG. YUM. YUM. YUM! If you have never tried pulled pork nachos, you need to put it on your bucket list. Seriously. You could even serve this to your friends and they'd never know you were feeding them leftovers! LOL!

Hopefully these two recipes have convinced you to buy a crock pot or at least dust off the one you already have. They were both home runs at my house and I really felt I hardly lifted a finger! :)

Cheers!

XO ~ Casey