Skip to main content

Chicken Enchilada Chowder


I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving last week.  We did, even if it was crazy...but it always is!  It has decided to get cold lately, so I though it would be the perfect time to try out this new slow cooker recipe. 

Also, for a variety of reasons, we have decided to crack down on the unhealthy eating around here.  Yes, during the holidays.  I'm crazy like that.  In light of that, I used reduced fat dairy products in this, and while I didn't actually figure out what the nutrition facts would be, it is makes for a pretty healthy recipe.

Like many slow cooker recipes, this one came together rather quickly.  I did add an extra step of lightly sauteing the vegetables at the beginning, but that's because I wasn't getting the dish on as early as I'd planned, and I wanted to make sure they were well cooked.  You could most likely omit that step with no problems.

This was mostly a hit all around.  D and I really liked it.  I preferred it with a dollop of sour cream on top, but he liked it better without.  Munchkin fished out some of the chicken to eat, and while he kept blurting out "that's hot!" {spicy} and reaching for his glass, he kept going back for more.  Sprout...well, he wasn't really in an eating mode tonight.  He was in more of a whining mode.  It happens. 

I have a feeling that this recipe will definitely go into the "keeper" file.  Just a warning though, the El Pato sauce makes it rather spicy, so feel free to tone it down by using regular tomato sauce, and making sure to get mild enchilada sauce as well as mild tomatoes and green chilies.  Also, adding sour cream does cut the heat a bit.

And don't worry people.  For Christmas, I'm planning on getting myself an honest-to-goodness light setup so that I can take better pictures.  Well, at least the lighting will be better.  ;)


Chicken Enchilada Chowder
Adapted from Katy's Kitchen (amusing, right?) and Family Circle Quick and Easy Cooking

2 Tbsp canola oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 small green bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chilies, undrained (RO*TEL)
1 (7 3/4 ounce) can El Pato Tomato Sauce (Mexican Hot Style)
1 (10 ounce) can red enchilada sauce
1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2.25 pounds), cut into 1-inch pieces
1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 (12 ounce) package frozen Southwestern corn (or just plain whole kernel corn)
1 tsp dried Mexican oregano
1/2 tsp ground cumin
Optional toppings:
     shredded cheese
     sour cream
     avocado
     tortilla strips/chips

Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat.  Lightly saute the onion and bell pepper just until they begin to get tender.  Add the garlic and cook 1-2 more minutes.  Remove from heat and set aside.

In the crock of a slow cooker, combine the tomatoes, tomato sauce, enchilada sauce and milk.  Stir in the onion mixture, chicken, beans, corn and spices and mix well.  Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours or high 4-5 hours. 

Divide into bowls and add desired toppings.

Enjoy!  :)


Comments

Lisa said…
A spicy chowder sounds like my kind of soup. I like to be warmed up both inside and out. This really looks delicious.
Julie said…
I just adore soups like this and I love it's done in the crockpot. I feel we will be having this soon.

Popular posts from this blog

Thick and Chewy Snickerdoodles

I admit, I love snickerdoodles.   Cinnamon and vanilla?   Yes, please.   What’s funny is that I never really had them much as a kid, just occasionally in the school cafeteria.   I know, ew. Anyway, snickerdoodles were one of the first cookies that the Munchkin helped make when he was little.   He could help dump everything in the mixer (or “loud noise” as he would call it!) and then it was fun for him to roll the balls of dough in the cinnamon sugar before putting them on the baking sheet. Even since then, my go-to recipe for snickerdoodles has been this one by Emeril.   It’s a great recipe, baking up a thin, crispy cookie (at least when I make them!).   However, I was looking for something different this time, something thicker and chewier.   I found this recipe from the blog How Sweet it Is .   I decided to try it, and while I did keep the ingredient list the same I changed up the method a bit to suit me better.   The result?   What I was looking for – thick and

Homemade Cinnamon Dolce Latte

I recently professed my love of coffee and fancy coffee drinks.  After the success of the Peppermint Mocha , I decided to tackle the Cinnamon Dolce Latte, another one of my favorites.  According to the Starbucks website, it has flavors of "cinnamon, butter and brown sugar".  Well, I covered the cinnamon and brown sugar components, but left out the butter.  And you know what, I think it turned out quite well, if I do say so myself!  I honestly wasn't sure if the cinnamon flavor in the syrup was going to be strong enough, but it was.  I will admit to being impatient and not letting it steep for very long, so the cinnamon flavor might develop more if you do actually let it sit and cool off first.  If you wanted it to be even stronger, you could always add a tiny bit of cinnamon oil to it as well.  But be careful -- a little of that goes a long way! How much to make depends on how much you'll actually use.  I just made a single batch this first time, but considering

Hello Dolly Cookie Bars

Several years ago, my mom gave me an old cookbook, it was hers but I'm not sure she ever used it, Favorite Recipes from Southern Kitchens:  Desserts .  I love this cookbook!  I thought it would be great to go through it and pick a recipe or two to use for this year's 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats series.  For this week, I chose a super easy one, Hello Dolly Cookies.  I have absolutely no idea where the name came from.  I'm really not sure I've ever eaten one before, though the ladies I shared the finished product with knew about them!  I did an internet search too, and it seems they go by a lot of names, including Magic Layer Bars.  Honestly, they are so easy to make.  There's no mixing required.  Kids could absolutely help with these.  The cookies smelled divine while they were baking, and I barely waited for them to cool before trying one. At first I thought "these taste almost like German chocolate cake", then "or definitely like a ca