chicken tortilla soup

Perfect for a cold day when you feel the sniffles coming on. Serves 4 but easily doubled based on the size of your Crockpot.

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

• 1/2 onion, diced

• 15 oz. canned black beans, drained/rinsed

• 1 cup frozen corn (fresh or canned/drained works too)

• 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes (do not drain)

• 3 cloves minced garlic

• chili powder to taste

• red pepper flakes to taste

• 1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth

• 1/2 cup water

• to serve: tortilla chips, shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, diced avocado

Combine all ingredients in the Crockpot. Add the chicken last so you can stir the soup. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours.

When there is about 30 minutes left of cooking time, remove the chicken and shred with two forks. Return to Crockpot, stir, and finish cooking.

salsa chicken

Two ingredients. Set it and forget it. Perfect as a taco filling. Quantity is easily variable.

• boneless skinless chicken breasts

• your favorite jarred salsa

For each chicken breast, add 8 ounces of your favorite salsa. Two chicken breasts = 16 ounces salsa.

Cook on low for 4 hours or until cooked through. Shred and stir before serving.

honey soy crockpot chicken

Flexible and works with any side dish. Serves 4 but is easily doubled if your Crockpot is big enough.

• 2.5 pounds boneless/skinless chicken thighs or breasts

• salt and pepper to taste

• 1/3 cup honey

• 1/3 cup soy sauce

• 6 cloves minced garlic

• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (or more)

• sliced scallions to serve

Season chicken with salt and pepper; place in Crockpot. Whisk together remaining ingredients and add to Crockpot.

Cook on low for 5-6 hours or on high for 2.5-3 hours.

Shred or slice chicken into chunks and return to Crockpot for an additional 10 minutes. Serve with sliced scallions.

lemon chicken

the easiest weeknight dinner. serves 4.

• 4 chicken breasts, or 2 large ones butterflied

• salt and pepper to taste

• 2 tbs lemon juice (about half a lemon squeezed)

• 1/4 cup chicken broth

• 1/2 tsp dried thyme

• 1 large lemon sliced

• 6 cloves minced garlic

• 4 tbs butter, divided 4 ways

Preheat the oven to 400º. Season chicken with salt and pepper, and place in a 9x13” baking dish.

In a small bowl, whisk together broth, lemon juice, thyme, and garlic. Pour evenly over chicken. Add lemon slices and butter pads evenly across the chicken.

Bake for 10 minutes, then brush/baste/spoon the liquid across each chicken breast. Repeat until the chicken has been cooked for 30 minutes or is cooked through to the middle.

Serve with mashed avocado, or place fresh asparagus in the baking dish with 10 minutes left on the timer.

shepherd's pie

or a lighter interpretation of it. serves ~6.

• 5-7 russet potatoes, peeled and cubed

• 2 tbs butter

• 2 pounds ground turkey or beef

• 1 cup water

• 2 bouillon cubes (I correspond the flavors to the meat I used)

• 1 tsp dried thyme

• 1/2 tsp dried sage

• 1 tsp black pepper

• 1/2 onion, diced

• 2 cups frozen mixed vegetables

• salt to taste

• 1 tbs flour

• optional: 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Add potatoes and a large dash of salt to a large pot. Cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook until they fall apart when pierced with a fork. Reserve 1/2 cup of cooking water. Drain and mash until smooth. Add butter and salt to taste. If they are too thick, add reserved cooking water.

Preheat oven to 350º. In a large cast iron skillet, brown meat and onion. Drain excess fat and return to pan.

In a small bowl, whisk together 1 cup hot water, the bouillon cubes, and the flour. Add to the skillet with seasonings and frozen vegetables. Cook over medium, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated.

Smooth the filling down in the skillet, and then top with mashed potatoes. Add shredded cheese if desired. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until potatoes just start to brown.