Two recipes to warm you up

I mentioned in my last post how cooking has been crucial to my success, and I thought I'd offer up two of my favorite soup recipes which we make year-round.  Both freeze well. 

Chicken Tortilla Chili
A modification of two AllRecipes.com recipes - one and two.

1t oregano
2t cumin
1t cayenne
5+ cloves garlic
1 large onion, diced
1 large green pepper, diced
1 cup corn (canned or frozen)
4oz canned jalapeños, chopped
4oz canned diced green chiles
1 can “Ranch Style Beans w/ Jalapenos” (or pinto beans)
1 can cannellini beans (white kidney beans)
1 can small white beans
1 can Rotel tomatoes (Mexican or Hot variety)
1 can diced tomatoes
2 14.5 oz. cans of chicken broth (or 4c water and 3 chicken bouillon cubes)
1 lb chicken breast or thigh, cooked then chopped or shredded

Last 5 min:
Velveeta Light, diced (8-16 oz depending on taste)

Instructions
Throw it all (except the Velveeta) in a crock and let it go for around 6-8 hrs. on low.  Before serving, remove from heat and stir in the diced Velveeta and stir until it melts and integrates. 

I get about 28 ladles from a crock at around 3 WeightWatchers Points per ladle.  It serves well topped with Fritos (2 Points per ounce) and a few jiggers of Chipotle Tabasco.


Slow Cooker Red Bean, Sausage and Rice Soup
(a modified WeightWatchers.com receipe)

1/4t thyme
1/4t black pepper
dash of cayenne pepper, Tony's, crushed red pepper
2oz (a small pile) canned jalapeños, chopped
1 large onion, diced
1 large green pepper, diced
3-4 ribs of celery, diced
3 14.5 oz. cans of chicken broth (or 6c water and 3 chicken bouillon cubes)
1 can red kidney beans
2 cans diced tomatoes
7 oz smoked sausage
7 oz diced cooked chicken

Last 30 min:
3/4c uncooked white rice

Instructions
Throw it all in a crock and let it go for around 6-8 hrs. on low.  Add rice during last 30 minutes. 

I get about 20 ladles from a crock at around 3 WeightWatchers Points per ladle. It serves well with Chipotle Tabasco.  We also like to add Bisquick Complete Mix Biscuits (Honey Butter, Three Cheese or Cheddar Garlic).