Taco Soup

I love how easy this recipe is, and it makes a TON. It completely fills an entire gallon sized freezer bag. If you're only cooking for 2 like me, you may want to separate it into multiple bags. Another thing I like is that you can use whatever kind of meat you like. The recipe uses ground beef. We all know I don't eat ground beef (unless I'm making an exception for a delicious burger) so the first time I made this I used ground turkey. The second time I made it I used leftover Crockpot Taco Chicken and that was awesome!

This was another Six Sisters Stuff recipe I found on Pinterest:
Black Bean Taco Soup

Other than changing the meat, I also opted to get diced tomatoes instead of stewed. I used stewed tomatoes the first time I made this and the soup came out extremely thick, it was actually more like chili. It wasn't a terrible thing because it still tasted good but it was just really thick, and not really soupy. So the next time I made it I swapped the stewed tomatoes for the diced since they tend to have more juice in them, and I added some chicken stock also to thin it out. These changes made it more soupy and less chili-ish.

I crumbled up some tortilla chips to top it off which was really good. The first time I made it when it was in a more chili like state, I threw some shredded cheese on top and let it melt, so good!

I don't add the chicken stock until I'm putting it in the crock pot. By doing this, you can use the thicker version to make nachos or tacos (or the chili if you want). The more uses you have for the same recipe, the better it is in my opinion!

BBQ Cranberry Chicken

Chicken is pretty much the only meat I like, so I need a lot of different marinades/recipes so I don't get bored. This is one of my favorites. It's really easy to make, & you can make it ahead and freeze it for later without sacrificing flavor. You can cook it in the crock pot, bake it in the oven, or grill it! The first time I made it I baked it in the oven, it was delicious. The next time we make it, Jer will grill it... even better! This was actually a crock pot recipe and I haven't used the crock pot to cook it. I'm sure I will eventually, but now that it's getting warmer we will pretty much be using the grill as much as we can.

I found this recipe on Pinterest via Six Sisters Stuff:
Slow Cooker BBQ Cranberry Chicken

This is another recipe that I frequent when I'm doing a round of freezer cooking because it's yummy and there's not much too it. This is a lot of chicken, so I split into 2 freezer bags. If you split it up like me and cook it in the crock pot make sure to cut back on the cooking time, or use a smaller crock pot so the chicken doesn't dry out.

I don't deviate from this recipe at all. I like it the way it is. Simple.

The Twice Baked Potatoes make a good side dish for this. They make a great side dish for any BBQ dish or chicken dish really.... I just love those things.

Chicken Alfredo

This is an easy, make ahead & freeze type meal - if you want it to be. Obviously you can make it and bake it right away for dinner if you'd like. This meal is regularly included in my freezer cooking days. The first time I made this I made a mistake: I divided the meal into 2 freezer bags because it's a lot of food and I'm only cooking for two. I didn't take the fact that it was less food into consideration later when I threw it in the crock pot and I didn't adjust my cooking time accordingly. I shouldn't have cooked it for as long as I did, or I should have used a smaller crock pot (which I don't have yet... I'll get one eventually). The chicken ended up being pretty dry due to this and I almost didn't make it again. Once I realized it was my mistake, I made it again, cut down on the cooking time, and it was way better :) Mistakes aren't actually mistakes if we learn from them, right?

This is another recipe I found on Happy Money Saver:
Crockpot Chicken Broccoli Alfredo

So as I mentioned I divide this into 2 bags and get 2 meals out of it. If you do this, learn from my mistake and take a couple hours off the cooking time so the chicken doesn't dry out. You can also bake this if you don't have a crock pot, or if you forget to put it in the crock pot. I have done this and it turns out just as good. Bake it at 350, the timing will depend on how much chicken you have, quantity and size. I trim the breast up pretty good, cut them into 4oz-ish servings and pound/tenderize them before adding them to the bag, so mine cook up pretty good in about a half hour. If you're baking the entire recipe, you'll probably need at least 45 minutes to bake.

As far as ingredients are concerned, the only thing I don't use is the bacon. Sometimes if I remember, I'll throw some sliced mushrooms in there because I like them and think they go good with this dish.

If you make ahead and freeze, just remember to take out of the freezer 24 hours before you plan on making and throw it in the fridge to thaw. Keep in mind if you want to put it in the slow cooker in the morning, taking it out the night before will probably not be enough time to thaw. I have also done this, and I just ran the bag under some hot water to loosen it up enough to get it out of the bag and into the crock pot. I did not notice a difference in the taste of the dish when I did this, so no biggie!

Boil up your noodles (I have used penne, fettucini, & farfalle, but it's all the same, whatever you have in your cupboard will do) right before dinner time and you're set! Sprinkle a little parmesan cheese on top if you like and enjoy!

Crockpot Taco Chicken

This recipe is so easy... I feel like you can't even call it a recipe. It makes a lot, so after we're done eating I'll divide the leftovers between 2 quart sized bags and freeze for next time. Aside from tacos, I've used this leftover chicken for soup and chili, but it could be used for whatever you want! Quesadillas, enchiladas, chimi's, Mexican pizza, etc.

I found this recipe on Pinterest from a blog called Chocolate Therapy:
Crockpot Chicken Tacos

I told you it was easy. 6 chicken breasts, a jar of salsa, and a package of taco seasoning. You could make your own taco seasoning too if you'd like to reduce the sodium... but I don't for this because it takes away from the simplicity (unless you make it in batches and keep it on hand, which I don't do, but maybe one day when I have a bigger kitchen I will).

I throw it all into the crock pot in the morning, set it on low, go to work. When I come home from work all I have to do is take a couple of forks and shred the chicken, which I do right inside the crock pot. I stir it up to make sure it's all shredded and the sauce is evenly distributed, and put on the warm setting until were ready to eat.

Delicious chicken tacos with minimal effort from me... yes please! We use Low Carb/High Fiber Tortillas (only 50 calories each!) to keep the tacos low calorie. The topping options are endless: lettuce, pico, shredded cheese, taco sauce, guac, sour cream, etc. I usually do guac, lettuce, & pico. Mmm... probably going to have to have a taco night soon!