Category Archives: Stovetop

Chicken, Soup

Chicken Tortilla Soup

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Chicken Tortilla Soup is an easy soup recipe that cooks in a crock pot. It could be the healthiest Mexican dish you can eat. Of course, I’m no expert when it comes to Mexican food, however, this soup is pretty darn healthy with plenty of flavor. This is a hearty soup that consists of chicken, your favorite Mexican seasonings, corn, beans, in chicken broth, making this a low calorie and low fat dish. Therefore, even if there are other healthier options, this chicken tortilla soup is pretty great!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

I had wanted to make chicken tortilla soup a million times. I think I pinned 5 different chicken tortilla soups on Pinterest and hadn’t tried any of them. Finally, I went to make this type of soup and mixed and matched some of the ingredients from the different recipes to create my own.

I was so nervous that the soup would be a Pinterest-Fail. Mostly because it slow cooks in the crock pot. After investing hours of “cooking” this chicken tortilla soup, I really didn’t want to figure something else out for dinner. My anxiety lessoned as the soup cooked because it was so fragrant and smelled delectable! And as soon as I took my first bite, I was hooked! This was my new favorite soup recipe. Simple to make and tasty to eat. Plus, it’s pretty healthy.

It’s the perfect soup to serve for dinner in the cold winter months. Heck, you could serve this any time of the year actually. It cooks in the crock pot after all. No need to turn the stove on for this easy soup recipe. Thus, you cook this soup in the warmer months without overheating your kitchen! Tossing everything in the crock pot hours before serving dinner is a load off my mind. Not only do I not have to worry about what to make for dinner, I don’t have to worry about cooking at dinner time!

Hearty Soup

Let’s be honest, sometimes you don’t want soup for dinner because you are really hungry and you need something hearty to fill you up. Believe me, I get it. I don’t eat much throughout the day. Therefore, come dinner time, I’m STARVING! The last thing I want to eat is something light. Having a plan for dinner helps keep me from ordering takeout at the last minute. And takeout usually equates to fried food or other unhealthy dinner choices. So having a dinner plan is necessary to keep me in line.

This chicken tortilla soup is a hearty soup. With all the chicken, beans, tomatoes, and corn, you can count on being pleasantly full after eating a bowl or two (no judgment!) of this delicious soup. Plus, you will want to top the soup with some tortilla chips, of course! Those are sure to help fill you up while you gobble up this Mexican masterpiece.

Easy Soup Recipe

Yes, making soup can be easy! In fact, I have a bunch of easy homemade soup recipes. And they are all delicious! And the best part, they are all pretty healthy too. Easy to cook, delicious to eat, and healthy for you. You have no excuses – it’s time to get your apron on and make some yummy homemade soup!

What I love about this Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe is that it cooks in a crock pot. Just add in the ingredients and let the slow cooker cook your soup for you. As it gets closer to dinner, you shred the chicken and add in a few more ingredients. While that simmers together, set the table and get all your condiments ready because dinner will be ready in a few minutes!

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs Chicken Boneless
  • 14.5 oz Diced Tomatoes
  • 1 Onion Diced
  • 2 tbsp Garlic Minced
  • 1 tbsp Chili Powder
  • 2 tsp Cumin
  • 1 tsp Paprika
  • 32 oz Low Sodium Chicken Broth
  • 14.5 oz Black Beans Drained and Rinsed
  • 1.5 cups Frozen Corn Or 1 can of corn (drained)
  • 1 tbsp Lime Juice
  • 1/4 cup Cilantro

Instructions

  • Place chicken breasts in crock pot.
  • Next, add onion, garlic, chili powder, cumin, paprika, coriander and season with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Then, pour chicken broth and diced tomatoes into a slow cooker.
  • Cover with lid and cook on LOW for 5-6 hours, or until chicken is cooked through.
  • Remove chicken and shred, then return to slow cooker along with black beans, corn, cilantro and lime juice, stir. Cook until heated through for approx 15 – 20 minutes
  • Top with tortilla chips, sour cream (or non fat Greek yogurt) cheese, etc.

Chicken Tortilla Soup Toppings

What are the best chicken tortilla soup toppings? Well, you can add whatever your heart desires! However, if you are looking for some inspiration, here are some of my personal favorites:

Tortilla Chips

Cheddar Cheese

Avocado

NonFat Greek Yogurt (or sour cream, if you prefer something creamier)

Extra Cilantro!

Of course, these are just a few easy suggestions. There are many more toppings that you could add which would be amazing! And the more flavors and textures you mix together, the more you create a soup of your own.

Some additional toppings for your chicken tortilla soup:

Limes

Jalapeños

Red Onion

Hot Sauce

Cotija Cheese

Salsa

Whatever you prefer on your chicken tortilla soup, you will enjoy this hearty soup and will want to make it again and again…and again! And since it is an easy soup recipe, you can add this to your dinner rotation without a hassle.

Mexican Inspired Recipes

Looking for more Mexican inspired recipes? Of course you are! Here are some easy recipes you can make at home any time.

Crock Pot Cowboy Chicken

Black Jack Margarita

Turkey Enchiladas

More Crock Pot Recipes

And if you need some new crock pot recipes, you came to the right place! I’m a huge slow cooker fan. And these are not your average crock pot meals, these are deliciously tasty dinners that are super easy to make.

Honey Crusted Parmesan Pork

Beef Stroganoff

Creamy Crock Pot Chicken

Hawaiian Chicken

Must Have Martinis

Finally, you NEED some yummy martinis in your life. Everyone does. These amazing martinis have something for everyone; creamy, chocolate-y, and sweet. Take your pick or try them all.

Pistachio Martini

Chocolate Shamrock Martini

Bananas Foster Martini

Peach Cobbler Martini

Follow Me On Social Media

Don’t forget to leave a reply below or share the recipe with on social media – sharing is caring!

crock pot chicken tortilla soup is a hearty mexican soup that is easy to make homemade soup that tastes delicious and is healthy, a very warm and comforting dinner
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Chicken Tortilla Soup

Chicken Tortilla Soup is a healthy and easy crock pot soup that will be your go-to Mexican dinner!
Course Dinner, lunch, Soup
Keyword hearty soup, homemade soup, soup
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 hours
Total Time 5 hours 5 minutes
Servings 8 people
Author jenahoward

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs Chicken Boneless
  • 14.5 oz Diced Tomatoes
  • 1 Onion Diced
  • 2 tbsp Garlic Minced
  • 1 tbsp Chili Powder
  • 2 tsp Cumin
  • 1 tsp Paprika
  • 32 oz Low Sodium Chicken Broth
  • 14.5 oz Black Beans Drained and Rinsed
  • 1.5 cups Frozen Corn Or 1 can of corn (drained)
  • 1 tbsp Lime Juice
  • 1/4 cup Cilantro

Instructions

  • Place chicken breasts in crock pot.
  • Next, add onion, garlic, chili powder, cumin, paprika, coriander and season with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Then, pour chicken broth and diced tomatoes into a slow cooker.
  • Cover with lid and cook on LOW for 5-6 hours, or until chicken is cooked through.
  • Remove chicken and shred, then return to slow cooker along with black beans, corn, cilantro and lime juice, stir. Cook until heated through for approx 15 – 20 minutes
  • Top with tortilla chips, sour cream (or non fat Greek yogurt) cheese, etc.
  • ENJOY!
    crock pot chicken tortilla soup is a hearty mexican soup that is easy to make homemade soup that tastes delicious and is healthy, a very warm and comforting dinner
Chicken, Chicken, Chicken, Crockpot, Dinner, Soup

Chicken, Kale, And Sweet Potato Soup – Crock Pot Easy!

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Chicken, Kale, And Sweet Potato Soup is a healthy soup that tastes delicious. This is a very easy to make crock pot soup recipe. Just a few minutes of preparation and the hearty soup slow cooks while you go about your day!

It’s the beginning of a new year and boy do we need a new year after a tough 2020! I’m starting the new year off right by eating cleaner and healthier. I love Christmas time and all the cheese, wine, and desserts that are part of the Christmas season, but you can only take so much in such a short amount of time. It’s time to get back to basics where we cut back on the cheese and bump up the veggies. Do you remember what vegetables are? It’s been a while since you’ve had them after all! Nonetheless, eating healthier doesn’t have to equate to eating cardboard, tasteless food. No way! I’m opting for delicious meals that taste amazing, but are less calories, fat, and carbohydrates. It can be done. And this soup is proof of that!

Chicken Soup

Chicken soup is a classic soup that is well liked by pretty much everyone. And what’s not to like? It has chicken broth, chicken (of course!), and usually has some kind of starch whether it’s rice or pasta of some sort. Many people like to add vegetables as well. Common veggies of choice are carrots, onions, and leafy options like escarole or spinach.

People love to eat chicken soup, when they are sick. Not only does it taste good, but according to some studies, chicken soup can actually help fight colds. Yes, it’s true, it’s not just a myth! The soup helps ease up nasal congestion. Additionally, chicken soup hydrates the body which is essential for sick bodies. Further, the salt and electrolytes in the broth retain hydration. And finally, chicken soup can also improve the cilia function in your nose which then provides protection from contagions entering your body. Chicken soup is pretty amazing. And it tastes good so you can get the health benefits of soup even when you aren’t sick!

Ground Turkey Rice Soup Vs. Crock Pot Chicken, Sweet Potato Soup

My recipe for Ground Turkey, Kale, and Brown Rice Soup, was the inspiration for this chicken, kale, and sweet potato soup. Well, technically it was that recipe and reading another recipe for a crock pot soup which consisted of chicken, kale, and sweet potatoes. However, the soup recipe I came across had no seasonings in it at all. As a result, the reviews on that soup were mixed; some loved the soup and others said it was too bland. It got me thinking about mixing the two different recipes together and coming up with my own crock pot chicken, kale, and sweet potato soup.

I was nervous about how it would turn out. However, I was pleasantly surprised at how delicious it was! And now I’m excited to add this soup to my family’s dinner rotation. It tastes great and it’s very healthy as well. Oh, and it’s very easy to make. It’s a win-win-win!

Although the seasonings for the Ground Turkey, Kale, and Brown Rice Soup and the Chicken, Kale, and Sweet Potato soup are very similar, the soups actually taste very different. While both delicious in their own right, they do not taste the same. I was actually surprised by this. However, it does make sense that the each soup tasted differently. After all, chicken and ground turkey don’t exactly taste the same. And sweet potatoes and brown rice certainly have different flavors, not to mention textures. Both soups have a flavorsome taste which is great because you could make them in the same week and have completely different dinners!

Which Is Healthier?

Sweet Potato Or Brown Rice?

Both sweet potatoes and brown rice are a great source of fiber. In fact, they have almost equal amounts of fiber.

When it comes to carbohydrates, both sweet potatoes and brown rice are excellent sources. However, brown rice has almost 3 times as many calories and a higher amount of carbs than sweet potatoes.

So while it might sound like sweet potatoes are the healthier option for a soup, it should be noted that brown rice actually has 5 times as much protein than sweet potatoes.

Therefore, we can only conclude that both sweet potatoes and brown rice are healthy in their own right. Deciding on which is the healthier choice for a soup or any snack/meal will really come down to what it is your are trying to accomplish. If you are trying to lose weight, the lower calorie option might be better. Thus, sweet potatoes could be the winner. However, if you are looking to increase your protein intake, brown rice would be the winner. Either way, moderation is key as well as eating each with a balanced diet and regular exercise. That is always the formula for a healthy body.

Crock Pot Soup

I’m a huge fan of cooking in a crock pot. Just like a baby bjorn carrier frees up your hands while holding a baby, a crock pot frees up your time to do other things while your food cooks. Maybe not the easiest analogy to follow, but slow cooking food in a crock pot is a huge time saver. And that time can be spent on lots of other things which I’m sure you can appreciate as much as me.

This crock pot soup really makes life easier on many levels. It takes approximately 10 – 15 minutes to prepare (which is basically just cutting and chopping). After the prep work is done, you go about your day and get things done. Don’t you love checking things off of your to-do list? I sometimes think I make lists just to check off the items on it.

Chicken, Kale, & Sweet Potato Soup Ingredients

If you are like me, you probably won’t want to see an ingredients list that consists of more than 5 items. Don’t get discouraged that this crock pot soup recipe consists of 11 ingredients. The number of ingredients don’t add a significant amount of time to the cooking of this delicious meal, but they do add a ton of amazing flavor!

  • 3 lbs Chicken Boneless
  • 2 cups Sweet Potatoes Cut into small pieces
  • 1 Shallots Chopped into small pieces
  • 1 cup Baby Carrots Cut into 1/2″ pieces
  • 2 tbsp Garlic Minced
  • 1 Red Bell Pepper Chopped into small pieces
  • 1 can Diced Tomatoes 14 oz can
  • 2 tbsp Herbs de Provence
  • 5 cups Chicken Broth I prefer low sodium, no fat chicken broth
  • 1 bunch Kale Cut into small pieces
  • 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese

Instructions

  • Add chopped sweet potatoes and chicken to the crock pot.
  • Next, add shallots, garlic, carrots, bell pepper, diced tomatoes, and herbs de Provence to crock pot.
  • Then add in. chicken broth
  • Cook on low for 4-5 hours.
  • Approximately 15 – 30 minutes before serving, stir in kale. Mix it in so that it’s submerged in the liquid and cooks down.
  • Ladle the soup into bowls and add parmesan cheese to each bowl.

More Soups To Love

It’s soup season! What better time to make a hearty soup that is super easy to make? Like they say, there is no time like the present!

Check out these easy soup recipes:

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

Ground Turkey, Kale, & Brown Rice Soup

Seafood Chowder

Desserts To Devour

And since you are being so good by eating soup for dinner, you deserve a tasty dessert.

Check out these easy to make dessert recipes:

Rolo Cookies

Cheesecake Cookie Cups

Lemon Blueberry Dump Cake

Crock Pot Chocolate Covered Peanut Clusters

NO BAKE Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Pie

Must Make Martinis

If dessert isn’t really your thing, maybe you should try a dessert martini instead. These martinis are delicious and strong so sip slowly:

French Martini

Pistachio Martini

S’Mores Martini

Bananas Foster Martini

Chocolate Amaretto Martini

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Don’t forget to leave a reply below or share the recipe with on social media – sharing is caring!

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Chicken, Kale, & Sweet Potato Soup

Delicious Soup Recipe That Is EASY To Make!
Course Main Course, Main Dish, Soup
Keyword best soup, crockpot, hearty soup, homemade soup, kale, kale soup, soup
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 5 hours
Total Time 5 hours 15 minutes
Servings 12 people
Author jenahoward

Equipment

  • Crock Pot

Ingredients

  • 3 lbs Chicken Boneless
  • 2 cups Sweet Potatoes Cut into small pieces
  • 2 tbsp Garlic Minced
  • 1 Shallots Chopped into small pieces
  • 1 cup Baby Carrots Cut into 1/2" pieces
  • 1 Red Bell Pepper Chopped into small pieces
  • 1 can Diced Tomatoes 14 oz can
  • 2 tbsp Herbs de Provence
  • 5 cups Chicken Broth I prefer low sodium, no fat chicken broth
  • 1 bunch Kale Cut into small pieces
  • 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese

Instructions

  • Add chopped sweet potatoes and chicken to the crock pot.
  • Next, add shallots, garlic, carrots, bell pepper, diced tomatoes, and herbs de Provence to crock pot.
  • Then add in. chicken broth
  • Cook on low for 4-5 hours.
  • Approximately 15 – 30 minutes before serving, stir in kale. Mix it in so that it's submerged in the liquid and cooks down.
  • Ladle the soup into bowls and add parmesan cheese to each bowl.
  • Enjoy!

Appetizers, Beef, Hamburg, Meat, Skillet, Stovetop

Cheeseburger Quesadilla Is Better Than A Burger

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A Cheeseburger Quesadilla might just be considered better than a burger. The taste is the same, but the presentation is much more fun! Combining America’s iconic meal into a cheese-a-licious quesadilla just makes this dish a must-try!

Ground beef cooked up and seasoned up with your favorite burger condiments. Next, you layer the meat on a tortilla with shredded cheddar cheese, then get it nice and crispy in a hot skillet. You can add whatever your favorite burger toppings are inside. Perhaps bacon? Pickles? Onions? Whatever you crave on your burger will make an excellent addition to your cheeseburger quesadilla.

Better Than A Burger

My son’s favorite food is burgers. He’s been obsessed for a little over a year now and the obsession is still going strong! He would eat them every day, if allowed. Although I do love a good cheeseburger, I am not up for eating them on a daily basis. However, if we change up the presentation of a yummy burger, I am more likely to circulate them into the dinner rotation more often.

This Cheeseburger Quesadilla is a great way to get your burger fix in a different way. They offer a crispy texture which you don’t get in a typical burger. Additionally, they still have all the cheesy flavor and are scrumptious like a good burger should be.

All About The Cheese

A cheeseburger without the cheese would just be a burger. Who eats plain burgers? I never understood why anyone would opt to skip the cheese. Growing up, we would go to barbeques in the summer and, of course, burgers and hot dogs were served. The hosts would always ask everyone who wanted a cheeseburger and who wanted a hamburger. I never understood why anyone would choose the latter! And if I somehow got jipped out of my beloved cheeseburger and was left with just a hamburger, I was not a happy camper!

Making a great cheeseburger comes with some variables. Cheese is the biggest one and since it’s very subjective based on personal taste, here are 3 of the most common cheeses for our favorite American dish:

American

The most popular cheese for cheeseburgers is American cheese. Although American cheese is not a fancy cheese and has a mild taste, it melts beautifully on the burger. Did you know that most (if not all) fast food restaurants use American cheese on their burgers? It’s true! Hey, 25 million people per day (just at McDonalds) means that American cheese is a great option, when making burgers at home.

Cheddar

Another popular choice for an appetizing burger is cheddar cheese. Cheddar has a stronger flavor. As a result, it has more of a bite. Personally, the bolder the cheddar, the more I’m in love. The extra sharp cheddar cheese is never quite sharp enough for me!

Cheddar cheese can be either a yellow or white color that range from mild to sharp. The more mild the cheddar, the better for melting. The mild cheddar is similar to American cheese in that respect. And if you have picky eaters who prefer a more more bland flavor, they will likely prefer mild Cheddar cheese.

Swiss

Another popular cheeseburger cheese is Swiss cheese. Swiss cheese has a bolder flavor than American cheese and it still melts splendidly. This cheese is known for being a white color with a semi-hard texture. However, the most notable characteristic of Swiss cheese are the holes in each slice of cheese. Although, I love the taste of Swiss cheese, I was always wary of it because it looked as if a mouse had nibbled on it. Maybe that’s just me, but it still makes me wonder…

Regardless of the strange appearance, Swiss cheese is a popular cheese for topping burgers. Most people pair Swiss cheese with sauteed mushrooms on their burgers. The flavors come together and really bring a regular cheeseburger to a whole new level of amazing!

Ingredients

Cheeseburger Filling

  • 1 lb Ground Beef
  • 1/2 cup Onion finely diced
  • 2.5 tbsp Mayo
  • 2.5 tbsp Ketchup
  • 2 tbsp Relish
  • 2.5 tbsp Yellow Mustard
  • 2 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
  • 3.5 cups Cheddar Cheese
  • 4 Flour Tortillas 10″
  • 2 tbsp Butter

Special Sauce

  • 1/2 cup Mayo
  • 4 tbsp Relish
  • 1 tsp Vinegar White
  • 1 tsp Paprika
  • 2 tbsp Yellow Mustard
  • 1 tsp Onion Powder
  • 1 tsp Garlic Powder

Instructions

Making Special Sauce

  • Mix all special sauce ingredients together.

Cheeseburger Filling

  • Brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium high heat.
  • Once beef is cooked, drain grease. Add onions to skillet and cook until softened.
  • Add mayo, mustard, ketchup, and relish, and worcestershire sauce to ground beef and stir to combine. Salt & pepper to taste.
  • Transfer beef mixture to bowl. Wipe out skillet and return to stove.

Making Cheeseburger Quesadilla

  • Butter each tortilla on one side.
  • Place tortilla in pan, top with half of the meat and half of the cheese, then top with another tortilla (buttered side out).
  • Cook for a few minutes on medium high until tortilla is browned and cheese starts to melt.
  • Flip quesadilla & continue cooking until that side is browned and cheese is fully melted. When flipping the quesadilla, use a big spatula.
  • Repeat the same process with the remaining quesadilla.
  • Cut each quesadilla into 6 wedges with a pizza cutter and top with your favorite toppings.

Easy Dinner

A cheeseburger quesadilla is a quick and easy dinner that you can serve in a pinch or planned out in your weekly meal plan. All you need is some ground beef (or ground turkey or chicken) and the regular condiments that can be found on the door of your frig for years on end. Oh, right, you also will need CHEESE! And, of course, tortillas. Easy, right? The entire meal cooks quickly and is a family favorite. The only thing they will complain about is the fact that you don’t make this yummy dinner more often!

More Party Food To Love

Cheeseburger Egg Rolls

Crab Rangoon

Ham & Cheese Calzones

Cheeseburger In Paradise

And of course, you need a yummy drink to wash down the game food. A snicker licker martini goes with anything because it’s basically like drinking your favorite candy bar! Try it out, you won’t be sorry:

Snicker Licker Martini

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Cheeseburger Quesadillas

Yummy goodness of a cheeseburger, but in a quesadilla! Perfect for party food, appetizer, lunch, snack, or dinner idea!
Course Appetizer, Dinner, lunch, Snack
Keyword appetizers, easy dinner, lunch ideas, party food
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 4 people

Ingredients

Cheeseburger Filling

  • 1 lb Ground Beef
  • 1/2 cup Onion finely diced
  • 2 tbsp Mayo
  • 2 tbsp Ketchup
  • 2 tbsp Yellow Mustard
  • 2 tbsp Relish
  • 2 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
  • 3.5 cups Cheddar Cheese
  • 4 Flour Tortillas 10"
  • 2 tbsp Butter

Special Sauce

  • 1/2 cup Mayo
  • 4 tbsp Relish
  • 2 tbsp Yellow Mustard
  • 1 tsp Vinegar White
  • 1 tsp Paprika
  • 1 tsp Onion Powder
  • 1 tsp Garlic Powder

Instructions

Making Special Sauce

  • Mix all special sauce ingredients together.

Cheeseburger Filling

  • Brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium high heat.
  • Once beef is cooked, drain grease. Add onions to skillet and cook until softened.
  • Add mayo, mustard, ketchup, and relish, and worcestershire sauce to ground beef and stir to combine. Salt & pepper to taste.
  • Transfer beef mixture to bowl. Wipe out skillet and return to stove.

Making Cheeseburger Quesadilla

  • Butter each tortilla on one side.
  • Place tortilla in pan, top with half of the meat and half of the cheese, then top with another tortilla (buttered side out).
  • Cook for a few minutes on medium high until tortilla is browned and cheese starts to melt.
  • Flip quesadilla & continue cooking until that side is browned and cheese is fully melted. When flipping the quesadilla, use a big spatula.
  • Repeat the same process with the remaining quesadilla.
  • Cut each quesadilla into 6 wedges with a pizza cutter and top with your favorite toppings.
Soup

Thick And Creamy New England Seafood Chowder

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Seafood Chowder is a delicious and hearty soup. The creamy goodness of shrimp, scallops, clams, and potatoes cooks in less than 30 minutes. It is easy to make and really hits the spot!

With so many nutrients and flavor, this will be your go-to chowder during the chilly months. I do love tasty canned clam chowders for a quick and easy meal – usually lunch. However, with this easy to cook seafood chowder, you can make your very own mouthwatering seafood chowder from scratch. It is really much, much better. And you will amaze yourself at your culinary skills.

Chowder Vs Soup

Technically this creamy comfort food is not a soup, but a chowder. So what makes a soup a chowder? The easy answer is that a chowder is thick and somewhat chunky base versus a soup that is has a thin liquid consistency.

Soup usually consists of a chicken broth and vegetables along with meat and has a thin consistency. However, chowders like this seafood chowder are made with cream or milk and consists of potatoes, shrimp, scallops, and clams. Further, chowders are generally thickened by adding a roux to them. While soup is comforting, a chowder is liquid comfort food at it’s best!

Shellfish Lovers

This seafood chowder is a favorite among creamy soup lovers and shellfish lovers alike. I really like fish. However, I really LOVE shellfish! I could eat shellfish multiple times per week. I mean, who doesn’t love the sweet taste of scallops, lobster, an crab meat? And then there are clams, mussels, and shrimp to consider as well. All of the above have their own flavors that make for spectacular dishes.

New England is famous for it’s shellfish. We really are spoiled when it comes to delicious seafood chowders because the shellfish needed to make this creamy masterpiece is readily available year round.

You can mix and match your favorite shellfish in this chowder to create a different bowl each time you make it. For instance, if scallops are expensive, you might consider opting for lump crab meat or lobster meat. Although neither of those options are considered inexpensive, you might get lucky if you catch the sales at the right time!

How To Make

If seafood chowder seems intimidating to make at home, you will be pleasantly surprised at how easy this is to cook. As previously mentioned, this delectable dinner comes together quickly. You can actually get dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes! Therefore, you can serve this up any night of the week – even the busy nights!

Furthermore, if you want to make your life even easier, you can skip the dishes by serving this seafood chowder in bread bowls. Because no bowls equals less cleanup!

Here is what you will need for this amazing seafood chowder:

Ingredients

  • 6 slices Bacon
  • 4 tbsp Butter
  • 2 tbsp Garlic minced
  • 1/2 Onion diced
  • 1 tsp Thyme
  • 5 tbsp Flour
  • 2 cups Vegetable Broth
  • 2 cans Cream of Bacon Soup
  • 2.5 cups Light Cream
  • 2 cans Chopped Clams
  • 2 cans Diced Potatoes
  • 1 lb Shrimp small, deveined, cooked
  • 1 lb Bay Scallops

Instructions

As was previously stated, this yummy dinner will be quick and easy. Check out what you need to make this delicious seafood chowder:

  • Heat a large stockpot over medium heat.
  • Add bacon and cook until brown and crispy (about 6 to 8 minutes). Transfer to a paper towel lined plate.
  • Melt butter in the stockpot.
  • Add garlic and onion and cook for 2-3 minutes.
  • Stir in thyme for about 1 minute.
  • Whisk in flour until lightly browned (about 1 minute).
  • Gradually whisk in cream, vegetable broth, clam juice, and cook. Whisking constantly, until slightly thickened about 1-2 minutes.
  • Add 1 can of cream of bacon. Stir frequently and cook for 4 to 5 minutes.
  • Stir in clams, scallops, and shrimp until heated through.
  • Add potatoes.
  • Add 2nd can of cream of bacon. Stir frequently and cook for 4 to 5 minutes.
  • Add more cream or milk, if too thick.
  • Serve immediately.
  • Garnish with crumbled bacon.

More Soups To Try

If you love soup, chowder, and creamy dishes, you need to try the following recipes. They are really easy to make so you can make them any night of the week, even if you are pressed for time, you can make these yummy dinners!

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

Turkey, Kale, & Brown Rice Soup

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

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New England Seafood Chowder

The BEST New England Seafood Chowder Recipe. An easy to make creamy chowder loaded with scallops, shrimp, clams, and potatoes.
Course Dinner, lunch, Soup
Keyword hearty soup, homemade soup, seafood
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 8 people
Author jenahoward

Ingredients

  • 6 slices Bacon
  • 4 tbsp Butter
  • 2 tbsp Garlic minced
  • 1/2 Onion diced
  • 1 tsp Thyme
  • 5 tbsp Flour
  • 2 cups Light Cream
  • 2 cups Vegetable Broth
  • 2 cans Cream of Bacon Soup
  • 2 cans Chopped Clams
  • 2 cans Diced Potatoes
  • 1 lb Shrimp small, deveined, cooked
  • 1 lb Bay Scallops

Instructions

  • Heat a large stockpot over medium heat.
  • Add bacon and cook until brown and crispy (about 6 to 8 minutes). Transfer to a paper towel lined plate.
  • Melt butter in the stockpot.
  • Add garlic and onion and cook for 2-3 minutes.
  • Stir in thyme for about 1 minute.
  • Whisk in flour until lightly browned (about 1 minute).
  • Gradually whisk in cream, vegetable broth, clam juice, and cook. Whisking constantly, until slightly thickened about 1-2 minutes.
  • Add 1 can of cream of bacon. Stir frequently and cook for 4 to 5 minutes.
  • Stir in clams, scallops, and shrimp until heated through.
  • Add potatoes.
  • Add 2nd can of cream of bacon. Stir frequently and cook for 4 to 5 minutes.
  • Add more cream or milk, if too thick.
  • Serve immediately.
  • Garnish with crumbled bacon.
  • ENJOY!
Chicken, Chicken, Dinner, Skillet, Stovetop

Creamy Chicken And Bacon -The BEST Upgrade For Dinner

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Creamy Chicken And Bacon just sounds like the ultimate dinner that you would love to eat, but you think it looks too complicated to cook. Well, I’m here to tell you that you CAN make this awesome chicken dinner upgrade! It might not be the healthiest chicken dinner, but it certainly isn’t the worst either. Further, if you eat relatively healthy most days, you can always afford to splurge from time to time. And this is the perfect dinner to use those splurge points on!

This one skillet dinner consists of boneless chicken, bacon, and spinach in a cream sauce that is super-duper tasty! This recipe provides the right amount of excess sauce, allowing it to go well over pasta or rice. Feel free to add some mushrooms, red peppers, and/or sundried tomatoes to the sauce as well for added flavor to this delicious meal.

Bacon

If I didn’t before, do I have your attention now? Ha! Yes, this has a cream sauce AND bacon! It can be considered super unhealthy or as a double dose of awesome! I guess it depends on whether you look at the glass as half full or empty. With respect to the creamy chicken and bacon recipe, I consider the glass half full, for sure!

Let’s face it, bacon makes everything more enjoyable. People are creating the most amazingly tasty recipes combining bacon in the most unlikely foods such as desserts. I don’t have an actual dessert recipe using bacon (not yet anyway), however, I do have a breakfast recipe that is like dessert; Maple Bacon Cinnamon Rolls. Cinnamon rolls are certainly dessert-like. And they are somewhat of an unlikely thing to add bacon to, but you know what? Bacon is the PERFECT addition to these sweet treats. Sometimes you need your sweet and salty at the same time. And these definitely deliver that.

You know what else tastes great with bacon? Vegetables! Whether you do or do not care for vegetables, you will have to agree that adding bacon to them will definitely be a good idea. Check out my Bacon Wrapped Asparagus recipe. It’s so good. I love making these on Thanksgiving as appetizers. And I like making them from time to time as a side dish to our weeknight dinners. Elegant enough for holidays, but simple enough for every day meals.

Creamy Chicken Ingredients

Everything on the ingredient list for cream chicken and bacon is straightforward. Yes, there is a good amount of flour. And yes, you will need it all! Trust me. Once you get going, if you feel that the sauce ends up being too thick, add a little more half and half to thin it out. Just add a tiny bit extra at a time though. Otherwise, you might make it too thin and would then want to add more flour!

  • 2 lbs Chicken boneless
  • 6 slices Bacon diced
  • 10 oz Spinach
  • 1 cup Flour
  • 2 tsp Garlic Powder
  • 2 tsp Onion Powder
  • 1 tsp Paprika
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1/2 tsp Pepper
  • 1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning
  • 1 stick Butter
  • 3.5 cups Chicken Broth low sodium is great
  • 1 cup Half and Half

Making This Dinner

Making the creamy chicken and bacon dinner is pretty easy. Yes, there are a few steps to follow. However, they are all equally easy. Additionally, none of the steps require much time. Therefore, this scrumptious dinner will be ready before you know it!

Here is how you cook this amazing chicken dinner:

  • Cook the diced bacon in a large skillet over medium high heat until cooked through. Remove bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside.
  • While bacon is cooking, mix together flour, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, pepper, and italian seasoning in a small bowl.
  • Dredge chicken on each side into the seasoned flour until coated. Shake off excess flour and set aside for later.
  • Once the bacon is removed from the pan, add half of the butter to the pan and allow to melt.
  • When the butter is melted, add the flour coated chicken and cook for 4-5 minutes each side, until golden brown. Once cooked, remove the chicken to a plate and set aside.
  • Add remaining butter to the pan and allow it to melt.
  • Sprinkle 1 cup of the remaining seasoned flour to the pan and whisk for 1 minute until the butter and flour are well combined.
  • Gradually whisk in the chicken broth and half and half until the sauce is smooth.
  • Return the cooked chicken and bacon to the pan.
  • Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for a few minutes so that the bacon and chicken are soaked with the creamy sauce.

More Cream Please

Dying for more creamy recipes? I won’t tell anyone! I’m obsessed with cream sauces myself. I only make them once in a while. And when I do, I savor the flavor. And also, pray for leftovers!!

Here are some other creamy recipes that you might enjoy:

Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff

Creamy Chicken, Asparagus, & Orzo

Cowboy Casserole

Crock Pot Chicken And Dumplings

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Creamy Chicken & Bacon

Creamy Chicken & Bacon with Spinach is an awesome dinner recipe that goes well over rice for a full dinner that is easy to make.
Course Dinner
Keyword bacon, chicken, cream sauce
Servings 8 people
Author jenahoward

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs Chicken boneless
  • 6 slices Bacon diced
  • 10 oz Spinach
  • 1 cup Flour
  • 2 tsp Garlic Powder
  • 2 tsp Onion Powder
  • 1 tsp Paprika
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1/2 tsp Pepper
  • 1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning
  • 1 stick Butter
  • 3.5 cups Chicken Broth low sodium is great
  • 1 cup Half and Half

Instructions

  • Cook the diced bacon in a large skillet over medium high heat until cooked through. Remove bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside.
  • While bacon is cooking, mix together flour, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, pepper, and italian seasoning in a small bowl.
  • Dredge chicken on each side into the seasoned flour until coated. Shake off excess flour and set aside for later.
  • Once the bacon is removed from the pan, add half of the butter to the pan and allow to melt.
  • When the butter is melted, add the flour coated chicken and cook for 4-5 minutes each side, until golden brown. Once cooked, remove the chicken to a plate and set aside.
  • Add remaining butter to the pan and allow it to melt.
  • Sprinkle 1 cup of the remaining seasoned flour to the pan and whisk for 1 minute until the butter and flour are well combined.
  • Gradually whisk in the chicken broth and half and half until the sauce is smooth.
  • Return the cooked chicken and bacon to the pan.
  • Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for a few minutes so that the bacon and chicken are soaked with the creamy sauce.
  • Add the spinach to the pan. Cook for 1-2 minutes so the spinach wilts a little. Then mix spinach into the sauce.
  • ENJOY!

Chicken, Chicken, Dinner, Skillet, Skillet, Stovetop

Creamy Chicken, Asparagus, & Orzo

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Creamy Chicken, Asparagus, & Orzo is a delicious dinner with parmesan orzo is easy to make and delicious to eat. orzo. It is a one skillet meal that is easy to make and takes approximately 30 minutes to cook from start to finish. The creamy sauce is rich and tasty and is the perfect addition to chicken, asparagus, and orzo. This is a must try recipe for everyone!

What Is Orzo?

Orzo is a type of pasta that resembles the shape of a grain of rice. Albeit, bigger than a grain of rice! As a result, it has a somewhat chewy texture that grabs onto sauces and holds them better than longer pastas such as spaghetti. Ironically, though orzo is thought to be an Italian pasta, this pasta is better known in the US than it is in Italy!

There are many different ways to serve orzo. It can be served alone as a side dish for dinner or as it’s own meal. Orzo can be found in many soups that would do well with either rice or small pastas. Additionally, it can be incorporated into sauces that are served over meats and vegetables to make the dish a complete meal. As such, orzo is an excellent choice for the creamy chicken & asparagus dish!

Dinner Ingredients

Ingredient-wise, this recipe looks typical. Some key ingredients are chicken, asparagus, & orzo which makes sense since that’s basically the name of the recipe! Beyond that, you will also need cream and parmesan cheese along with some other recipe staples.

Here is the full list:

  • 2 lbs Chicken boneless chicken breast
  • 2 tbsp Paprika
  • 3 tbsp Olive Oil
  • 1 bundle Asparagus each stalk cut into 2-3 pieces
  • 1 Onion chopped
  • 2 tbsp Garlic minced
  • 2 cups Orzo uncooked
  • 3 cups Chicken Broth low sodium is fine
  • 2 cups Half & Half
  • 2 cups Parmesan Cheese grated
  • Salt to taste
  • Pepper to taste

Cooking This Dish

This creamy chicken, asparagus, & orzo dish doesn’t require a lot of prep work which is wonderful as far as I am concerned. The little prep work that you need to do can be done as the chicken is cooking. Therefore, the prep work isn’t in addition to the cooking time. Rather, it is during the cooking time! I love multi-tasking like that.

Follow these simple instructions and enjoy your amazing, creamy, 1 skillet dinner:

  • Season chicken with salt, pepper, and paprika on both sides.
  • In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat.
  • Sear chicken in skillet for approx 5 minutes per side until chicken is cooked through. (depending on the thickness of your chicken, you might need more or less cooking time). When done, transfer to plate and keep warm.
  • In the same skillet, add the asparagus and saute for about 3 minutes. Let the asparagus soften a bit, but you want them to stay a little crispy so don’t over cook. Once done, transfer to a plate and keep warm.
  • In the same skillet, add the onion and garlic and saute for about 3 minutes so that the onion is translucent and the garlic is fragrant.
  • Add the orzo to the skillet and saute for 1 minute to get it a little toasty.
  • Now, add half and half and chicken broth to skillet and stir.
  • Bring to a boil, then turn down heat to medium low. Cover with lid and let it cook for 10 more minutes.
  • Stir in parmesan cheese. Taste a little bit and season with additional salt and/or pepper, if needed.
  • Add asparagus back and stir it into orzo mixture.
  • Slice chicken into thin slices.
  • Add chicken back into skillet and mix with sauce, orzo, and asparagus.
  • Once mixed together, serve immediately.

Creamy Goodness

This creamy chicken, asparagus, and orzo dinner is delicious. I’m positive that it will become a family favorite. The downside of this recipe is that it is so good, there might not be leftovers. However, it’s easy enough to cook so making it another time shouldn’t be a problem.

If you are dying to try this recipe and don’t have chicken, you could still make this a variety of ways:

Substitute the chicken with pan seared steak. Creamy steak, asparagus, and orzo sounds like an enticing dinner.

Substitute the chicken with pork. Creamy pork, asparagus, and orzo has a appetizing ring to it, if you ask me. You could use pork chops, boneless pork ribs, or pork loin sliced into smaller slices. Just make sure to adjust cooking time accordingly.

If you aren’t gung-ho on meat, in general, you could make this creamy orzo with just asparagus and keep it as a vegetarian dinner. It’s filling enough to skip the meat and has plenty of protein from the dairy (parmesan cheese and half and half).

However, if you want to keep the chicken in the dish, but don’t have orzo, you can still make this dish! You could make it with rice; either white or brown rice would do fine. Or, perhaps, you want to keep with the pasta-ish starch, you could cook this creamy chicken dish with bow ties, tortellini, etc. Whatever you want to switch things up with will be delicious, I’m sure!

More Creamy Dinners To Try

Marsala Pork Chops

Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff

Chicken And Dumplings

Crock Pot Chicken with Peas

Creamy Martinis – You MUST Try!

Pistachio Martini

Chocolate Amaretto Martini

Tiramisu Martini

Snicker Licker Martini

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Creamy Chicken, Asparagus, & Orzo

Creamy Chicken, Asparagus, & Orzo made with parmesan cheese and other yummy ingredients is easy to make and delicious to eat. This is sure to be a family favorite dinner that you won't mind cooking!
Course Dinner
Keyword chicken, cream sauce, rice
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 8 people
Author jenahoward

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs Chicken boneless chicken breast
  • 2 tbsp Paprika
  • 3 tbsp Olive Oil
  • 1 bundle Asparagus each stalk cut into 2-3 pieces
  • 1 Onion chopped
  • 2 tbsp Garlic minced
  • 2 cups Orzo uncooked
  • 2 cups Half & Half
  • 3 cups Chicken Broth low sodium is fine
  • 2 cups Parmesan Cheese grated
  • Salt to taste
  • Pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Season chicken with salt, pepper, and paprika on both sides.
  • In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat.
  • Sear chicken in skillet for approx 5 minutes per side until chicken is cooked through. (depending on the thickness of your chicken, you might need more or less cooking time). When done, transfer to plate and keep warm.
  • In the same skillet, add the asparagus and saute for about 3 minutes. Let the asparagus soften a bit, but you want them to stay a little crispy so don't over cook. Once done, transfer to a plate and keep warm.
  • In the same skillet, add the onion and garlic and saute for about 3 minutes so that the onion is translucent and the garlic is fragrant.
  • Add the orzo to the skillet and saute for 1 minute to get it a little toasty.
  • Now, add half and half and chicken broth to skillet and stir.
  • Bring to a boil, then turn down heat to medium low. Cover with lid and let it cook for 10 more minutes.
  • Stir in parmesan cheese. Taste a little bit and season with additional salt and/or pepper, if needed.
  • Add asparagus back and stir it into orzo mixture.
  • Slice chicken into thin slices.
  • Add chicken back into skillet and mix with sauce, orzo, and asparagus.
  • Once mixed together, serve immediately.
  • ENJOY!