Southwest chicken Chowder (with black beans and corn) in a crockpot

Southwest Chicken Chowder over rice. It's got corn and black beans and tomatoes and peppers in it...So Yummy and very healthy too!  

I am trying to ignore the weeding in my garden I need to do today. I'm still in my jammies reading a dieting book while watching "The Doctors" on T.V. talk about how we need to stop eating sweets and diet soda. 

I refrigerate the chowder, and the next day I use it as filling for Burritos! Just add some cheese!

Gosh, I thought diet soda was better than drinking sugary regular soda. But they said it makes you crave sugary sweets. THAT must be my PROBLEM!! Cuz I crave sweet pies, cakes and cookies in actuality every day! Stupid diet soda!! 

Add a spoon of sour cream on top and some tortilla chips! 

So I went looking for some healthy ingredients in my fridge and freezer to cook up something spicy and southwestern tasting. Here it is!! It is very healthy and low calorie, but really filling and yummy. My hubs raved about this stuff I made up.  It has a lot of ingredients, but use substitutes if you need to. It doesn't matter that much.  You can also add more spice to it if you like "hot" flavor.  This is great for burrito filling the next day as it thickens up.  I serve it over rice. It's great to use up some of your garden tomatoes and peppers too. 

Chop up the onion and peppers, and just dump the chicken breasts and the other things in your Crock Pot! So Easy! 

I used a leftover jar of salsa in mine, you could use picante sauce if that's all you have though...

Fresh and frozen and canned veggies make up this yummy Southwest Stew! 

SOUTHWEST CHICKEN CHOWDER (with black beans and corn) in a CROCKPOT
4 chicken breasts
1/3  green pepper diced
1/2 yellow or orange pepper diced ( I LOVE these!)
1 medium  onion diced 
1 cup salsa plus 1/2 cup water
1 (15 oz) can of diced tomatoes with juice (or 3 fresh tomatoes diced)
2 Tablespoons lime juice
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 package Lipton Onion Soup Mix
1 tsp chili power (or more if you like it spicy)
a few shakes of ground black pepper 



AN  HOUR BEFORE YOU WANT TO SERVE IT ADD....

1 1/2 cups frozen  corn
1 (15 oz) can black beans with juice (just so they won't be mushy)

3 Tablespoons sour cream (it makes it so lovely and creamy)
2 Tablespoons of flour (if you want more thickening)


Spread over white rice   
This makes enough for an army or for a family of 4 for 2 meals plus a leftover take to work lunch for you or the hubs!  

Just dump all the ingredients into a crock pot and set on high for 4 hours...or low for 6 hours. 

An hour before it's done add the corn and black beans and some flour if you want thicker  chowder.
Also, take out the chicken and shred or cut it up into bite size pieces an hour before serving. I like mine in diced up pieces. 

Finished Southwest Chicken Chowder....Top with chips and sour cream, and serve over rice. 

Serve over rice  and add some tortilla chips to the side,  or in a warm, flour tortilla with some cheddar cheese. Yum. I just dump the leftover rice into the crock pot before putting it in containers for the fridge. 

For the burritos add the rice into the chowder. Use it for Burrito fillings the next day for lunch...just add some cheddar cheese!

I added some sour cream to mine after it was warmed up...you could also add guacamole.....

I usually do the flour tortillas the next day as leftovers because this stew gets thicker overnight in the fridge and is perfect filling for a Southwest burrito the next day. It is great in a Tupperware container for lunch with some tortilla chips the next day too.