Enchiladas seem to have been the theme here this week!  Last week was a scheduled week off from Classical Conversations, and this week brought another week off, with the uncertainty of what hurricane Sandy would bring. It allowed for some extra time to peruse Pinterest and a few magazines that were stacked up here.  It’s a little weird to be posting about recipes I found during a storm that has left so many people devastated.  My heart goes out to friends in New York and New Jersey who are still without power, still battling floods, and many who have had to evacuate and find temporary refuge at the homes of friends and family.  I pray they are home safe and sound ~ soon, and that in ways only God can, He will reveal Himself in provision and hope to those who are struggling right now.  Cooper’s Cross Country Team has organized a donation effort, and will be loading up a truck full of provisions tomorrow during Coop’s final meet of the season.

It was a semi-quiet week here, though, and so we made enchiladas to share with friends on the night of Halloween ~ or Reformation Day. ☺ I also made this crock pot soup that one of my friend’s {Hi Yvette!} had found and posted on Pinterest.  It is a slight variation of the one found here, because “Cream Of” soups are not typically gluten free.  Usually, I just skip over recipes that include those soups anyway, because the ingredient list is just WAY too long and scary for my liking, but I decided to try this Pacific Natural Foods version of Cream of Chicken soup this time as a substitute.  It’s not half as scary as the other brands, and it seemed to work just as well.

I also love it when “crock pot” dishes are truly what they claim, meaning you just put all of the ingredients in, turn on, leave for hours, stir and eat!  The only “extra” part of this one is the removing of the chicken breasts near the end of cooking to chop or shred them and add them back into the soup.  Easy!

We’re always dismayed when the Chicken Enchilada soup is off limits at a restaurant due to thickeners and cross contamination, but this is one that resembles those in every way, and was enjoyed by all!

1/2 red pepper, chopped

Crushed tortilla chips

Place beans, Rotel/diced tomatoes, corn, onions, and peppers on bottom of crock pot.  Place chicken breasts on top of this mixture.  Whisk together enchilada sauce, soup, and water and pour over chicken, beans, etc.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high 3-4 hours.  Near end of cooking time, remove chicken breasts and chop or shred and stir back into soup.  Stir in half and half and milk and let cook 10 more minutes.  Top with your favorite enchilada toppings and enjoy!