Crockpot: Mexican Chicken Stoup

This has become a new favorite in our house - Mexican Chicken Stoup.  What is "stoup" you ask?  It's not really soup, and it's not stew - it's something in between... I think Rachel Ray coined the term... No matter how you want to classify this dish, the bottom line is that it is YUMMY!  I throw in a few cubes of frozen cauliflower puree to boost the nutrition factor a tad (hoping to make up for the chips and cheese I add at the end!)  You can't taste it really, but it helps to give the dish a nice consistency, too.  Carrot puree would work well in this, too, and would add a bit of sweetness - perfect for those who don't like spicy dishes.

Speaking of spicy - this really isn't.  I'm not a hot and spicy kind of girl, but if you want, you could add some chopped jalapenos to this for an extra kick.

Mexican Chicken Stoup

Ingredients:
2 cups chicken stock
4 chicken breasts
3/4 small can tomato paste
1/4 cup taco seasoning
4 frozen cauliflower puree cubes
1 cup orzo (dry)

Directions:

In your crock pot, whisk together the chicken stock, tomato paste and taco seasoning. Add the cauliflower puree cubes, and the chicken breasts (I cook mine from frozen).  Set your crockpot on low and cook 6-8 hours.

About thirty minutes before you want to eat, carefully remove the chicken from the crockpot and pull it all apart using two forks.  Return the meat to the crockpot and add the uncooked orzo  (you could also use rice if you prefer).  Cover and let the orzo cook for about thirty minutes.  Serve with cheese, tortilla chips and sourcream.

Enjoy!