ground turkey Archives - Momma On The MoveMomma On The Move

The slow cooker is a fantastic tool for those busy days, when you can pop dinner in and literally forget about it until supper time. Providing you with a little more freedom and relief. I really appreciate it as I don’t have to think about when or how I am going to make supper as well as having that extra hour that I wouldn’t normally have before supper. Not to mention the lovely smells that are wafting through the house as it cooks throughout the day!

As a result I am constantly on the lookout for new and tasty slow cooker recipes to try. Years ago, back when I first starting blogging, I found this recipe for Taco Soup on the Canadian Parents website (they had quite the selection of slow cooker recipes and I got quite a few from there). I was sad when their site changed and I could no longer access these recipes and not having written them down I was hooped. I did the best I could and guessed at it but it wasn’t quite the same.

Happily, I discovered a way to recover old webpages and was able to recover the recipe! I was so excited as it is such a yummy one and the kids really enjoy it. Of course the original recipe called for ground beef, so I substituted ground turkey instead. With a few other modifications you have the recipe I use below.

Of course the part the kids like the best is being able to have ‘chips’ for supper, though they do eat and enjoy the soup as well. It’s like having a treat for dinner. The spices I often find are hit or miss as some days it turns out spicer than others, some with no spice at all. Either way it is one of the favorite dishes at our house and especially enjoyable on a cool Autumn Day.

Slow Cooker Taco Soup

1 lb. ground turkey

1 pkg. taco seasoning (or 1 tbsp. *homemade mix)

28 oz. can diced tomatoes

19 oz. can red kidney beans

1 medium onion, chopped

1 yellow pepper, chopped (may also choose green, red, or orange if prefered)

2 c. water

10 oz. can tomato soup

2 tsp. chicken bouillon powder

Season to taste with garlic powder, parsley, oregano, salt and pepper

In a medium frying pan, brown ground turkey and chopped onion. Once browned drain well and add taco seasoning, stir. Combine remaining ingredients in slow cooker and cook on low for 4-5 hours.

Serve with taco chips and/ or shredded cheese.

One of the other things I have discovered is how to make my own spice mixes at home, instead of buying them from the store. A lot of them have added preservatives and sugar that I want to avoid, so I found this easy ‘just like in the package’ taco seasoning recipe that I use now. I also have one for chicken bouillon powder which I use in all my soups, stews, etc.

*Homemade Taco Seasoning

1 tbsp. chili powder

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. onion powder

1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp. oregano

1/2 tsp. paprika

1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. sea salt

1 tsp. black pepper

Mix all ingredients together. Store in an airtight container.

What are your favorite slow cooker recipes?

One of the things I love about Fall is all the savory dishes that there are. The soups, the stews and all the fresh harvest vegetables that we have to put in them. Yummy! My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

I call them cozy foods, foods that are not only good for you, but make you feel warm and cozy inside. The smells wafting through the house as it cooks and the pleasure of sitting down to a nice warm meal.

Many of these meals I make using my slow cooker, which I also love! With busy schedules and activities, it is so nice to put something into the slow cooker in the morning, pretty much forget about it, and presto! ready for you at suppertime. Plus it adds to the anticipation of the meal as those flavors I was talking about, that waft through the house all day!

One of my favorite slow cooker recipes is Autumn Turkey Chili. I love how it combines fresh apples, butternut squash and coconut milk to create an amazing flavor and taste. It is chalk full of vegetables and spices – a really unique combination – that at first when you look at it you might not think so, but trust me it is delicious! Everyone loves it! And it usually makes enough that we can have it over 2 meals.

I found this recipe on the Crock Pot® website, where they have a large variety of slow cooker recipes. The only thing that I have modified in the recipe is the amount of chili powder, which I cut in half, as though we enjoy spice and flavor, we do not like it too hot 🙂

It does take a bit of time in the morning to chop and prep the vegetables and turkey, about 20 minutes, but it is well worth the time spent for the result at the end of the day!

Autumn Turkey Chili

1 onion, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

2 cups apples, diced

2 cups butternut squash, diced

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 pound ground turkey, cooked

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper, each

10 ounces chicken broth, canned, undiluted (I use 10 ounces of homemade chicken broth and this works well)

8 to 12 ounces coconut milk, canned

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 cup black beans, canned, drained and rinsed

coconut flakes and cilantro, to garnish

Combine all ingredients (except garnishes) in slow cooker. Cook on HIGH 4-6 hours or LOW 8-10 hours. Open the lid for last 45 minutes of cooking to thicken if desired. Mash the squash with the back of a wooden spoon to thicken further if you wish.

Serve with rice or mashed potatoes, or just by itself.

Note: Use can use 4 cups diced cooked turkey or chicken in place of ground turkey.)

Enjoy!

If you try this recipe, please come back to the site and leave a comment. It’s great to share recipes and experiences with others!