The busy days of the Holidays are upon us, and I continue to adore using my crock pot to help ease my load when it comes to cooking for my family and making yummy treats to enjoy during this special time.

Day 21: Chili for Twenty

Monday evening, we hosted a White Elephant Christmas party for our speech and debate club.  A fabulous time was had by all.  I made my huge recipe of crock pot chili, and it was good.  This can be a little spicy, but you can easily make it less spicy by cutting down on the chili powder or using mild tomatoes and green chilies instead of original.  It makes a ton, so I always have to use my 7-quart crock pot, with the overflow going into my 4-qt. crock pot.  If you have multiple crock pots, you can divide it up among a couple of medium-sized pots and it works great.

Chili for Twenty
Ingredients:
4 lbs. ground beef
3 onions, finely chopped
3 green peppers, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 16-oz. cans Italian-style tomatoes
4 16-oz. cans kidney beans, drained
1 10-oz. can diced tomatoes and chilies (use mild if you want it less spicy)
2 6-oz. cans tomato paste
1 cup water
1 Tbsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
3 whole cloves
2 bay leaves
2 Tbsp. chili powder (or less if you want it less spicy)

Instructions:
1. Brown meat, with onions and pepper, in soup pot on stove top.  Drain.
2. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, Divide among several medium-sized crock pots, or use a very large crock pot (8-quart would probably work).
3.  Cover.  Cook on Low 3-4 hours.

Serve topped with shredded cheddar cheese, if desired.

Day 22: Amazingly Delicious Triple Chocolate Hot Cocoa
Tuesday night we had tons of leftovers, of course, so we ate that for dinner.  We watched a Christmas movie as a family and topped the evening off with a reading from our Advent book along with steamy, yummy scratch-made hot cocoa that had been simmered in our crock pot.  It was perfect!  I doubled this and used my 4-qt. crock pot.  It was a great size for the doubled recipe.  I would use a 2-qt. crock pot for a single recipe.

Makes 6 servings
Ingredients:
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp. salt
3 cups milk, divided
3/4 tsp. vanilla
1 cup heavy cream
1 square (1 oz.) bittersweet chocolate
1 square (1 oz) white chocolate
3/4 cup whipped topping
6 tsp. mini-chocolate chips, or shaved bittersweet chocolate, for garnish
mini-marshmallows, if desired, for garnish

Instructions:
1. Combine sugar, cocoa powder, salt, and 1/2 cup milk in medium-sized bowl.  Stir until smooth. Pour into slow cooker.
2.  Add remaining 2 1/2 cups milk and vanilla to slow cooker.  Cook on Low 2 hours.
3.  Stir in cream.  Cover.  Cook on Low 10 minutes.
4.  Stir in bittersweet chocolate and white chocolate until melted.
5.  Pour hot chocolate into 6 mugs.  Top each with 2 Tbsp. whipped topping and 1 tsp. mini chocolate chips (or chocolate shavings) and few mini marshmallows.

Day 23:  Delicious Chicken Tortilla Soup
Yesterday, we went to a sweet small-town trail of lights we visit every year.  They have hot dogs to roast over the fire and marshmallows and hot cocoa.  We usually feed everyone there, but many people come home still hungry.  I made this easy Chicken Tortilla Soup to have when we returned for anyone who was still hungry.  We are eating the leftovers for lunch today.  I doubled this and had to put the overflow into a 4-qt. crock pot.

Super Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup
Ingredients:
4 chicken breast halves, uncooked
2 15-oz. cans black beans, undrained
2 15-oz. cans Mexican stewed tomatoes, or Rotel tomatoes (mild for less spicy)
1 cup salsa (mild, medium, or hot, depending on how spicy you like things)
4-oz. can chopped green chilies
1 14 1/2-oz. can tomato sauce
tortilla chips, for serving
2 cups grated cheese, for serving

Instructions:
1. Combine all ingredients except chips and cheese in large slow cooker.
2.  Cover.  Cook on Low 8 hours.
3.  Just before serving, take and knife and shred chicken right in the crock pot.  It is easy to do and less of a pain than taking it out and cutting then replacing.  It took a few minutes to shred this way, but it was so easy.  You could also take two forks and shred the meat that way.  The chicken comes out so tender, it is super easy to shred.
4.  To serve, put a handful of chips into each individual soup bowl.  Ladle soup over the chips.  Top with cheese.

Note:  You can also add sour cream and sliced avocado or guacamole to top it off.

Merry Christmas!  I will  be continuing with my 31 days of crock pot cooking, so stay tuned for posts after Christmas.  I plan to do mostly sides and desserts as we will be traveling to visit family, so those recipes will be posted starting December 26th.  Have a wonderful Christmas!