Crock Pot Chicken & Bacon Chowder (180 calories)

I love, love…love, love, LOVE Chicken & Bacon Chowder. So, over the weekend, I found a ‘Peace, Love & Low Carb’ recipe, made a few calorie-friendly alterations, and made some. The end.

How’s that for a beautiful story?

Good!!! And I’ll tell you another one. Once upon a time, there was a person. And that person just so happened to be you. And you made this chowder. And you were happy. The end. *Burp*

Here’s how you make it:

Crock Pot Chicken & Bacon Chowder



Ingredients:
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 leek, sliced
2 celery ribs, diced
6 oz. sliced mushrooms
1 medium sweet onion, thinly sliced
4 tbsp. light butter, divided
2 cups chicken stock, divided
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
8 oz. light cream cheese
1 cup half and half
½ lb. bacon, cooked crisp & crumbled
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. thyme

Directions:
Heat slow cooker on low setting. To slow cooker, add garlic, shallot, leek, celery, mushrooms, onions, 2 tbsp. light butter, 1 cup chicken stock, salt and pepper. Cover, and cook vegetables on low for 1 hour. While the vegetables are cooking - in a large skillet, over medium-high heat, pan-sear the chicken breasts in the remaining 2 tbsp. light butter just until they are browned on both sides (chicken will not be fully cooked during this stage). Remove chicken from pan and set aside. De-glaze the pan with the remaining 1 cup of chicken stock. Using a rubber spatula, scrape up any bits of chicken that may be stuck to the pan. Add chicken stock to slow cooker. Add half and half, light cream cheese, garlic powder and thyme to slow cooker. Stir until well combined (no visible chunks of cream cheese). Once chicken has cooled, cut into cubes and add to slow cooker, along with prepared bacon. Stir until all ingredients are well combined. Cover and let cook for 6-8 hours.

Nutrition Info (calculated using MFP’s Recipe Builder):
Servings: 16
1 Serving: 1 cup
Calories: 180
Carbs: 4 g
Fat: 11 g
Protein: 14 g