SLOW-COOKER CORDON BLEU SOUP

Slow-Cooker Cordon Bleu Soup image

I've taken this creamy slow-cooker soup to potlucks and teacher luncheons, and I bring home an empty crock every time. When my son's school recently created a cookbook, this was the first recipe he asked me to submit, and his teachers were glad he did. -Erica Winkel, Ada, Michigan

Provided by Taste of Home

Time 3h30m

Yield 8 servings (2-1/2 quarts).

Number Of Ingredients 19

Ingredients

3 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 cups cubed French bread
SOUP:
1 small onion, diced
1 celery rib, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup white wine or additional reduced-sodium chicken broth
8 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, cubed
1-1/2 cups Swiss cheese, shredded
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 pound diced rotisserie chicken
1/2 pound diced deli ham

Steps:

For croutons, preheat oven to 375°. In a large bowl, mix melted butter, garlic powder and pepper. Add bread cubes; toss to coat. Transfer croutons to a 15x10x1-in. baking pan; bake, stirring every 5 minutes, until golden brown, 15-20 minutes. Cool in pan on a wire rack., Meanwhile, in a 4- or 5-qt. slow cooker, combine the first 5 soup ingredients; pour in broth. Cook, covered, on low about 2 hours or until vegetables are tender., Increase slow-cooker heat setting to high. Mix flour and water until smooth; whisk flour mixture into broth. Cook until thickened, 30-40 minutes. Stir in wine. Whisk in cheeses until melted. Add chicken and ham; heat through. Serve with croutons., Freeze option: Before adding croutons, freeze cooled soup in freezer containers. Freeze croutons separately. To use, partially thaw soup in refrigerator overnight. Heat soup through in a saucepan, stirring occasionally; add broth or water if necessary. While soup is heating, thaw croutons at room temperature; sprinkle over soup.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 384 calories, Fat 23g fat (13g saturated fat), Cholesterol 100mg cholesterol, Sodium 1112mg sodium, Carbohydrate 15g carbohydrate (3g sugars, Fiber 1g fiber), Protein 29g protein.