Chicken Tortilla Soup

 I got this recipe from my beautiful friend, Diane.  Probably the nicest person I've ever met!  If you ever feel down about yourself, just hang out with Diane for 1 minute and she'll give you 50 compliments.  So nice.  She brought this soup to a church function and everyone was raving about it.  I got the recipe from her and made it last week.  Definitely a keeper in my recipe book!!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

1 cup carrot, diced
1 cup celery, diced
1 cup onion, diced
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or 1 fresh diced garlic clove
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 (15 ounce) cans chicken broth
1 (15 ounce) can tomatoes, diced   
1 (10 ounce) can Rotel tomatoes & chilies, diced
1 (1 1/4-1 1/2 ounce) packet taco seasoning, low sodium, no msg
1 (10 count) package corn tortillas     (broken or cut into small pieces)
2 chicken breasts, diced
1 cup milk
12 ounces monterey jack cheese or 12 ounces Mexican blend cheese, shredded
corn tortilla chips, broken into small pieces




Put all ingredients, except corn tortillas, milk, cheese and chips, in crockpot.  Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. One hour before serving, add corn tortillas, milk and cheese to soup.  Stir.  Serve with a dollop of sour cream and tortilla chips.