Crock Pot Cheeseburger Soup

Cooking spray

1 medium garlic clove, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium celery rib, chopped
1 lb uncooked lean ground beef (with 7% fat)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups canned chicken broth, divided
1 cup low-fat evaporated milk
8 ounces kraft Velveeta reduced fat cheese product, cubed
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
24 baked corn tortilla chips, crumbled

Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat for about 30 seconds.
Add garlic, onion & celery to skillet; cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are tender, about 5 to 10 min.
Coat a 3-quart or larger slow cooker with cooking spray; spoon in vegetables.
Place same skillet over medium-high heat & brown beef, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon as it cooks, about 5 to 6 minutes; pour off any liquid and add meat to slow cooker.
In a small cup, combine flour and 1/2 cup of broth; stir until lump-free.
Pour flour mixture into same skillet; add remaining 2 1/2 cups of broth.
Bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits in bottom of skillet with a wooden spoon, and then pour into slow cooker; stir in evaporated milk, cheese, paprika, salt and pepper.
Cover slow cooker and cook on low setting for 2 hours.
Serve soup topped with crumbled chips.

Yields about 3/4 cup of soup and 3 tablespoons of chips per serving.

Variation: you could add some mixed veggies to make it a one-dish meal.

Note: If the soup cooks too long, the cheese could separate. If that happens, combine 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour and 1/4 cup of soup in a cup; stir to a paste. Stir flour mixture back into soup in slow cooker; cover and cook on low setting for 10 to 15 minutes (does not affect POINTS values).

Serving Size 1 (3/4 Cup) with 5 chips, serves 8. NI Calories 207/Fat 9.7g/Fiber 0.4g