Chicken Tortilla Soup

Have you ever received a recipe from a friend, and when you've made it, and received a lot of compliments on it, wanted to own it?  I might have.  Except I don't.  I just can't.  I feel bad and I feel like I need to give the person credit.  About a year ago I realized that if I change something in a recipe it makes it mine.  However, with this recipe I must admit that I got the inspiration from my good friend, Annie.  She is an amazing cook/baker (check out her website @ http://www.sweetannieskitchenblog.wordpress.com/. Since then I've made a lot of different changes to it to where I feel like I can own it now and I don't feel so guilty.  Whenever I make this recipe I become the "friend who makes the best tortilla soup".  I make it for my family often, but it's also a default recipe for any time I bring a friend a meal.  It also freezes amazingly and you can just throw it in the crock pot to thaw it out.  So, here's the recipe (feel free to change it up and call it your own!)...

Chicken Tortilla Soup:

3 chicken breasts (boiled then shredded then add)

1/4 cup taco seasoning (Costco has it cheapest)

small can of diced mild green chiles (medium if you like more spice)

1 can of black olives (chopped)

1 can of corn or 1 cup of frozen corn (I prefer the later)

2+ cups of chicken broth (depends on how watery or thick you like it)

1 can of black, kidney or refried beans

1/2 cup of rice (any kind)
1 can diced tomatoes

*Tapatio hot sauce if you can handle it (I can't.  I actually feel like I'm on fire.)

Add all of the above ingredients to a crock pot and cook for at least 4 hours.  Optional toppings: cheese, sour cream, cilantro, avacado.  Serve with chips.  Our favorite kind of chips are Juanitas.  They're actually the only kind we'll buy and serve.  You can find them at Safeway and Albertson's.  They're inexpensive too.  

Let me know what you think!  Any other ingredients you can think of that would make it better?  Any favorite meals you like to cook?  I love sharing recipes with my friends because it inspires me to try things I normally wouldn't.