Slow Cooker Cheeseburger Soup

 (Weight Watchers)   15 min   Cook 120 min Ready 135                                                                               
1 clove (medium sized) garlic, minced        
1 cup low-fat evaporated milk
1 medium onion, chopped                             
8 oz reduced fat velveeta cheese, cubed
1 stalk (medium sized) celery, chopped      
1⁄2 tsp paprika
1 lb uncooked lean (93%) ground beef       
 1⁄4 tsp table salt
2 tbsp all-purpose flour                                 
1⁄8 tsp black pepper
3 cup canned chicken broth, divided          
24 baked corn tortilla chips, crumbled
1 cooking spray


    Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat for about 30 seconds.
    Add garlic, onion and celery to skillet; cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are tender, about 5 to 10 minutes.  Coat a 3 quart or larger slow cooker with cooking spray; spoon in vegetables.
  Place same skillet over medium-high heat and 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 the slow cooker. In a small cup, combine flour and 1/2 cup of broth; stir until lump free.  Pour flour mixture into 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, then pour into the 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 tortilla chips. 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 the slow cooker; cover and cook on Low setting for 10 to 15 minutes (does not affect POINTS values).
    Per serving: 7 SmartPoints; 6 PointsPlus; 5 POINTS (old)