Friday, September 14, 2012

Salsa Chicken

Looking for a versatile, tasty dinner with a Tex-Mex flair? Then look no further. Salsa Chicken has something for everyone: easy prep, hands-off cooking, and at least a dozen ways to serve it. It's also gluten- and dairy-free, if that matters to you and yours. And it's very healthy, as it's loaded with protein and fiber and almost no fat. Best of all, you might even have all the ingredients on hand in your pantry and fridge. My kind of meal!

Let's get started: First, you'll need to get out the crock pot and dust it off. Also, you'll want to give a moment's thought to what you want to serve with this blend of chicken, beans and corn. Try to use something you've got rather than making a special trip to the store. When I made this for dinner, I opted for roasted sweet potatoes and a green salad. At lunch the next day, I enjoyed it on top of rice. I'm thinking it would be terrific wrapped in a tortilla or a crunchy taco shell (and topped with cheese, of course), as a nacho topping, or even reincarnated as a tasty Salsa Chicken Soup, with the addition of some chicken stock and garnished with tortilla strips. You could even serve it on top of a baked potato for a very filling meal.

Here I am making dinner ;)


Salsa Chicken
Serves 4 - 6

2 pounds boneless chicken breasts and/or thighs (I used breasts, cut in half)
1 can kidney or black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 jar salsa

Spray your crock pot insert with nonstick spray. Lay the chicken pieces on the bottom of the pot. Place the beans, corn and salsa on top of the chicken. No need to stir. Cover and cook on LOW for 3 - 8 hours. (Timing depends on how hot your crock pot runs. Mine runs VERY HOT so the chicken was done in 2 1/2 hours. You really don't want to overcook chicken in the crock pot. It's horrifyingly dry and dusty tasting if you do. I speak from experience.)

Recipe adapted from "Make it Fast, Cook it Slow" by Stephanie O'Dea

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