So you are working overtime, have 3 kids to take to and from their school functions, your dog needs picked up from the vet, and your spouse is out of town on business. Where in the world does one find time to make all of the meals for the growing family? How do all the pros do it? Get this. NO SUCH THING….
We all are human and have many things that happen in our day to day that could affect so many parts of our operation. There is always a theory of how the day should go, and it never seems to manifest in just the right way. BUT rest assured, there are lots of ways to make dinner an easy way, making a rushed meal seem like a delicacy. When I put these posts together, they may not hit home with every person who it comes across, but surely someone can appreciate a quick, delicious option for family dinner. We all live in a world with multiple objectives and never enough time in the day to get them all accomplished, but hey we can all dream, right?
So imagine coming across a recipe that sounds really good in theory, but then you forget that the meal should have been prepared in the crockpot in the morning, to be ready for the evening with friends for a nice fiesta. This was that for me. The nice thing about creativity, is it comes in so many different forms! Mine just so happens to readily come from the kitchen. So, with an hour to prepare this dish, I tell myself “Okay Jen, next time read the directions the night before.” (which is super helpful, especially when small details like this can make quite the difference in how the dish comes together). And then I decide to just buckle down and throw together a good meal, it all goes to the same place anyway 😛
So I slice the chicken into small enough pieces that were bite-size cooked down, helping it cook quicker and making it more easily edible; throw some black beans, taco seasoning, salsa, garlic, fresh cilantro, lime juice and jalapenos into the pan. Preheat that oven, and BOOM! 40 minutes later, this is a wonderfully crafted Mexican dish sure to send your taste buds for a ride, with so little effort!
A simple dish made even more simple! So happy with how this turned out, and even my guests were blown away. Want to truly make this a fiesta? Put this on a bed of roasted corn tortillas, soft corn tortillas, or on a bed of cauliflower rice. All of them give this dish a little more dimension, and make it worthy of a solid thumbs up in your kiddos book!
Self-care month is this month, so do yourself a favor like Katie said, and do the things you know are high on your self-help list. Tonight is stretching, foam rolling, and puppy snuggles. What is on your list?!
INGREDIENTS
- 2poundsskinless, boneless chicken breasts(fresh or frozen)
- 1 packet taco seasoning mix (I use low sodium)
- 1 16 oz jar salsa (use your favorite; I used Jack’s spicy salsa from Costco!)
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- juice from two limes
DIRECTIONS
- Place chicken breasts in the bottom of your slow cooker. Sprinkle taco seasoning over the top, then cover with salsa, lime juice, and cilantro. (you all know I literally just threw all of this in a pan)
- Place lid on top and cook for four hours on high, or 6-7 hours on low. Remove chicken from crockpot to a separate bowl and shred with two forks. Moisten chicken with small amounts of juice left over from the crockpot until you get the amount of moisture that you like. I used about 1/2 – 3/4 cup juice. (I baked this at 425 degrees for 35 minutes)
- Serve with taco shells or tortillas, adding on your favorite toppings. I had jalapeños, spinach, cilantro, corn, black beans, diced tomatoes, diced avocado, and some plain greek yogurt as options for guests. Enjoy!