Crock Pot Challenge: Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken

This is a slightly modified recipe from a coworker. It is my favorite crock pot recipe so far - although I am a newbie when it comes to the slow cooker. This is ridiculously easy to put together and tastes great in the end. Reheats well for leftovers!

Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken
2 lbs chicken breast (original recipe calls for boneless, skinless chicken thighs - either would be fine)
2 (16-oz) jars of your favorite salsa
1 (15-oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (11-oz) can whole kernel corn, drained
2 T chopped fresh cilantro

In 3.5 - 5 quart slow cooker, layer contents of 1 jar of salsa, chicken, corn, then 2nd jar of salsa. Cover. Cook on low for 7 hours. Stir in beans and cook for additional 30 mins to 1 hour. Enjoy alone or with rice, cous cous, pasta, etc!

Original recipe suggests browning chicken before you add it to the crock pot. I have not tried that step and it still tastes great! The picture does not do it justice :)

crock pot challenge!

Ladies and gents and other variously gendered friends, come one come all to the mad tasty challenge of the season!

On behalf of our collective cooking think tank, we challenge you to a CROCK OFF!!!

The fine print?

• Competitors will include both mad tasty and any outside challengers who choose to!
• Please announce your intentions to compete in the comments below this post, with a link to your blog if not a mad tasty contributor.
• You will have two weeks to pot your crock!
  
• After that point I will schedule posts to be over the following few days, with "link out" posts for extra-blogular competitors.
• A poll will be posted to determine the winner!
• The winner shall receive gratitude, acclaim and possibly notoriety!
  

His name is Raul...Slow Cooker Turkey Sausage and Kale

For the love of Crock: Crocked Turkey Sausage and Kale





Minimum Effort---Maximum Result---Satisfaction Guaranteed

Nutritious and Delicious

Yes, the summer winter romance continues (that’s what they call it when an old man, my crockpot, hooks up with a young girl right? PS- the young girl would be me)

We’d had a bag of kale in the freeze for probably 3 months and I decided enough is enough so I got together with Raul (this is the pet name for my new love) and made magic ;)


Prep Time: 5 minutes (possibly faster if you an electric can openr)
Cook Time: 6 hours
Serves : 6

Ingredients:
• 4 handfuls baby carrots
• 1 half red onion chopped
• 6 Turkey Sausages Chopped into ¼ inch pieces
• 1 can chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 bag chopped kale
• 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
• 3 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 3 teaspoons red pepper flakes
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:
Place all ingredients into slow cooker. Stir around so tomatoes coat everything and seasoning is thoroughly mixed in.

Let cook, covered, on high 3 hours or low 5-6 hours.

Serve over brown rice or whole-wheat cous cous

Note: I put this together at night prior to going to bed. Then when I woke up it went straight from the Crock-Pot into the to-go containers and soon after my stomach…it was tasty!




Raul has yet to disappoint, it was definitely NOT one of those morning where you wake up thinking what the F did I just do.

Easy Earthy Chicken and Spinach

Minimum Effort---Maximum Result---Satisfaction guaranteed

Truly this is not a fling. The love affair with my slow cooker continues with this earthy spinach and chicken dish.

Serves 6 with plenty left for lunch the next day.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 2.5 hours - 7 Hours (in the slow cooker)

Ingredients
• 1 large red onion, sliced
• 2 cups carrots chopped (use the baby ones, they are already peeled)
• 1 bag frozen spinach
• 3.5 Tbs garam marsala (if you can’t find this spice mixture use yellow curry powder)
• 2 teaspoons nutmeg
• 2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 teaspoon chili powder
• 2 Tbs chopped garlic
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4 pounds boneless skin less chicken of your choice (legs, thighs, wings, breasts---I used breasts)
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Onion Powder
• 1 (15-ounce) can chopped tomatoes
• 1/3 cup red wine (optional)

Directions

Dump onion, carrots and spinach into a slow cooker. Add garam marsala (or yellow curry powder), nutmeg, red pepper flakes, chili powder, garlic, salt and pepper. Stir to mix. Season chicken with salt, pepper and onion powder then place on top of vegetables.


Dump tomatoes on top of chicken and pour in wine.

Cover and cook
Dark Meat: low for 6 to 8 hours or high for 3 to 4 hours.
White Meat: low 4-5 hours or high for 2.5-3 hours


SERVE WITH SILKY COCONUT COUS COUS

Hot and Bothered Chipotle Chicken and Silky Coconut Cous Cous

Minimum Effort---Maximum Result---Satisfaction guaranteed

Low-Fat---Higher Fiber--- Delicious

I have a confession (baby I know you read this don’t get jealous) I’m falling in love with my slow cooker. I just dump a bunch of stuff in then head out come home take 5 minutes to make some whole wheat cous cous and serve a plate of deliciousness. This chicken will have you all hot bothered in the best way possible.

Serves 6 with plenty left for lunch the next day.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 2.5 hours - 6 hours (in the slow cooker)

Chicken:
* 1.5 cups sliced onion
* 1 cup chopped celery
* 1.5 cups chopped carrots
* 5 pounds boneless skin less chicken of your choice (legs, thighs, wings, breasts)
* Salt
* Black pepper
* Onion Powder
* 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
* 1/3 cup lime juice
* 2 tablespoon minced chipotle chiles in adobo sauce with 1 teaspoon sauce from can
* Dash Chili powder
* 1.5 Tablespoon Chopped Garlic
* Fresh Cilantro Leaves


Directions

Dump onion, celery and carrots in bottom of slow cooker. Season chicken with salt, pepper and onion powder then place on top of vegetables.

Mix together tomato sauce, lime juice, chipotle chiles with sauce, chili powder and garlic. Pour mixture over chicken.

Cover and cook
Dark Meat: low for 6 to 8 hours or high for 3 to 4 hours.
White Meat: low 4-5 hours or high for 2.5-3 hours

Cous Cous
I use whole wheat cous cous as it has plenty of fiber and protein. You can use regular

Prep Time: 2 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes

* 1.5 cup light coconut milk
* .5 cup water
* 1 bullion cube (veggie or chicken)
* 2 cups whole wheat cous cous
* ¾ cup chopped tomatoes
* ¾ cup chopped scallions (green onions)



Boil coconut milk and water in a medium pot. Once boiling add bullion and stir until dissolved.

Next, turn off heat and stir in cous cous, tomatoes and scallions.
Then cover and let sit for 5 minutes.

Finally, fluff with a fork (stick the fork in and flip the cous cous around) and serve with Spicy Chipotle Chicken

Bun’s Cheesy Beany Stew (Crockpot Cookin’)

Calling all vegetarians, in my previous veggie based life. I use to love to whip up bean stews as an inexpensive form of nutritious yet super satisfying comfort food. This is made mostly from pantry items if you’re like us, entirely (we ALWAYS have cheese and sun-dried tomatoes in the fridge).

Great on it’s own for a stormy day or use it as a dip (with pita chips it delicious).

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 5 hours, 30 minutes
Yields 5-6 servings as stew or a heck of a lot of dip

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Great Northern beans, sorted
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3.5 cups vegetable broth
• 2.5 cups water
• 1.5 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 1 teaspoon Herbs de Provence
• 3/4 cup chopped sun dried tomatoes (if in oil drain and rinse)
• 1 cup shredded Havarti cheese (truthfully you can use whatever non-hard cheese you like)
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (Asiago or Pecronio Romano work great here too)

preparation:

Set tomatoes and cheeses to the slide. Dump everything else into a 3-4 quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 3-5 hours or until beans are tender. Mash some of the white beans while in the crockpot to thicken mixture (you can use a wooden spoon, my favorite tool, or a potatoes masher). Stir in tomatoes and cook 10 more minutes until thoroughly heated. Stir in both types of cheese and serve!