Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken

I (HEART) my crockpot/slow cooker.  It's one of my most used appliances.

Last Thanksgiving, my sister-in-law fixed the dish I am going to share with you today. It was scrumptious and perfect for our night-before-Thanksgiving meal. I had mine while chopping veggies for the veggie tray.

This is one of those "don't need to measure-just dump everything in" kind of meals.

I first prepared my chicken. Which simply meant to take it out of the package. Now I got this chicken for a really good deal. Only 1.28 a pound. Yippee! I purchased quite a few packages and stuck them in my freezer. You can use boneless chicken thighs if you prefer those.

You can also add as much chicken as you think your family will eat. I only use ONE breast. There are only 3 of us and I have plenty left for The Muffin's lunch the next day and second helpings.

Next, I dump in a can of black beans and 1 can of corn. This is where you can add portion sizes to your dish.  You can see that the can of black beans is labeled "seasoned." I generally just use whatever I have and this time around this is what I had.  If you have a big crew to feed just add more beans and more corn. This is certainly a good budget meal! 

Next you add the secret sauce. A jar of salsa.You can use whatever kind or brand you wish. I happen to be allergic to jalapeno peppers. Most jarred salsa's contain jalapeno peppers. I have found a few (this is one of them) that don't have those offending peppers. I've tried to make the dish with my fresh salsa. It just doesn't taste as good. It is fun to try different salsas. Each one give the dish just a bit of a different taste. This salsa (which I got at the discount grocery for about $1) tasted a bit spicier and smokier.

This next ingredient is completely optional. It is smoked paprika. I only add it because I like sniffing it. I am so in love with smoked paprika that I try and sneak it into everything. Smoked Paprika Pancakes anyone?

So now everything is in the pot. This recipe does not take long AT ALL to cook. I put it on low for maybe 6 hours or on High 3-4 hours. If you use chicken thighs you might want to cook it longer.  I have also used frozen chicken breasts in this dish. They obviously take a little bit longer but they are a good option for all day cooking. After your dish has cooked and all those flavors melded together you will need to take out the chicken breasts and shredded it before putting it back in. 

The Muffin likes me to serve this saffron yellow rice with this dish. I have used both brown and this little bag below. The yellow rice does make a pretty dish and is easy to fix. 

Now we're ready to put the whole thing together. I usually put out some sour cream or greek yogurt, shredded cheese and maybe some chopped green onions...whatever I have one hand. This dish is comforting, just a little spicy and just plain tasty. 

Try it and tell me what you think?