Simple Chicken Enchilada Crock Pot Recipe

Ok, so I've been hearing how amazing the crock-pot is for years. I've owned a crock-pot for months, but it wasn't until last week, when I learned that you can put frozen meat into a crock-pot, that my life was turned completely around just like everyone said it would be! Had I known I could skip the whole defrosting stage of cooking dinner (which I loathe), I'd have been a crock-potting gal years ago! I don't know what took me so long to realize this, but to make sure that none of you waste any time not knowing the wonders of this kitchen tool, I knew I had to share the wealth.

Last week I decided to make chicken enchiladas, and for the very first time, left a meal cooking in the crock-pot for the entire duration of my work day. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't considering that there was a possibility that I would return home to find my house up in flames. Much to my satisfaction, I only returned home to the tastiest and one of the easiest meals I have ever made! The inspiration for this first crock-pot recipe was honestly the ingredients I happened to have in my cabinets at the time. I was surprised that with such a minimal variety of ingredients, I ended up with such a delicious dinner. Of course, this recipe is pretty easy to improvise by adding other vegetables, beans, etc...

The best thing about the crock-pot is that you can seriously just throw everything in there and still end up with something amazing. Start by emptying 3/4 of the jar of salsa, the entire can of black beans, and the taco seasoning into the pot. Then dice up the 2 tomatoes, add them to the mix, and stir. Next, place the frozen chicken breasts on top of the mixture and pour the rest of the salsa on top ( I wasn't exactly sure what I was doing at this point, but I was under the impression that by doing this, the chicken would soak up the flavor of the salsa...I think I was right).

Now here's the hardest part; turn the crock-pot on low and let it cook away for about 8 hours while you go to work, run errands, or watch tv in the other room, without being nervous that you're going to burn the place down. When the time is up, cut the chicken into small pieces. After being in the crock-pot for 8 hours, your chicken will be so tender that it will probably shred easily. Perfect for enchiladas! Give the ingredients a good stir, then scoop it into your tortillas (using a straining spoon to allow some of the juices to drain out so your enchiladas aren't too soupy). Finally, top off your enchiladas with some shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream and enjoy!

FYI this recipe makes about 5 generously sized enchiladas.

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