Food on Friday: Salsa Chicken

I love to cook. I really do. But when I've had a busy week, the last thing I want to do is stand in front of the stove, walk back and forth from fridge to counter to cabinet and drawer, slice vegetables, carefully cook a cut of meat, while timing everything to finish at the same time so that we can eat a hot, well-balanced meal each night. Sometimes I'm just too tired to even just think about doing all of that.

When I suspect I might have a day like that, the crock pot is my favorite friend. 

And here is one of the easiest recipes for it.

(I can't take all the credit for this. My sister-in-law makes this pretty regularly and she introduced the concept to me. Thank you, thank you, Ashley!)

Salsa Chicken

4 chicken breasts

1 jar of your favorite salsa

Put the chicken in first, then dump the salsa over it. Cover and let it cook on low for 6 hours, or high for 3-4 hours. 

That's it.

Really.

Once the chicken is cooked, I usually shred it. I use a couple of forks in a large casserole dish or plate and just go to town on it. It doesn't take more than 6 or 7 minutes to shred it all. 

I like to return it to the crock pot for 30 more minutes to get it nice and hot and juicy.

You can eat it just like that. It's almost soupy, so tortilla chips are great with it as a soup. You can strain it and have just the chicken and salsa chunks. 

My favorite way to eat it is burrito style. 

Here's how.

While it's back in the crock pot after being shredded, prepare any other toppings you may want to go in your salsa chicken burrito. Here are the ingredients that I use:

flour tortillas

fresh, rinsed spinach

cooked rice

lightly steamed corn

cooked black or garbanzo beans 

grated cheddar cheese

It's an entire balanced meal, full of colors, textures, and flavors. 

It is so tasty and flavorful.

Definitely give this one a try. It's so simple and oh-so worth it.

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