KA's Crockpot Chicken Tacos

Thanks to one of my friends I got this recipe from, this was a big hit, and very easy to do! Just set it aaaaannnnd forget it! (homage to the Ronco rotisierre infomercial for those who didn't catch that.) Anywho, try it and you'll love it. Please comment here.


All you need:


3 chicken breasts (you may use frozen)
1 package of chicken taco seasoning
1 can of Rotel diced tomatoes and chiles (or pico de gallo)
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup of olive oil
20 or so corn tortillas (I prefer yellow corn, not sure why...but you can use white.
3 tbsp. canola oil

Directions:


Set crockpot on low. (Don't laugh, I love my 'old skool' hand-me-down crockpot better than I do my brand new one. For some reason I think the old one cooks the food better.)




















Add Taco Seasoning. I used McCormick's but any brand will do.






























Put chicken breasts on top of the taco seasoning. Add the Rotel, water and oil.




















Leave in crockpot for 6-8 hours. Around the sixth hour, turn up heat to high.

This step is optional: Pour contents of crockpot in a a deep skillet (including liquid.)
Push chicken pieces to the sides of the pan, leaving a 'hole filled with sauce'.
Add two tablespoons of flour or cornstarch to the 'hole' for thickening the sauce.




















As the sauce thickens, use two forks to shred chicken.

Turn the heat to a low setting and begin to prepare tortillas. In a omlette pan (8" skillet), heat up three tablespoons of canola oil on a medium high setting. Place tortilla in pan. Once you see the tortilla bubbling up in the middle, flip. After about twenty seconds, remove tortilla from pan and place on a folded paper towel to drain excess oil. Repeat until you have the desired number of taco shells.

Add your toppings (I used colby-jack shredded cheese and shredded iceburg lettuce.)

Chicken Enchiladas Verdes - Quick and Easy

My earliest memory of enchiladas verdes was when I was a kid. My parents used to take us to this mexican buffet called Pancho's-- any of you remember it?? Raise the flag! (lol just thinking about it.) By no means was it authentic, but it was cheap, quick, and pretty good for the price. Well, since then, they've closed down many of their locations. Consider yourself lucky if you have one near you...lol (insert sarcasm here:)

In memory of Pancho's, here's a quick and easy enchiladas verde recipe I created on a whim. It was actually pretty good and only takes about thirty minutes to prepare. Comments welcome.

Ingredients:

10-15 white corn tortillas

1 can of green chile sauce

2 cups of white cheese (jack, queso blanco, or white cheddar, etc.)

1 can of diced green chiles and tomatoes (Rotel brand is what I used.)

2 cups of cooked, shredded chicken (I used some left over from a previous dish.)

1/2 cup of canola oil

9 x11 baking dish

Directions:

1. Heat canola oil in shallow pan or skillet on medium heat. Quickly dip one tortilla in the oil until softened (don't leave them in too long, or they will begin to harden.) Lay a tortilla flat and fill with cheese and shredded chicken-- about 1/4 cup of filling down the center. Tightly bring the edges over the filling to close it and then lay the tortilla seam side down in a 9x13 baking dish. Repeat until all of the tortillas are filled.

(excuse the blurry photos... I was having technical difficulties with my camera)

2. Pour verde (green chile) sauce over enchiladas.

3. Add green chiles and tomatoes.

4. Add remainder of chees(es).

5. Heat in oven on 350 degrees for twenty minutes. Cheese should be melted.

6. Let cool for five minutes, and serve with a coordinating side dish. I chose Mexican rice and I mixed in black beans.

Grilled Chicken and Spinach Quesadillas

Being from Texas, alot of our dishes have a Mexican influence;  Growing up I remember eating tacos of all sorts (puffy, crispy, soft)...as well as, chalupas, flautas, chimichangas, gorditas, and pretty much any other variety of "a tortilla wrapped around something"...lol    Inspired by a childhood favorite coupled with the start of some summertime grilling, I thought I would take a stab at these spinach quesadillas.  They're fun to make, and of course you can add the fillings that you desire.  I don't really like mushrooms or tomatoes, so I didn't use them but by all means modify the ingredients as you wish.

Here in Texas we absolutely love HEB supermarkets.  They have fresh produce and meats, and their prices are fair.  They carry a variety of pre-seasoned chicken breasts for convenience.  I chose the ones seasoned for fajitas (of course :)  

If you purchase fresh chicken breasts that are not pre-seasoned, I suggest just seasoning them with fajita seasoning or ground cumin, sea salt and fresh ground black pepper.

I also picked up some flour tortillas, which are made fresh daily in my HEB.  You may also used the packaged ones, usually sold on the bread aisle.  Local restaruants in your area may sell fresh tortillas for as little as $.15 cents each.  Taco Cabana is a local Mexican fast food chain that sells them here in Texas, and they are very good.  

Tortillas come in so many varieties.  I've seen spinach, tomato, wheat, and even pesto. You can most definately use these flavors as well.  I went the traditional route with this dish.

Fillings:  This is what I used, but as I stated earlier you may use any fillings that you wish. 

1 white onion 

1 green or red bell pepper

2 1/2 cups of shredded colby or monterray jack (or mixed) cheese 

1 bunch of fresh spinach leaves (or the ones in the bag can be used as well)

1 pinch of salt and pepper to taste

Other popular options for fillings:  mushrooms, jalapenos, pico de gallo, tomatoes, beans (black, pinto, kiney, etc.), 

Cheeses: smoked gouda, swiss, jalapeno jack

Meats:  ground beef (with taco seasonings or groud cumin), meatballs, diced ham, shredded chicken.

Sooo let's get started!

1.  Chop bellpepper and onion corsely.  Place in a 'bundle' of foil paper for easy grilling.  Spray foil paper  with non-stick spray or olive oil to prevent sticking.

2.  Prepare charcoal or gas grill cooking (375 degrees F.) 

3.  Place bundle of onion and bellpepper on grill, as well as seasoned chicken breasts.

Note:  I placed my chicken breasts on foil paper because it makes for easier clean up.  You don't have to do this;  You may place chicken on grill grates if preferred.

4.  Grill chicken for about 6-8 minutes on each side.  In the meantime, while chicken is grilling, prepare your sauteed spinach (or whatever other veggies you have chosen).  I sauteed spinach in a small skillet on the stove with a tiny bit of olive oil and pinch of pepper.

5.  Set oven to broil. 

6.  Once chicken is grlled an ready, remove from grill and place on a place or cutting board for slicing.

7.  Also remove bellpepper and onion from grill at this time.  Sprinkle with pinch of salt/pepper.

8.  Slice chicken and set aside. 

9,  Take out tortillas and brush with a little butter or butter subsitute of your choice.

10.  Place vegetables on top of tortillas as shown.

11.  Top off with cheese. 

12.  Place a second tortilla on top, and place in oven for a minute or two (until cheese melts.) Then flip the quesadilla on the other side and repeat.  This step can be done on the grill as well, if you choose to use it instead of a conventional oven.  The nice thing about the grill is that you get the infamous "grill marks" on your tortillas...  which makes them look extra 'special'... hee hee.

13,  Cut finished quesadilla in fourths.

And Voila!  you're done!   

You know the drill.....Drumroll please!  


He likes it!  He likes it!  (Mr. Sherry Berry poses for the camera in his 'Turkey Day' shirt we got at a Thanksgiving volunteer function.  Yes, it's May and he's still wearing that tshirt.)

I liked the quesadillas too.. they were really a good snack.. I even had one for breakfast the next day. 

- Oh and in case you're wonding what refreshing beverage that is sitting next to his plate.. that was a glass of peppermint green tea I made.  Follow the link for instructions on making the tea.

Enjoy!

~S