Slow Cooker Tex-Mex Chicken

Using the crock pot is so easy with just a little bit of planning (making sure you have all of the ingredients and getting it started on time). I love cooking with the crock pot because dinner is virtually taken care of by late morning. If I worked full-time I'd probably be on the look out for recipes that take 10 hours to cook. But since I don't, a 5-7 hour cooking time works for me.

I'm always a bit weary about cooking chicken in the slow-cooker because I've read so many recipe reviews where people comment that the chicken was over cooked, usually in a "beyond shredded" way vs. a dry way. But I decided to give this one a shot since I had plenty of bell peppers on hand and some cilantro to use.

I slightly adapted a Kraft website recipe...

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch-wide strips 2 Tbsp. (1/2 of 1-1/4-oz. pkg.) Taco Seasoning Mix 2 Tbsp. flour 1 each green and red pepper, cut into 1-inch-wide strips 1 cup frozen corn 1 can black beans 1-1/2 cups Medium Salsa 1 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese TOSS chicken with taco seasoning and flour a ziploc bag then empty into slow cooker. Stir in vegetables and salsa; cover with lid. COOK on LOW 6 hours (or on HIGH 3 hours). STIR just before serving; top with shredded cheese. I served it with brown rice and garnished it with fresh cilantro. The first time I made this my husband commented that it needed a little extra kick, so I used medium salsa this time and that seemed to do the trick. My son asked for more chicken and he ate the peppers without a struggle! We're making progress!