Crockpot Salsa Verde Chicken

Has your mind been going crazy lately?! The holidays have my mind spinning in a million different directions. Sometimes, it feels like I'm being tugged in every which direction, which can be exhausting. It's been more difficult for me to plan meals as I'm entering a new chapter of my life. Planning could be a lot of work, time, and effort that I feel like putting in right now. Does that mean I stop cooking? No way!! With all of the tools I have learned over the past 5 years, I have been making an effort to cut my cooking time down. This gives me more time for other activities that make me happy. I get to feel more efficient with my time, while having a delicious, healthy meal that's made super fast. I love the crock pot because all you have to do is throw the food in, wait x amount of hours, and your entire kitchen smells like dinner! Yum yum!!! I came up with this idea on a whim and went with it. I was craving Chipotle, but didn't want to spend the money on going out to eat. So instead, I came up with this crock pot salsa verde chicken. It tasted way better than going to Chipotle and was of the fastest meals to get eaten that I've made to date! Check out the recipe below!

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts

• 2 lbs tomatillos, peeled

• 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

• 2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped (optional)

• 1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

• 5 cloves of garlic, chopped

• 1 white onion, chopped

• 1 red bell pepper, chopped

• 1 10 oz container of fresh spinach, chopped

• 1/2 cup vegetable broth

• 1 tsp chili powder

• 1 tsp paprika

• 1 tsp cumin

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp black pepper

• Top with cilantro, avocado, hot sauce, and crackers of choice

Directions:

1) On a foiled baking sheet, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Add your tomatillos and garlic. Bake for 20 minutes until browned.

2) Chop your vegetables, drain your beans, and add all items to the crock pot (except tomatillos, garlic, spinach, and vegetable broth).

3) When the tomatillos and garlic are done, add them to a high powered blender with some of your chopped onions, vegetable broth, salt, and pepper. Add those to the crock pot. 

4) Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 7-8 hours. 

5) When there are 15 minutes remaining, shred the chicken.  It will come out like butter! 

6) Top with cilantro, avocado, hot sauce, and crackers. Enjoy!

Looking for more quick and easy recipes to whip up on a busy day? After the new year, I'll be starting an intuitive cooking course to teach you how to make recipes on the fly using foods you have in your kitchen. Cooking gets to be simple and fun and I will be your guide. In the mean time, check out 10 of my favorite healthy, easy, and affordable recipes to get you through the cold season!