Crock Pot Mexican Chicken

The crock pot and I became best friends after I had my first baby. I was usually functional in the morning, but by the afternoon I was a zombie and didn't trust myself around a hot stove and sharp knives. I was Googling "crock pot meals" so much that my computer just start spitting out recipes at me. See, even my computer was on my side.

One of my {many} downfalls is lack of preparation. I always forget to let butter soften and to let meat thaw. On a similar note, I always forget to set a timer for my meals. It drives the mister bonkers that he has to check the pizza every few minutes because I'm not exactly sure when it's supposed to be done. And so yes, I've also burned cookies which I realize is just blasphemous.

So....where was I. Oh yes, crock pots. I came across a Mexican chicken crock pot recipe here and tweeked it just a smidge. I always have the ingredients on hand because it's literally one of those recipes where you throw everything in, give it a little toss, and forget about it for the rest of the day.

First, grab these ingredients...and your BFF crock pot.

Toss in the enchilada sauce, tomatoes, brown sugar, and green chilis. Just toss, don't even drain. That would be too much work!

Throw in your frozen chicken. No need to remember {or in my case, forget} to thaw chicken. These are two huge chicken breasts, I usually use 3-4 smaller ones. Leftovers are always great.

And there you have it. Shredded Mexican chicken. Deliciously sweet and spicy.

The best part is that you can use this chicken for a variety of dishes, including:

• Enchiladas - fill tortillas with chicken, cheese, and mashed black beans. Place in a 9x13 pan and top with another can of enchilada sauce and cheese. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted. Top with lettuce, tomatoes, and sour cream.
• Taco Soup - In a large pot, mix together one undrained can diced tomatoes, one chopped and sauteed onion, 1 cup frozen corn, 1 can green chilis, 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, 1 can drained and rinsed black beans, and chicken. Simmer until warmed through. Serve with sour cream, guacamole, and tortilla chips as a garnish.
• Tortilla Soup - Okay, so this one is cheating, but I toss in some chicken and frozen corn with Bear Creek's Tortilla Soup. Quick and delish.
• Chicken and cheese quesadillas

On to the recipe -
Mexican Chicken
Adapted from Barefoot and Baking
1 (14.5 oz) can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (10 oz) can red enchilada sauce
1 (4 oz) can green chilis, undrained
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 lb frozen chicken breasts (I usually just use 3-4 small ones, there's plenty of sauce for it)
Add all ingredients except chicken to a crock pot. Mix well. Add chicken breasts to the crock pot and cover. Cook on low for 7 hours. Remove chicken and shred, then return the chicken to the crock pot, cooking 1 hour on low.