This weekend was a cooking marathon for me. Saturday I made a brisket chili with squash – it was yummy but spicy. I’m going to change the original recipe and when I get it just right I’ll post it.
On Sunday I was sick of cooking (the chili took most of Saturday and it wasn’t something I could walk away from). There was an easy slow-cooker recipe in the latest Everyday Food (thanks to Linda and Stacy for turning me onto this little magazine).
I took the recipe below and we had a couple of tacos from it. My boys were at a birthday party and didn’t eat dinner with us. We had a bunch left over. So tonight the kids help me make quesadillas.
Here’s how your kids can help:
Have your kids wash their hands. Put one taco-size flour tortilla on each of the kids’ plates. They can scoop two to three forkfuls of chicken onto their tortilla and spread it thinly. Then have them each take a small handful of shredded cheese – I used the Mexican blend cheese – and spread it thinly across their chicken. Make sure the ingredients are thinly spread across the tortilla and aren’t mounded in the middle. Put a second tortilla on top and place in a hot pan. Cover for 30 to 40 seconds, flip, cover for another 30 to 40 seconds and put on a plate. We use our pizza cutter to cut the quesadillas into four pieces. Since the meat is already cooked you’re just warming it up.
I found chipotle chilies in adobo sauce at Sendiks. The recipe calls for 1 to 2 tablespoons – so it almost seams like a waste to use it, but the flavor is noticeable. I would suggest blending the chilies into the sauce then freezing it. Try scooping 1 to 2 tablespoons into an ice tray and freezing it. That way you can thaw out one cube for a serving.
It was an EASY, yummy meal.
Here's the recipe. Let me know if you try it!
Chili Chicken Tacos from October 2008 Everyday Food
Serves 4
Prep time: 15 minutes
Total time: 4 ¼ hours
2 Lbs boneless, skinless chickenbreast (I know chickenbreast is two words, but the lovely blog program sensors out the second word so it would look pretty funny if I had chicken ***) :)4 thinly sliced garlic cloves½ cup prepared tomato salsa
1 to 2 tablespoons Chipotle chilies in adobo sauce
1 tablespoon chili powder
Course ground salt and pepper
8 hard corn taco shellsCilantro, shredded cheese, lime wedges, and sour cream for serving
1. In a slow cooker combine chicken, garlic, salsa, chilies, chili powder, 1 teaspoon salted and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cover cook on high 4 hours or on low for 8 hours.
2. Transfer chicken to a serving bowl and shred, using two forks; moisten with cooking juices. Serve in taco shells with toppings if desired.
