crockpot chicken tacos and enchiladas

Crockpot chicken tacos have become a staple in our house.  They are simply too easy to make, and in general a taco always sounds good :o).

Now a lot of people usually will make crockpot tacos with just chicken and a jar of salsa I believe, but I rarely ever had salsa on hand (we aren't big chips and salsa eaters on a regular basis).  Canned diced tomatoes though, have become a regular pantry staple.  So my recipe looked a little something like this (which I believe could also resemble crock pot fajitas, but whatever)...

Crockpot Chicken Tacos

Ingredients

• 16 ounce can low sodium corn, drained
• 4 ounce can mushroom pieces, drained
• 2 bell peppers
• 1-2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1/2 a packet of taco seasoning
• 10-16 ounce can diced tomatoes with mild green chilies

Directions

1. Add corn, mushrooms and bell peppers to your crockpot.
2. Lay chicken on top of your veggies.  Pour lime juice into the crockpot.  Season chicken breasts with taco seasoning.  Pour can of tomatoes over the chicken.
3. Cook on high for 2-3 hours, or low for 4-6 hours.  Shred chicken with two forks, return to crockpot and mix everything together.
4. Serve with your favorite taco accompaniments.

They taste good, nothing crazy, but good.  And I usually have the taco version the first night, and then heat up some of the mix and toss it with some lettuce in a bowl for a taco salad for lunch the next few days.  Relatively light and oh so easy.

But you know how I said I don't usually keep salsa on hand?  I'm thinking of changing my tune thanks to these skinny chicken enchiladas.

My friend Katelynn had pinned the recipe a couple days before she was coming over for dinner, so I suggested we make it.  I love avocados and overall the recipe sounded delicious and easy.  The enchilada mix goes in the crock pot, and then you just have to roll up your enchiladas, bake for 15 minutes, and throw on the toppings.  Not hard at all.  So we did just that.

Christopher had bought a 2 pound package of chicken, and I used the whole thing, so we had a TON of the chicken mixture left.  Later that week I tried rolling it in some flour tortillas, throwing cheese on top, and microwaving it for a couple minutes.  Ummm, delicious.  I prefer a flour tortilla and microwaving it didn't seem to be all that different from baking it.  Instead of rolling his leftovers like an enchilada, Christopher microwaved the mix, and put it together with lettuce, guac and cheese like he would a taco.  Also great.  So now my chicken taco recipe looks a little bit like this...

Crockpot Chicken Tacos or Enchiladas
adapted from Pinch of Yum

Ingredients

• 1-2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can corn, drained
• 16 ounces chunky salsa
• 3 tablespoons taco seasoning
• 1/4 cup water (optional, if your salsa doesn't have much liquid factor)

Directions (for Tacos)

1. Place all ingredients in the crockpot.  Cook on high for 2-3 hours or low for 4-6 hours. Shred chicken with two forks, return to crockpot and mix everything together.  Serve with your favorite taco accompinaments.

Directions (for Enchiladas)

1. Prepare chicken mixture as directed for tacos.
2. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  Fill tortillas with a few tablespoons of filling, roll once and place seam-side down in a large baking dish.  Continue until all tortillas have been filled, rolled and placed in dish.  Be sure to pack them in tightly next to each other so that they don't come apart.
3. Sprinkle evenly  with one cup of shredded cheddar cheese and bake for 15 minute, until cheese is melted and bubbly and everything is heated through.
4. Remove from oven and top with fat free sour cream, diced avocado and fresh cilantro.  Or whatever your little enchilada hear desires :o).

For the record I would suggest using cheese with some fat in it.  I used fat free cheese when baking the enchiladas and it didn't get melty.  So sad.

My favorite flour tortillas are the low carb ones by Mama Lupe's.  They taste great and will only set you back 60 calories per tortilla, not too shabby.  When we made the enchiladas the first time we used Mission corn tortillas.  They were only 45 calories each, but I personally prefer flour tortillas.

Enjoy!