When good fresh ingredients are harder to find, whether because of winter or because of this quarantine situation we’re in now, it’s nice to have a delicious meal you can whip together from frozen chicken breasts and a bunch of cans! Try this one out – you’d never know that it comes all from your pantry and your freezer!
Update: I originally posted this recipe in early February, but the pictures I shot were last minute and horrible. I’ve updated the photos with some much more appetizing ones!
As much as I love cooking, there are plenty of times I absolutely love just being able to chop up a bunch of ingredients and throw them in my trusty old Crock-Pot, set it, and let it ride. I do this a lot in the winter. I think it’s a combination of wanting comfort food and some genetic marker buried in my psyche telling me that it’s time to hibernate.
But this recipe is beyond easy. There’s only one fresh thing to chop – an onion. And you will want to shred your chicken at the end of it. The rest of the recipe is canned or dried spices.
You heard me, canned. And dried spice.
You can build an absolutely delicious and nutritious recipe out of a couple fresh ingredients and a lot of little cans or jars.
This recipe has been such a favorite of mine and such a favorite on this site, I updated the pictures. I won’t show you the before pictures just yet. But you’d be amazed at how much of a boost a few tutorials I’ve browsed during quarantine have given my photography game. Aaaaaaaanyway…
People often say that canned food is less nutritious than fresh or frozen foods. But research has shown that isn’t always true. The purpose of canning, after all, is to preserve nutrients for times when you might not be able to get that fresh food you want.
Most minerals and vitamins A, D, E, and K, proteins, carbs, and fats are almost unaffected by the process. Which means you really only need to worry about getting your vitamins B and C.
On top of that, the heat involved in canning releases more antioxidants from foods like corn and tomatoes, increasing their nutritional value.
Look for the low-salt no-added-sugar version can, avoid things that are canned in syrup, and don’t be afraid to use canned food when you need something quick and easy – and you’re going to let a slow-cooker roast it for hours anyway.
It’s amazing what a slow cooker and a good recipe can do for a couple pieces of frozen chicken.
I often throw a couple extra chicken breasts into the Crock-pot when I’m making this chili just to shred them up for sandwiches or pasta dishes later on. Absolutely delicious, and just goes to make your cooking for the week that much easier.
So now you’re thinking, wow. Canned food, frozen chicken breasts, nothing fresh in this mix.
Nope. And it’s extremely affordable, extremely healthy, and extremely easy. No shame in my game.
So the next time you’re looking for something that fits in those categories – affordable, healthy, and easy – check out a Crock-Pot recipe. In addition to this one, I’ve got my Crock-Pot Chicken Noodle Soup and Crock-Pot Low Country Shrimp Boil that make it all too easy to set it and forget it and come home to a cooked dinner.
[lt_recipe name=”Crock-Pot Chicken Chili” summary=”This amazingly easy delicious meal comes together from a bunch of canned veggies, dried spices, and frozen chicken. And it’s delicious! No shame in our game here.” servings=”6″ total_time=”8H” print=”yes” image=”https://homefrontcooking.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Crockpot-chicken-chili-0562-1024×683.jpg” ingredients=”1 14-oz can diced tomatoes;1 6-oz can tomato sauce;2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts;2 cups chicken broth;1 yellow onion, diced;1 3-oz can diced green chiles;1 8-oz can corn, rinsed and drained;1 14-oz can black beans, rinsed and drained;1 tsp salt;2 tsp dried oregano;2 tsp chili powder;1 tbsp ground cumin;3 cloves garlic, minced;4 oz cream cheese” ]Add everything but the cream cheese to a large slow-cooker, and give everything a stir to mix the flavors.;Cook on low for 6-8 hours, or high for about 3 {check your chicken for dryness}.;Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and shred with two forks. Return to the slow cooker and add the cream cheese. Stir until the cream cheese has melted. Add salt and pepper to taste, and cook about 15 more minutes.;Serve warm, preferably topped with shredded cheese and avocado.[/lt_recipe]
Note: We love to serve this with a batch of my skillet cornbread or country biscuits {coming soon!}.
How about you guys? What’s your go-to easy comfort favorite recipe?
