The new WIC foods have been a huge blessing to us. We can now get fruits and veggies, canned beans, bread or tortillas, and several other things. I have figured out how to get the most bang for our buck with it, but I can’t always use it all! So I came up with this one day when I was contemplating all of my stored food.
First of all, you’ll need chicken. Sadly, this is not available on WIC. However, I can typically get fresh boneless skinless chicken breasts for under $2/lb. When I find it at this price, I stock up. If it’s fresh chicken, I split them into zipper bags of 2 breasts each and freeze. That is a perfect portion size for this dish. Individually flash frozen chicken makes it even easier. You just dump 2 breasts in the bottom of the crockpot. No thawing, no prep work…just toss them in there.
Next I go for the beans and veggies. All of these can be purchased on WIC. (And are relatively inexpensive if you don’t receive WIC.) I’ve used black beans, navy beans, cannellini…whatever I have on hand that appeals to me. I use 1-2 cans, depending on what is in the pantry. Next is a 16 oz frozen bag of corn. Then a can (or 2) of diced tomatoes. If you don’t like canned tomatoes, chop up a couple of fresh ones. You can always substitute red pepper for the tomatoes if you don’t like tomato. Maybe you’re allergic to corn…try onion and green pepper instead. Add some jalapeño if you like it hot. There aren’t any rules on this one!
Last is the seasoning. A cup of salsa. A dash of chili powder. Cumin, cilantro, cayenne. (All of those “C” spices!) I don’t measure, so I can’t tell you what’s best. If you like it spicy, add a lot. If you prefer to taste the food rather than the spice, use a little. Again, there are no rules here.
Turn the crockpot on low if you managed to get it all in there before lunchtime. If it’s after noon, go ahead and put it on high. Once the chicken is cooked (about 4 hours on high, 6 hours on low, but this will depend on your crockpot) you’ll want to either shred it or pull it out and chop it up, then return it to the pot. At this time you can also taste it and adjust the spices or other ingredients.
At dinner time, top as desired. We like to serve with a few tortilla chips, cheese (also available on WIC), and some sour cream. If we have fresh tomatoes, we slice some and top it with those. Others like to add green onions or olives. It’s all up to you!
Besides being easy and affordable, this dish is so adaptable. It can really be a different meal every time you make it. That also makes it easier to use what you have on hand. And if you have leftovers, you can have them for lunch, turn it into dip for a party, or use them as a starter for next week’s soup. I love to take a recipe and play with it and make it mine and this one is perfect for that. Enjoy!
Kelly
June 23, 2010 at 10:27 pm
Sounds tasty!