So it was settled - we were making a dish using the crockpot. But what dish? We scoured the internet for the perfect crock pot recipe and we came across a few choices. After reading out finalists over and over we crossed our fingers and hoped this Salsa Chicken would be the one. Now, I wouldn't say it was perfect, and I am not sure I will be jumping to try it again right away (although I will eventually with some alterations), but it was a good meal, and the chicken was cooked amazingly. It was just the seasonings I would adjust.

Like I said it was pretty spicy, which isn't awful, but the spice just didn't mesh 100% with the salsa we chose. I guess that was our fault because we went out on a limb with our salsa choice. And after all, who goes out on a limb when trying a recipe for the first time...this couple over here, WE DO, ha! And, while we may not do it again anytime soon, I am sure it won't be our last time winging it. It has worked out pretty well for us in the past, but it wasn't our best choice this week. The original recipe called for a cup and a half of "your favorite salsa." Neither Brenden or I eat salsa very often, so needless to say, we don't particularly have a favorite brand (and even if we did, it would probably somehow be completely opposite of each other's choice). Any-who we ventured up the salsa aisle and reviewed our options. One of our other crock pot finalist was a pineapple chicken, so we were excited when we found, Newman's Own Pineapple Salsa. We thought it would be a great way to incorporate the pineapple. And, even though it was a little more pricy, the proceeds go to charity; how can you beat that?! But as I mentioned earlier, while the salsa may have been fabulous with a chip to dip and daiquiri in the opposite hand, it didn't quite work with this mix. Next time, I would try sticking with a more traditional salsa, and maybe tone down the amount of spicy spices I throw in. Definitely didn't need that extra cayenne pepper...whoops. What can I say? It was a day of living on the edge.


Now I really hope you aren't completely turned off by this meal because as I mentioned it did turn out pretty decent, just not the best; as you can see it looks pretty delish, and if nothing else, it is so, so, sooooo super easy to make! I promise, if it was a complete disaster I would not post it. Believe me, there is a reason you haven't heard about our homemade tomato soup (or should I say tomato water) or our chocolate wasabi pie (it sounded like a good idea at the time). But back to the Salsa Chicken. We spiced ours up by making wraps with all of our favorite toppings which made it even tastier. I added avocado to mine. I mean come on salsa, avocado, the two go hand-in-hand. We also garnished our wraps with some cheddar cheese, onions and sauteed zucchini (for me, remember Brenden is a plain jane) to make it extra filling and yummy in our tummies.

Crock Pot Salsa Chicken
Recipe adapted from www.heandsheeatclean.com, Salsa Chicken

Ingredients

• 3.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 large diced tomatoes
• 1.5 cups of your favorite salsa
• 2 Tbsp garlic powder
• 2 Tbsp red pepper flakes
• 1 Tbsp crushed black pepper
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

Directions

1. Trim the fat from the chicken breasts.
2. In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients from tomatoes through the end.
3. Coat each chicken breast with mixture and place in crock pot.
4. Pour remaining sauce/seasonings over chicken in crock pot, mixing it slightly to distribute evenly.
5. Cook on low for about 7-7.5 hours.
6. Once fully cooked, remove chicken from the crock pot, draining extra liquid, and shred with two forks.
7. Eat plain in a wrap, sandwich, or salad with your favorite ingredients and enjoy.

(Note: Stay tuned next week for a special Date Night Dinner, from Brenden's point of view!)