Taco Chicken

OK folks there is no "Original recipe" for this one. Not that no one before me has ever made it cause I know they have. My best friend is actually the one who talked me into making this!

Taco Chicken

Ingredients
2-6 chicken breasts (Fresh or frozen)
Taco seasoning (min of two packets or make your own)


Soooo yeah this is one of the easiest things you'll ever make!

I use my small slow cooker for this because I only use 3 chicken breasts. I spray my crock with Pam first. Add the chicken split side up and coat thoroughly in taco seasoning. Flip over and coat again. If using fresh chicken breasts I add 1/4-1/2 cup of water. If using frozen usually enough water comes out of them that I don't need to worry about it.

Now if my kid could eat tomatoes I would cover the chicken in half to a full jar of salsa (depending on the number of chicken breasts) and omit the water completely.

I put my slow cooker on low and let it cook all day. Because there's enough moisture in the slow cooker I've never had it get dry. Take two forks and shred it well before serving.

I then make rice in my rice cooker and shred a pile of cheddar cheese. For mine I take a glass bowl and mix salsa into my chicken and then put it in the microwave for a minute to heat it back up (if my salsa has been in the fridge). Then I add rice and cheese and stir. It looks pretty gross but it tastes amazing!

With the 3 breasts in the slow cooker and the 3 cups of rice I make we have enough for both of us for dinner (usually 2 servings each because we love this so much) and enough left for lunch the next day too!

On a side note, because I make my own taco seasoning I know exactly how spicy this will be. I tend to do a little less cayenne than the recipe calls for just due to our tastes...and I MIGHT add a little more garlic powder than it calls for too. If you've never made your own taco seasoning I highly suggest it! It's a great way to save money and if you're trying to cut back on salt it's a great way to control it!

Hope you enjoy :)

Best Beef Dip Ever

Original recipe

Garlic Aioli

Ingredients
4 pounds beef chuck roast
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon dried rosemary
3 bay leaves
1 cup soy sauce
6 cups water
Directions
Place roast in slow cooker. Season with garlic and rosemary and add bay leaves. Pour in soy sauce and water. Cook on Low setting for 6 to 10 hours. Unlike most roasts, the longer it cooks, the better.

Garlic Aioli

Ingredients
3/4 cup mayonnaise
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Directions
Mix mayonnaise, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.

So I could not find a roast that was 4 pounds to save my life...OK I bought a roast at the second store I went to cause I was tired and didn't want to keep looking. So I ended up with a roast that was a little shy of 3 pounds. I took 3 cloves of garlic to my mini grater and then gave the roast a massage with it. I put the rosemary and bay leaves in cheesecloth so that we wouldn't be picking rosemary out of our teeth for days! I read the reviews on the recipe and bought low sodium soy sauce because some people were complaining that it was too salty and I am glad that I did! So with a smaller roast than what the recipe called for my roast was completely submerged in liquid and honestly I think that was a good thing for this recipe as the flavour really got into the meat. I was hesitant that so few ingredients would result in bland meat and jus but WOW this was flavour packed!

For the aioli I left out the salt as well and made it the night before. My boyfriend is really sensitive to salt so I try to be mindful of that when cooking for him. It was amazingly tasty! I did listen to reviews on this one as well and did NOT taste it right after making it because it would be overwhelmed by the lemon juice. Even the picky teenager liked the aioli!!!

I split hot dog buns and spread aioli on both sides, then added my meat and sauteed onions and mushrooms then topped with sliced mozzarella cheese and put it under the broiler for a few minutes to get it all melty. Man what an amazing meal!!!

So my two little caveats! #1 chances are really good you'll end up with shredded beef like I did not actual slices of meat. I was fine with that as I know that's how most slow cooker recipes turn out. I'd rather have shredded beef with more flavour than nice slices with less flavour. #2 you will have a TON of jus leftover! We had enough for 11 sandwiches in total between two dinners (one for 3 and one for 2 people and the kid taking one for lunch) and there was loads of liquid left. I could have saved it for soup base or something but didn't think of it before telling the kid to toss it!

I have been informed that I can make this meal again anytime!