Weekend Cooking- Sometimes It's The Simple Things

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Sometimes I dread thinking about what to make for dinner, especially when I know I have to work and won't be home until after 6:30pm. I could get something at the grocery store the day before that's a 30 minute recipe, but then I have to rush home, have no down time, and get right down to cooking.

Or I could turn to my InstaPot, figuring that I will throw something in the slow cooker, turn it on and head out to work. That still requires a grcoery store run the day before, but at least when I get home from work I have the main entree part done. Then it's just figure out a side, vegetable and salad, and it's done.

A few weeks ago, I decided to go the slow cooker route and pulled out a cookbook I haven't yet used- Phyllis Good's Stock the Crock- 100 Must-Have Slow-Cooker Recipes, 200 Variations for Every Appetite. I picked it up at the Book Expo a few years ago, but never used a recipe from it.

Not being in any mood for something with mulitple steps, I found a Basic Chicken and Salsa recipe by Sara P. The book is filled with recipes from "a community of cooks". Well, OK, Sara P., let's see if this works.

You need 2- 3 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken thighs and a 16 jar of salsa. I happened to have jar of Frontera salsa sitting in my cupboard, so that was easy. Spray your slower cooker with nonstick cooking spray, put the thighs in and top with the salsa. Cook on low for 4 to 4 1/2 hours, then shred the chicken in the salsa and put over rice. That is it.

I had my doubts- it seemed too easy. I was fully prepared to order out that night if this didn't work.
Boy, was I surprised. I came home to a wonderful smell, and my son's girlfriend had kindly shredded the chicken before I got home, so I didn't even have to do that!

It. Was. Delicious. My husband and I loved it, the chicken was so tender and the salsa was flavorful. (Using thighs instead of boneless breast is key.) When my son and his girlfriend came home much later, they had some of the leftovers and asked for the recipe. My husband even took some for lunch the next day
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They do suggest some variations to spice it up- add a drained can of black beans and one cup of fresh corn before pouring the salsa over the chicken in the slow cooker. You can also top the chicken with cheese, avocado slices, halved cherry tomatoes, chopped red onion and bell peppers.

Sometimes it's the simple things.