Southwest Chicken

Southwest Black Bean Chicken in the Crock Pot Time: 10 min. prep + 4 hours cooking Yield: 8 servings Recipe from Jamie Cooks It Up!

4 chicken breasts (you may even start with frozen)

1 8 oz can tomato sauce

1/2 of a 6 oz can tomato paste

2 15 oz cans corn

2 15 oz cans black beans

2 15 oz cans kidney beans

2 14.5 oz cans Mexican Stewed Tomatoes

1 Southwest marinade packet ( enchilada or taco will work as well)

Cheddar cheese and sour cream

Tortilla Chips or Whole wheat tortillas

1. Mix all ingredients except the chicken,cheese, and sour cream and tortillas in the bottom of a large crock pot. If you want it a bit thinner to eat as a soup, then add the liquid from two of the cans. Otherwise drain the liquid from the cans.
2. Place the chicken into the crock pot and cover it up with the sauce.

3. Cook on high for 4 hours. After it has cooked for 3 hours, take the chicken out, shred it and put it back in the crock pot for the remaining hour.

Mexican Beans and Rice

I love this one for a meat free night- it's filling but very easy on the budget and the belly! It also makes a decent recipe for building your three month food storage on, considering you will make your own tortillas and substitute frozen corn with canned, fresh cilantro with dried.

Ingredients:

1 lb bag pinto beans

1/4 Medium onion- un-chopped

2 whole garlic cloves

1 1/2 tsp canola oil

1 T finely chopped onion

1 C uncooked long grain rice or calrose rice(available in the Asian section)

1/2 tsp Salt

2/3 C frozen corn, thawed

1/4 C fresh cilantro, chopped

1/2 C tomato sauce

2 C water

12 Corn or taco size tortillas

sour cream

fresh salsa

Directions:

*Rinse beans well and soak over night. Drain and discard water

Put the drained beans in a soup pot ans add fresh water to cover pot about 2 inches. Add the whole 1/4 onion and whole garlic cloves to the pot. Bring to full boil and then reduce, simmer 3 hours. ( I have also put this in my small crock pot half the day when I know I am not going to be home to watch the stove all day long- easier

*Check to make sure beans are always covered with water through.

*Remove onion and garlic after beans are cooked, season generously with salt

*About 40 minutes until serving time, heat oil in saucepan over med heat ans cook the 1T chopped onion until soft. Add rice and stir for a min. Add the alt, corn, cilantro, tomato sauce and water and bring to a boil, decrease heat and sinner 15-20 min. or until rice is fully cooked

warm up tortillas over stove- We love the corn tortillas brushed with olive oil and fried in the pan until a little crunchy.

*Serve beans and rice in separate bowl and pass the tortillas around with the salsa and sour cream.

Black Bean and Corn Quesadillas

Picture coming!


INGREDIENTS:


2 teaspoons olive oil
3 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1 (15.5 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (10 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 cup salsa
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons butter, divided
8 (8 inch) flour tortillas
1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided


DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in onion, and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in beans and corn, then add sugar, salsa, and pepper flakes; mix well. Cook until heated through, about 3 minutes.
2. Melt 2 teaspoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Place a tortilla in the skillet, sprinkle evenly with cheese, then top with some of the bean mixture. Place another tortilla on top, cook until golden, then flip and cook on the other side. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling.