I was challenged this week with writing a blog post about easy crock pot recipes. Here is the first in my installments of my 5 easiest slow cooker recipes, starting with one I make weekly now.

You just need a taco shell, tortilla, or bowl of rice and you are all set!

The Easiest Shredded Chicken Ever

Yes, I kid you not, this it the recipe I go to when I am rushing off to work and want something ready for dinner with only 5 minutes prep.

3 frozen chicken breasts, boneless 1 jar of salsa, can of enchilada sauce, or some diced tomatoes and green chilies (read, whatever I have on hand) salt, pepper, taco seasoning, etc to taste (read, whatever sounds good at the moment)

I spray the inside of the crock pot with olive oil, put in the chicken breasts (frozen, not thawed) and cover them with something (I have tried all the above ideas, and they are all good). Then I put on the lid, turn it on, and come back 8 hours later.

My crock pot has a timer that switches to warm after 8 hours on low (or whatever I set it to), so I just come home, shred the chicken with two forks, and leave it to soak up the sauce until we are ready to eat it.

What I love about it is that it is basically foolproof, serves our family that night for dinner, and then lunches and more dinners for several days with taco filling, enchilada filling, and sometimes just dumped over rice for a satisfying meal we don’t have to get at Taco Bell.

This is a variation from the recipe that on of my doulas (Suzy) and her daughter Shelly shared with me after we talked about how time consuming some crock pot recipes can be. Their version is 3 frozen chicken breasts, a can of black beans, and a jar of salsa, which was also delicious, but my kids picked out the black beans, so I just leave those out now. (Not sure why, they love black beans, just not *in* things, evidently.)

My assistant Krista makes a version with homemade taco seasoning (MSG free!) and 1/4 c. water (but leaves out the jar of something), which evidently is a family favorite as well.

If you haven’t tried crock pot cooking much yet, I recommend starting with this recipe. It is so easy and yummy, and it is great to start with a success. More recipes will follow…send my your favorites too at kimberly@abcdoula.com or find us on FB.