Mexican Night Via Crock Pot

We love Mexican food, but I will admit not many of the recipes I make include the words Crock Pot. Honestly, with the exception of my Taco Soup and Chicken Enchiladas, I can't think of any others! So when a friend told me about this "go-to" recipe she makes, I figured it was worth a try to add another to that short list. She couldn't remember the entire recipe off the top of her head, but she did know it had cream cheese and black beans in it. Well, with the Internet, there really is nothing you can't find. Just by typing those two ingredients plus chicken into a search engine, I found something I had to believe was close to what she makes...and indeed I was right.

Now I will be honest with you. The original recipe calls for the chicken breasts to be added to the Crock Pot frozen, and while I can understand the convenience of that, (Heck, I forget to thaw meat out all the time!), I'm just not comfortable with it. I think it will cook more evenly, and to a safer temperature if it's thawed beforehand. But that is my hang up, so if it's something you do and feel okay about, then by all means, skip the browning steps below and throw those suckers in rock solid!

This is a great Mexican dish as is, or served over rice, which is what I did. Or you could shred the chicken and have a fantastic filling for tortillas! It truly is very versatile. I could even see shredding the chicken, mixing everything together and keeping it warm for a party. Set out a stack of tortillas or chips and let your guests make their own burrito or nachos.

Mexican nights at our house are always a good time, and something we look forward to. But I especially look forward to them when they are this easy and turn out so incredibly delicious!

Crock Pot Creamy Chicken and Black Beans

4 boneless chicken breasts, thawed

2 TBS olive oil

Garlic Salt

Shallot-Pepper Seasoning Blend (Any grill seasoning would work)

1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15 oz.) can corn, drained

1 (15 oz.) jar salsa

Salt and Pepper to taste

8 oz. cream cheese, cubed

3 green onions, chopped

1/4 c. cilantro, chopped

Cooked Rice, optional

In a large skillet, heat oil to medium heat. Season both sides of chicken with garlic salt, seasoning blend, salt and pepper. Brown chicken in oil for 2-3 minutes on both sides. Combine corn, black beans and salsa in Crock Pot. Lay chicken on top. Cook on HIGH for 1 hour. Reduce to LOW and cook for 4-5 hours until chicken in cooked through. Remove chicken from Crock Pot. Stir in cream cheese and mix well to combine. Replace chicken and cook for 20-30 minutes until cream cheese melted and mixture is smooth. About 5 minutes before serving remove chicken, add green onions and mix well. To serve, divide cooked rice among 4 plates. Top each with a chicken breast. Spoon bean mixture over chicken and garnish with cilantro.

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