Chicken Chili Tacos

Who’s getting excited for fall TV shows to premiere?? Although I’ll be sad to see some of the summer shows like Graceland, Suits, and The Bridge come to an end, KK and I spent Friday night clearing out the DVR in anticipation of the premieres starting to air over the next two weeks.  I finished watching In Time Saturday morning, dropped my bike off for a tune up, and then KK and I headed to PA for his cousin’s kid’s 1st birthday party.  KK’s cousin lives in an apartment complex that has a clubhouse available for private parties, so the main event was hosted there.  The party was circus themed – complete with cotton candy, popcorn, animal crackers (in lieu of actual animals), games, and a big top tent.  Ayden, the birthday boy, was dressed to the nines in a sharp suit vest! Sadly, the goodie bags were only for the children guests, but KK’s cousin did send our car home with a few extra cupcakes for the road :)

My crockpot hasn't seen the light of day for several months because summer isn't exactly the time to have the slow cooker going all day.  Given that the slow cooker was one of my favorite gifts received at my bridal shower, I was excited when KK told me we were trying a new slow cooker recipe Friday night.  This meal did not disappoint and it will feed an entire army.  After 9.5 hours on low, my chicken was so tender that it began to shred as I stirred the crockpot mixture.  If your chicken doesn't shred as easily, remove it from the crockpot and shred it on a plate or cutting board using two forks.  The chili looked watery well so I added 4 oz. cream cheese to thicken the mixture up a bit.  Based on comments from the original recipe, I also cranked up the heat to high and cooked the chili uncovered for the last 30 minutes.  The chili was still too liquid-y after 10 hours of cooking, but KK and I were hungry, so we forged on.  Despite being quite messy, the tacos were still delicious.  I'm looking forward to the leftovers I brought into work for lunch today.  Instead of dealing with taco shells at work, I plan on warming the chili and having it over lettuce as a chicken chili salad! The instructions below represent a decreased amount of liquid ingredients in the chili.  One final comment - I heated the taco shells in the oven for 7 minutes at 325 degrees to get them extra crispy!

Chicken Chili Tacos
Adapted from Katherine in the Kitchen
Time: 10 minutes + 6-10 hours crockpot cooking
Serves: 8

Ingredients
1 medium onion, chopped 
16-oz can black beans, drained
16-oz can kidney beans, drained
2 8-oz cans tomato sauce
2 14.5-oz cans diced tomatoes, drained
4-oz. can diced green chiles, drained (optional)
10-oz package frozen corn
1 packet taco seasoning 
1 Tbsp cumin 
1 Tbsp chili powder
1.5 lb. frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts 
1 package hard taco shells
Shredded cheese, sour cream and guacamole, for topping (optional)

Directions
1. Combine onion, beans, tomato sauce, drained diced tomatoes, green chilies (optional), corn, taco seasoning, cumin, and chili powder in a large slow cooker.  Place chicken on top and cover.  Cook on low for 10 hours, or high for 6 hours.

2. 30 minutes prior to serving, shred chicken using two forks.  Return chicken to slow cooker, stir to combine, cover, and cook for 30 additional minutes.

3. Serve in taco shells.  If desired, top with Mexican blend cheese, sour cream, and/or guacamole.