By now, regular readers of this page probably know I love my slow cooker. After a hectic day, there is nothing like coming home to a meal that is cooked and ready.
This little concoction is quick and simple to prepare. But boy, does it turn out a great, zany Spanish taste! Serve it with shredded cheese, sour cream, salsa and diced tomatoes, and it's even better.
The recipe calls for a good deal of rice, which will, of course, expand as it cooks and as the liquid reduces. I have a large slow cooker which easily accommodates a family-size meal like this. If your slow cooker is smaller, I suggest you reduce the amount of rice, salsa, chicken broth and diced tomatoes accordingly.
One of the main things to remember is slow cookers don't brown food. So if I am cooking chicken, I always sear the meat first in a skillet to give it some color and a more appetizing appearance before moving it to the slow cooker for more thorough cooking. Also, I always season my chicken with some poultry seasoning while in the skillet.
After that, it really gets easy. Simply mix up the rice, chicken broth, salsa, diced tomatoes (I prefer petite diced) and chopped onion. Then add the browned chicken, and you are ready to go.
Put on the lid and forget it.
Fact Box
Slow-cooked Chicken and Rice Fiesta
3 cups uncooked long grain rice
1 can (14 oz) chicken broth
1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
1 cup medium or hot salsa
1 medium onion, chopped
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
olive oil
shredded cheese
sour cream
Spray inside of slow cooker with cooking spray.
Pour uncooked rice into slow cooker.
Add chicken broth, diced tomatoes, salsa and onions. Mix well.
In a large skillet, brown chicken in olive oil.
Place chicken in slow cooker.
Cover and cook on low for about 6 hours.
Top with shredded cheese and serve with sour cream and salsa.
But don't forget that slow cookers cook by building up heat inside the closed unit. Make sure your lid fits properly, and don't be tempted to lift the lid to check on the meal before it is complete. Every time you lift the lid, it takes 20 to 30 minutes for the unit to return to the original cooking temperature.
I serve the dish with a dollop of sour cream, shredded cheese, salsa and diced tomatoes.
It's fiesta time!