Santa Fe Chicken (a Crock Pot recipe)

I stumbled across an amazing Web site the other day, called SkinnyTaste.com. Seriously, guys, it is a wealth of deliciousness! I have been trying to incorporate more healthy, low-fat recipes into our line-up of traditional Southern (ie: FATTY) staples. Most recipes I come across that are low-fat or low-cal look incredibly unappetizing. If the food isn’t satisfying, there is no way I can stick to a healthier lifestyle and make better food choices. No way, no how. I like food too much to eat something I don’t fully enjoy. Imagine my sheer joy when I found this site where the food all looks like REAL FOOD. And? If you do Weight Watchers, Gina puts the point value on each and every recipe, along with the other nutritional information.

We tried out her Santa Fe Chicken recipe last night, and I have to say, I was incredibly impressed. I really wanted to share it with you guys because we liked it so much, and it’s very budget-friendly! It made enough for at least two or three full meals for our family. It was a bit spicy for Knox, so if you’re feeding kiddos, leave out the cayenne!

Crock Pot Santa Fe Chicken
Gina’s Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 8 servings • Size: 1 cup • Old Points: 3 pts • Points+: 4 pts
Calories: 190 • Fat: 1.5 g • Fiber: 5.6 g • Carbs: 23.1 g • Protein: 21 g

• 24 oz (1 1/2) lbs chicken breast
• 14.4 oz can diced tomatoes with mild green chilies (Publix has their own brand for cheap)
• 15 oz can black beans
• 8 oz frozen corn
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 14.4 oz can fat free chicken broth
• 3 scallions, chopped (I used one small onion)
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder (I omitted this since I used real onion)
• 1 tsp cumin (I used a healthy shake, not a full teaspoon)
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper (again, I just gave a shake- I think a full teaspoon would have burned my taste buds off)
• salt to taste (make sure you taste before serving and adjust your salt)

Combine chicken broth, beans, corn, tomatoes, cilantro, scallions, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, cayenne pepper and salt in the crock pot.  Season chicken breast with salt and lay on top. Cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 6 hours.

(This is going to look really watery, but don’t worry, once you shred the chicken into it, it evens out). Half hour before serving, remove chicken and shred. Return chicken to slow cooker and stir in. Adjust salt and seasoning. Serve over rice (extra pts).

This is pretty true to what it ends up looking like. We didn’t top ours with any cheese or green onion- it really didn’t need it. Trevor told me “Wow, this tastes nothing like it looks. I saw that and thought it was going to taste kind of bland.” First off, I wanted to say “I don’t ever make bland food, crazy man!” LOL, but seriously, he was right- this stuff was flavor-packed. It didn’t feel like “diet” food at all, even though there are only 1.5 grams of fat in a serving! We served ours over brown rice, and it was delicious- can’t wait for the leftovers! I have to say, this would also make a pretty rockin’ soup or stew if you didn’t want to add rice.

I’ll make sure to share new recipes we try and love with you guys!

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