Slow Cooker Mexican Crack Chicken -- The Meal That Earns Its Number on the List

The first day of spring was Sunday and I spent it cleaning out the pantry, which seemed right. I pulled every can, every box of pasta, every forgotten bag of lentils I had bought with intentions I have not fulfilled, every spice jar predating Lily's birth, and I organized. Threw away the lentils. I have now bought lentils three times and cooked them zero times and I think this is a message I should stop ignoring. Sorted the cans: soups, beans, tomatoes, vegetables, and the cream of mushroom soup that is the backbone of Utah Mormon casserole culture, the ingredient holding the Jell-O Belt together since 1952.

Pantry inventory led naturally to the freezer, which I had audited two weeks ago but do again because the accountant needs current numbers to feel safe. Down to twelve meals, lower than I like. I batch-prepped fourteen more in the afternoon: taco soup, pulled pork, chicken teriyaki with homemade sauce because bottled teriyaki has enough sodium to pickle a vegetable, and vegetable beef soup that I had promised Olivia and kept delaying, and she is ten and patient and patient children deserve their soup before spring ends.

Twenty-six meals total when I finished. I wrote the number down. The number felt like safety, which is still the number's primary function in my life, and I have stopped pretending otherwise.

Brandon came into the kitchen, opened the pantry cabinet, and stood looking at the organized rows for a moment. He said it looks like a grocery store. I said thank you. He said that was not necessarily a compliment. I said I was receiving it as one. He shook his head in the specific way he does when he disagrees but knows I am right, and went to watch the game.

I have decided the equinox is my favorite astronomical event, not because spring is my favorite season, that is fall when the light goes gold and the soup justification becomes automatic, but because the equinox is when the year tips. The days stop being shorter than the nights. The sun wins incrementally, without drama. I am trying to be more like an equinox.

The week I finished freezing twenty-six meals, I wanted to make something that required almost nothing from me—something I could start in the morning and walk away from, the way I’m trying to walk away from the need to control every outcome. Slow cooker crack chicken is that recipe: you put it together in ten minutes, close the lid, and the day does the rest. It felt like practicing equinox logic in the kitchen.

Slow Cooker Mexican Crack Chicken

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 6–8 hours | Total Time: 6 hours 10 min | Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 packet (1 oz) ranch seasoning mix
• 1 packet (1 oz) taco seasoning mix
• 1 can (10 oz) diced tomatoes with green chiles (such as Ro-Tel), undrained
• 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can (15 oz) corn, drained
• 8 oz cream cheese, cubed
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1 cup shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Layer the base. Place chicken breasts in a single layer in the slow cooker. Pour chicken broth over the top.
2. Season. Sprinkle both seasoning packets evenly over the chicken. Add the diced tomatoes with green chiles, black beans, and corn.
3. Cook low and slow. Cover and cook on low for 6–8 hours or on high for 3–4 hours, until chicken shreds easily with a fork.
4. Add cream cheese. In the last 30 minutes of cooking, add the cubed cream cheese. Replace the lid and let it soften, then stir until fully incorporated into the sauce.
5. Shred and combine. Use two forks to shred the chicken directly in the slow cooker. Stir everything together to coat well.
6. Finish with cheese. Stir in the shredded cheddar until melted. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
7. Serve or freeze. Serve over rice, in tortillas, over baked potatoes, or with chips. To freeze, cool completely and portion into quart-size freezer bags or airtight containers. Label with the date. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat on the stovetop or microwave.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 390 | Protein: 36g | Fat: 18g | Carbs: 22g | Fiber: 4g | Sodium: 870mg