Crock Pot Saturday: Arroz Con Pollo/Chicken with Rice

Crock Pot cooking is a simple way to cook and an easy cleanup! Don't overlook it if you're searching out easy meals.

Grocery List:

2-4 chicken breasts

1 16 oz can tomato sauce

½-1 onion, chopped

1 teaspoon chili powder, more or less to taste

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon of salt

¼ teaspoon of black pepper

2-3 cloves of garlic chopped

2 cups uncooked instant rice

1 red bell pepper, diced

You can do this two ways: The really easy way or the easy way.

Directions

­The really easy way:

1.) Put the chicken, tomato sauce, chopped onion, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper and garlic in the crock pot. Set on low and just let it cook. It should be done within 2 hours or so, however, you can let it go for some time. If you do let it go, make sure you check it to make sure it does not dry out too much. Go to step 2.

The easy way:

1.) Put a bit of olive oil (a table spoon or two) in a frying pan and turn heat on medium. Put your spices (chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper) into a small bowl and mix. Sprinkle these over your chicken breasts and rub it in. (Kind of gross but worth it.) Sear your chicken breasts in the pan for a min or two (or three) on each side, until the outside looks like something you might want to eat. (Of course, this isn’t something you’d want to eat, the middle isn’t cooked.) Go to step 2.

2.) After chicken is seared, put the chicken, tomato sauce, chopped onion, and garlic in the crock pot. Set on low and just let it cook. It should be done within 2 hours or so, however, you can let it go for some time. (I haven’t let it go over three hours.) If you do let it go, make sure you check it to make sure it does not dry out too much.

3.) **30 minutes before your ready to eat, add uncooked rice and bell pepper to crock pot. Cook for 30 minutes.

Notes:

**If, for any reason, it does not look like there is more than 2 cups of liquid in the crock pot (due to evaporation or whatnot), feel free to add a bit of water. I wouldn’t add more than ½-1 cup. If you end up adding too much water, no worries. You can always add a bit more rice. There should be close to equal parts water and rice (1 cup rice, 1 cup water/2 cups rice, 2 cups water, etc.)