My sewing machine is on overdrive. Halloween costumes, it seems, should be finished two weeks before Halloween. Why can I never remember this? We've become so adept at celebrating that each holiday spills out of it's little calendar box into an entire month of festivities. Ain't life grand?So, even though Halloween is next Friday night, the two charges have a Halloween party tonight, a carnival tomorrow, a wear-your-costume ballet lesson and vocal class mid week and best of all: my two little costumed charges are playing their violins with the Southwest Symphony for a Halloween concert on Thursday night. I can't wait to see Belle and Obi Wan Kenobi up there, fiddling their little Halloween hearts out. So, here I sit at the computer, in pajamas, but covered with bits of yellow thread and brown fabric scraps. But I'm almost done. And it's good to know they'll be getting good use out of these Halloween costumes. All week long.
Our favorite weekend dinner, hands down, is tacos. This four ingredient slow cooker recipe is a huge time saver. I don't even bother to defrost the chicken before plunking it in, smothered in itty bitty tomatoes, brown sugar, and crushed red pepper. That's it. If we have tacos on Friday night, you can bet we'll have chicken quesadillas on Sunday. Have a great weekend everybody.
Money Saving Tips: Chicken is one of those items that can cost you a lot or a little, depending on the sales of the week. When it goes on sale for less than $2/lb, stock up. If you can't find petite diced tomatoes, chop canned diced tomatoes into small pieces. Tabasco to taste could stand in for the pepper flakes.
Slow Cooker Sweet and Spicy Chicken for Tacos
Estimated Cost: $3.00
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 (14 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Coat inside of crock pot with no stick cooking spray. Place all ingredients in crock pot. Cook on high for 4-6 hours or on low for 8-10 hours, or until chicken shreds very easily with a fork. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Chicken will absorb liquid after it is shredded.) Serve in tacos.
Next Up:
Velvety Buttermilk Donuts with Maple Glaze
74 comments:
Looks delicious!! Have fun with the costumes - I'm sure they will love 'em.
Haha!! You and my mom are the same with the sewing machine, for sure :0)
Happy Friday!!
I'll second the delicious!! I've always made my two their costumes and even as adults.. and at last minute still creating & putting together!
You are so good- making your kids costumes. Me and the sewing machine had a falling out when I was about 13 and we haven't been able to mend our relationship (ha ha) Talk about a busy weekend. You have got your hands full. How fun for your kids!
These look like the perfect solution for a busy weekend. I love tacos and love that you made them with delicious chicken. Great recipe! Have fun this weekend!
Prudy...Oh...Yum...I am definitely pulling out the crock pot and making tacos tomorrow. I actually have all the ingredients on hand too. Thanks so much. I hope we will get to see the costumes you are sewing!
♥Rosemary
I thought you finished those costumes in August! That sounds like something I would do by waiting till the last minute to sew, not something that you would do! I sew better under a little pressure. Good luck with that. Good thing you own a slow cooker for times like these. Your week long social calendar sounds like such fun. Good luck little charges with your concert!
Is blogger starting to hate you? Just looked at my side bar and it says the last time you updated was 4 weeks ago! You know that I know better than that!!!!!
Thank you for this great recipe. Our family loves tacos and I will be making this on a busy day this week. Good luck with your costumes!
Your kids will love those costumes! :) I remember when we were children we didn't know what we were gonna be until the last minute. It might just be a sheet over our heads with two holes for eyes and presto we were ghosts. Boy, gone are those days! And yet you still have time to make fabulous meals. You truly amaze me. You are such an encouragement to me and I have learned so much from just reading your blog. Thank you! I'm definitely going to try these crockpot tacos!
You are so good. I used to make the boys just wear there sports uniforms! Ha! Chicken looks great!
Gigi:
I always think I'm almost done, but then I forget little things like hems, or the gloves that are supposed to go along. What's really killing me this year are the little extras on the Obi Wan belt.
I seriously need a slow cooker, this looks fab
Oh, bless you for posting this recipe. I need more slow cooker recipes in a bad bad way. This looks so completely perfect in every way. Taco night, here we come! I can't wait to see pictures of your little sweeties in their costumes! If anyone can pull off the costume-making-under-pressure feat, you can, Prudy.
BTW, I wanted you to know that passed on your very kind meme and award, and linked back here. Thank you again!
Bless you Prudy. I think Tacos is the greatest thing since ....Sliced bread! I am having tacos tonight too.
Ok, your wore me out before I even got to the recipe. I will quit whining about my two keeping at the ballfield so much. Your tacos are a fabulous idea, look fantastic and would be a tremendous hit at our house.
Oh yum Prudy! Thanks for telling me what we're having for dinner tonight. :-)
I still have the little costume I made for my son when he was six. He's thirty six now but it has so many wonderful memories attached that I can't get rid of it. I'm going to make these tacos for sure. Excellent recipe.
I always get my chicken on sale. I have not yet started the costumes, although my youngest is talking about being a dragon again and saving me from one costume. That will be this weekend's project. See? You are ahead! You are good! My favorite costume ever was the tiger I made my baby when he was 3, which he wore until Thanksgiving, and I had to lengthen 2 years beyond that, because he loves tigers so much!
Oh--I am so busy right now too! This will be a lifesaver! It looks sooo good--and your tortilla's for the tacos look awesome! What brand are they? Or are they homemade? I am impressed that you are sewing your children's costumes! What a great Mom!!(with great skills!)
These look delicious! Great use of the slow-cooker. As to the costumes --- they always get done. Better still they may forget many of the things you do for them, but the costumes are never forgotten.
This chicken looks delicious!!
Phew - you certainly have your hands full with Halloween costumes - happy sewing!
Rosie x
Thanks for the great recipe. I am definitly making this tonight. I also make my kids costumes, unless they want to be Darth Vader.
Here is a great and easy mexican rice recipe that would be great with the taco's.
1 can tomato sauce
1 can water
1 cup rice browned in 1 TBS oil
1 chicken or beef boulion cube.
Brown rice, add rest of ingredients bring to boil place lid on and cook as you would normal rice. For more spice replace tomato sauce with 1 cup salsa blended.
Sorry it was supposed to be 1 cup water not one can
Yum, we love tacos as well. I will definitely be trying this recipe! Nothing is better than easy slow cooked food.
Mmmmm... I love tacos and those look fantastic.
And you sew, too?
Thank you for the slow cooker recipe - I need a stockpile of these. Keep 'em comin' :)
Great job making the Halloween costumes! It's great that they have some many places to wear them -- makes the hard work seem more worthwhile. Your chicken looks wonderful. I plan on making it as soon as I can make it to the store! Have a great day!!!
Every time I see a slow cooker recipe I kick myself. We got a really nice one for our wedding but we still haven't used it. Shame on us! I will have to try this one!!
You've just about convinced me that my crockpot may have to come out of solitary confinement with this one. I'm marking it to try in the next couple of weeks. It looks like a perfect way to make chicken for tacos!
Oh what a great way to eat tacos. I love that you can get 2 great meals out of this too. I'm all over this Erin!! Great recipe!
Have a fun weekend with the kids!
Thankyou for sharing this one! I love anything that is cooked in the slow cooker. Especially chicken, since I don't eat it. But I like quick and easy recipes for my little carnivores and this one definitely fits the bill! Have you tried Hunts Tomatoes - Fire Roasted Diced with garlic? I love the texture! It's more like a sauce than a pile of diced tomatoes in juice. Anyway, I wondered if you had ever tried them. I can't wait to make this chicken, it really is perfect for my family. Thankyou for sharing all of these wonderful recipes!
Hey Miss Crafty! You deserve something ooey, gooey and covered in chocolate for you Halloween efforts! My moms sewing machine never stopped growing up either(it keeps going for the grandkids now). Tell your daughter that Belle would be my choice too! Happy sewing!
(I am sending my hubby to the store to get chicken so that we can make this! We are doing tacos for our primary class party and this sounds like the recipe that I have been looking for! Thanks!)
I was really craving tacos yesterday, and this just brought back the craving!
How do you do everything? Seriously? I'm so impressed. I want to be just like you when I grow up.
Those look fantastic! Good luck with your costumes!
Your Tacos look amazing. You can bet we will be making these soon! I hope you post pictures of your kids costumes. I too have been scrounging away with the costumes, although I am not skilled with the sewing machine. Fabric paint has worked out nicely for me this year.
You are a busy lady!
These sound great and easy. I will definitely have to try these.
I'm trying these this weekend!! They look wonderful!!
are those homemade tortillas with the tacos? If so Pleeeeaaasseee post the recipe.
You are great
I think this was your most delicious looking post.
I wish I could have taken a big bite out of that taco.
The Guacamole looked so good.
This recipe looks so simple. I should make it on Sunday.
Again, it looked delicious. I wished you had made it for me!
Ohhh please teach me how to sew. I am dying to make my own clothes. :::Sigh::: I can cook up a storm, but haven't the foggiest notion on how to sew, but am very willing to learn.
Did you say your next post is donuts with a maple glaze? Good Charlotte!!
Great weeknight dish, I should know by now not to visit on an empty stomach! It looks very tasty indeed. I love the slow cooker, I am trying to get into the habit of using it more often this year.
(re your question about getting the cupcakes out nicely - the first ones were a little squishy - hubs actually came up with the idea of freezing them and then peeling off the silicone, it worked perfectly. They don't stay frozen for very long so you can just store them in the freezer.)
I love the sweet and spicy combination. Tacos are a regular item here too. I wish I was brave enough to make my kids costumes - I am so intimidated by my sewing machine.
Okay, Prudy, now you're talking my language: "slow-cooker" and "4 ingredients." I drool at most of these recipes, but know I'm too lazy/untalented to do it and pull it off. But THIS I will definitely try soon. Thanks, I'm so impressed with your talents...really.
oooh, that sound delicious. i'm always on the look out for more slow cooker recipes.
Are those corn tortillas? I'm a corn tortilla gal.
Tacos are like, my favorite food. I can't get enough! I think I've already said this though.
Hope your charges have a festive week.
PS I love guacamole.
My eyes can't seem to move past the guacamole. I am in love!
MMM! This looks awesome! We love tacos, too. What a great dinner. :)
I'm so happy that you are making their costumes. I have the best memories of my mom making me a bunny rabbit costume and a witch. I hope that you take lots of pictures and share them with us.
You are going to post pictures of these costumes, aren't you?
We love tacos, and I agree with your tip on the price of chicken! that is what I always look for :)
What an awesome and tasty looking idea. Good luck with the costumes! Can't wait to see pictures.
Hm hm I am have been craving tacos lately! I'm looking forward to the upcoming donut post, too :)
Well now I know what I'm having for Sunday dinner this week. Those tacos looked absolutely delicious. I love brown sugar with chicken too. Love, love, love this recipe!
i want to come over again. always. i don't know if that's the good or the hard thing about reading your blog. this looks like the perfect easy dinner during a week of parties.
Oh those look so good Erin! I could just lick the screen! I always made my own children's costumes as well. One year my oldest boy wanted to be a robot. He still talks about how sore his shoulders were by the end of the evening after having to walk around the neighbourhood wearing a box covered in plaster of paris and spray painted silver. The thing weighed a ton, but he was pleased as punch to wear it!
Okay, is there anything you DON'T do?? Do you live in a town called Stepford by chance? Between teaching at the college, blogging, and homeschooling your children -you now have time to sew costumes??
Oh yeah, and put together fabulous meals like this too?? You put us all to shame!!
Sewing your own costumes,must be lot of work. Slow cooked chicken is the juiciest,i love it.
I've an award waiting for you at my blog,please collect:)
What kind of taco shells are you using? They look delicious!
Prudy--surprise for you at the Pond! Come see!
Mmmmm...can't wait to try it. I love this blog so much, I just had to tag you =)
http://momsbyheart.blogspot.com/2008/10/ive-been-tagged.html
spicy chicken. guacamole. anything combining the two is a favorite in my book. god bless the creator of the slow cooker. :)
What costumes are you making? I wish I could sew! I want chicken tacos know! I want them with sauce driping on my chin :)
People ask me how I do it...but I wonder how you do it! You have such an awesome blog and your food always looks and sounds so delicious. I definitely want to make this chicken! I also can't wait for the doughnuts!!
you are so crafty. i think I was a gypsy for 13 consecutive Halloweens. my mother still feels terrible, but we were happy as can be.
this slow cooker chicken sounds awesome!
I made a recipe similar to this from a recent Everyday Food issue. It used chicken thighs, chile powder, and a bit of salsa. It was delicious and made me long for more slow cooker recipes!
This looks and sounds YUMMY, Prudy. I will have to try it this week and let you know how it comes out! Thanks :)
Catherine:
I haven't tried them, but you can bet I will.
I made this last week. It was easy and delicious. My son even said the chicken tasted like candy. I may have been a little generous with the brown sugar. Either way it was great, because I left for work and when I got home dinner was ready! Thanks for the recipe.
Another success! My family has a new must for taco night...sweet and spicy chicken!
Love the idea, thanks for sharing. Just saw this posted on Barefoot By the Sea!!
Thanks for this recipe! My sister recommended it to me and I love it!!!! It's now a family favorite!
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