Description
Adapted from Costco Slow Cooker Freezer Meals from Erin Chase of $5 Dinners
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1.5–2 lbs. boneless chicken thighs
- 4 c. cooked black beans
- 4 c. vegetables (I used green beans, carrots or corn would work too)
- 1/4 c. chili powder
- 2 tsp. cumin
- 2 tsp. garlic powder
- 2 tsp. onion powder
- 4–5 c. homemade chicken stock
- 1 1/2 tsp. salt
- Add when cooking:
- 2 15–oz. cans diced tomatoes
- Topping options:
- shredded cheese
- crushed tortilla chips
- cubed avocado
- diced onion
- diced peppers
- cilantro
Instructions
- If slow cooking immediately, put all ingredients into a slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4-6 hours.
- To freeze:
- Label a gallon-sized zippered bag with the name of the recipe plus “add 2 cans diced tomatoes (in glass jars, no BPA!) – slow cook on low 8 hours, high 4-6 hours, partially frozen 10 hours.”
- Place the open bag in a large bowl (to hold it open and in case of tipping).
- Put in all the ingredients except the tomatoes. If you add the chicken last, it will be first to go in the slow cooker, which is good.
- Zip the bag up tight and lay flat in the freezer.
- When you’re ready to use the meal, thaw in a large bowl in the fridge overnight so you can at least break apart to get into your slow cooker, OR do a quick thaw in a large bowl of warm water for about an hour. Your bag will be huge, so you might need to flip it around and replace the water once or twice in order to make headway. Do not thaw on the counter – raw meat!
- Pour all the contents plus the two cans tomatoes into a slow cooker (it will be FULL too – mine is a 6-quart).
- Cook on LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 4-6 hours. If partially or mostly frozen, cook on LOW for 10 hours.
- To serve, shred the chicken with two forks or possibly a potato masher (be careful not to scratch your slow cooker if you use a metal utensil).
- Serve hot with optional toppings.