A Mouthful of Mmmm

Sometimes, a girl just needs a break from the kitchen. Organized mama that I am, I tend to plan my breaks well in advance--like last night, for instance. I get home from work around 5:15 on a good day, and yesterday we had to be at Rachel's school by 6pm for a back-to-school orientation meeting that could last till 9 for all I knew.  Practically no time to even eat, let alone cook a meal. So I wrote "grab fast food on the way" on my menu and expected to scarf down burgers and fries in the car.

We don't go out to eat a lot, but more than my frugal husband would like, so I should have known he'd have something to say about this grand plan, especially since we just went out to eat like, a month ago and all! Sure enough, he says, "Can't you make a Crock-Pot meal or something?"

Sigh.

"I suppose," I say, dreaming of a nice, juicy McDouble. So, instead of making a run for the golden arches, I scoured my Pinterest Crock-Pot page looking for a recipe I could make without having to go to the store again.

Cans of corn, beans, and tomatoes? Check, check, and check. Cream cheese? You betcha. Boneless skinless chicken breasts? Always. I tell ya, it pays to keep your pantry stocked with the basics! Even better, Allen just happened to bring home a bag of Fritos the other day, and I knew they'd add the perfect touch of crunchiness at the end.

So I tossed it all in the slow cooker and came home that night to a gorgeous bowl of yumminess. I didn't miss the drive-thru even a little bit. Crock-Pot Cream Cheese Chicken Chili is the original name of this recipe, but that is one humdinger of a name, so I prefer to just call it a mouthful of mmmm.

Crock-Pot Cream Cheese Chicken Chili 
Prep time: 5 min  Cook time: 5-8 hrs
Serves 5

2-3 chicken breasts, still frozen
1 (10 oz) can tomatoes with green chilies
1 (15 oz) can corn kernels, undrained
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (1 oz) pkg. Ranch dressing mix
1 Tbs cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese, cubed

Serve over rice and topped with Fritos and chopped fresh cilantro, if desired. (And, yes, my cilantro plant is still alive and kicking!)

Pour all ingredients (except rice and Fritos) into Crock-Pot and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours.

427 calories per serving.  Click here for shopping list and nutritional info!