Taco night is the best.
It’s one of my very favorite dinner party themes because there are so many ways to do it.
And unlike pizza night, which involves a level of dough precision that I have never quite been able to master, taco night is relatively foolproof.
Last weekend, Brad and I managed to squeeze two taco nights into one weekend.
We also ordered takeout empanadas twice, but that’s beside the point.
Friday night, our friends Alison and Kyle had us over for dinner to see their brand new apartment. On the menu was fresh guacamole, grilled steak tacos, spicy pork tacos and all of the taco fixings you could imagine.
Even though they offered to send us home with leftovers and we politely declined as all good guests usually do.
On Saturday, I deeply regretted that decision.
So it only made sense to do what any rational human would do: double down on taco night.
After a brief taco hiatus on Saturday night, we made tacos on Sunday night with our neighbors, Amanda and Tim.
One of the other very best things about taco night is that it can be as nutritious as you choose to make it. You can make simple chicken or beef tacos and top them with crunchy, fresh lettuce and pico de gallo or you can make pork belly tacos covered in crema and queso de fresco.
Using Open Nature® Air-Chilled Chicken from your local Jewel-Osco store, it’s possible to do both.
Open Nature® chicken is cage-free and high in Omega-3s thanks to a flaxseed-based diet. Air chilled chicken is cooled by air, as opposed to water, so its natural juices and flavors make the meat more tender and flavorful.
Open Nature® Air-Chilled Chicken is available in the Chicago area, exclusively at Jewel-Osco. If you do not live near a Jewel-Osco you can also find it at all Albertsons Companies family of stores, including Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Pavilions, Randalls, Tom Thumb, ACME Markets, Shaw’s, Star Market, United Supermarkets, Market Street, Albertsons Market and Carrs/Safeway.
I love using my crock pot for chicken or pork. Slow cooking lends to such tender, flavorful meat and you can serve it in tacos, over rice in a burrito bowl or even in a salad. I especially love this recipe, which requires no pre-cooking.
Simply toss the ingredients into the crock pot and you’ll have a delicious meal, whether it’s for a weeknight, date night or a small dinner party.
There’s nothing better for taco night than a chicken breast simmered in the slow cooker with tomatoes, green chiles and fresh spices.
- 1 ½-pounds Open Nature Air Chilled Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
- 2-10 ounce cans tomatoes with mild green chilies (I used Rotel)
- 2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
- Place the beans and tomatoes in the slow cooker and season with the chili powder, cumin and garlic powder.
- Season chicken with pinch of salt and pepper, place in the crock pot and cover.
- Cook on high 4 hours. Remove chicken from crock pot and shred with two forks.
- To serve, warm the taco shells according to package directions. Fill with equal amounts of chicken mixture. Top with your favorite toppings.
