TODAY Food Club

You don't need to spend hours in the kitchen each night to eat well for the week. I love to throw some chicken in the slow cooker on Sundays, then shred it and store it in the fridge so I can easily add it to salads, pastas, and burrito bowls all week long! Having some protein completely cooked and ready to go saves a ton of time on busy weeknights - and it also saves money by encouraging us to eat easy meals at home rather than head to a restaurant or order take-out!

My favorite make-ahead slow cooker salsa chicken:

INGREDIENTS:

• 3-4 pounds uncooked skinless chicken breasts (approximately 4 large breast pieces, but feel free to use any cut of chicken you like! Thighs and drumsticks are often tasty, cost-effective options).
• 1 cup of your favorite salsa
• salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Toss all ingredients together in a slow cooker.
• Cook on low for 4-6 hours until chicken is cooked through and comes apart easily when you shred it with a fork.
• Turn off the slow cooker and let chicken cool for 20 minutes or so, then shred the chicken with two forks until you don't have any big pieces left. Taste and add seasoning if necessary.
• Use immediately if you like, or let chicken cool completely on the counter before transferring it to airtight storage containers and putting it in the fridge. Chicken will keep for up to a week and is great in salads, tacos, burritos, and pasta!

NOTES:

• Don't drain off any of the salsa after chicken is cooked - the chicken will absorb most of the liquid as it's shredded, and any extra liquid will help keep the chicken moist (especially if you're storing it in the fridge for awhile).
• If you want to leave this in the slow cooker all day while you're at work, I recommend doubling the recipe - too long in a slow cooker can dry the chicken out, so if you need to leave it for a longer time give it some extra chicken and salsa to cook so you can avoid that dryness!