Southwestern Chicken and Rice

This Southwestern Chicken and Rice is such an easy weeknight dinner! Onion, poblano peppers, and garlic are sautéed and perfectly seasoned with cumin, smoked paprika, salt and pepper. After that, the slow cooker does all the work. Perfect for those nights when the kids have activities, and you have little time to spare.

I am a big believer that dinnertime shouldn’t involve stress.

With finicky eaters, a toddler and more on my daily to-do list that I can possibility accomplish, this means I’ve become a fan of easy meals that don’t take up a lot of time.

I’ve shared with you before that one thing that keeps me sane all week long is the prep work I do on the weekend.  Every Saturday or Sunday I make a meal plan, cook rice and quinoa, chop vegetables and make broth.  With a few kitchen staples this means I can spend a minimal amount of time on dinner and still feed the family a delicious meal.

I have to tell you - this is one of my all time favorite slow cooker recipes.  It makes more than enough for leftovers, but they will disappear quick.  It is a bit spicy, so if you have heat sensitive kids feel free to skip the garlic.

When I’m making slow cooker recipes, I always start first thing in the morning, before I get distracted with the boys school.

My first step when I’m cooking is always getting everything together.

To make this recipe, the first thing you are going to do is chop your onions, poblano peppers, and garlic.  I use my food processor to make quick work of this. (If you are going to do your chopping ahead of time, I recommend storing the vegetables in the refrigerator in glass jars.  A drizzle of olive oil will help keep garlic fresh longer.)

Place a skillet over medium-high heat and allow it to heat up for about five minutes.  While it is heating, go ahead and measure out your spices.  When the skillet is warm, spray it with oil (I use avocado) and add the onions and poblano peppers.  Cook them until they are tender, about 8 minutes.  Sprinkle with the spices and add garlic.  Cook for another minute.

Combine RO*TEL and broth in your slow cooker and  whisk until combined.  Add chicken and onion mixture.  Cook on high for three hours or low for six.

Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and put it on a plate.  Add the cheese and Greek yogurt to the slow cooker and whisk it in with the broth and RO*TEL.  (It is going to seem like it has a little too much liquid in it, but this is going to get absorbed by the rice or quinoa.)  Return the lid to the slow cooker to prevent too much heat being lost.  Shred your chicken and add to the slow cooker, along with the rice or quinoa.  Cook for another hour and then turn the heat to warm until you are ready to serve.

There you have it!  A quick and easy meal that anyone can make.

What are your favorite dinnertime hacks?

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5 from 1 vote

Cheesy Slow Cooker Southwestern Chicken & Rice

This Cheesy Slow Cooker Southwestern Chicken & Rice is a fabulous weeknight meal that your family will beg you for over and over!

Prep Time20 mins

Cook Time4 hrs

Total Time4 hrs 20 mins

Course: Main

Cuisine: American, Gluten Free

Servings: 8

Calories: 382kcal

Author: Wendy Polisi

Ingredients

• 1 onion chopped
• 2 poblano peppers chopped
• 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper less if you prefer less spice
• 1 ½ cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 20 oz RO*TEL
• 16 ounces boneless chicken
• 8 ounces cheddar cheese shredded
• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
• 6 cups cooked rice or quinoa - about 2 cups uncooked
• For topping: Avocado & green onions

Instructions

• Spray a medium skillet with oil and heat to medium-high. Add onion and poblano peppers and cook for 8 minutes. Add garlic, cumin, paprika, sea salt and black pepper and cook for one more minute.
• Whisk together broth and RO*TEL in your slow cooker. Add chicken and onion mixture. Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3.
• Remove chicken and add cheese and Greek yogurt to your slow cooker, whisking to combine. Return cover to slow cooker and shred chicken. Return chicken to the slow cooker and add rice or quinoa. Cook for another hour on low.
• Top with avocado and green onions and serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 382kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 67mg | Sodium: 862mg | Potassium: 578mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 655IU | Vitamin C: 34.4mg | Calcium: 282mg | Iron: 2.1mg