Warm Up With Slow Cooked Mexican Pulled Chicken Soft Tacos

January is here, and so is Old Man Winter! There is nothing else like a snowy New England winter. These are the times when memories are made: Skating on the meadows and sledding at Topsfield Hill. Snowmen and frozen toes, and warming up in front of a toasty fireplace with a hot cup of cocoa.

Seeing my kids pull out their winter boots and don their hats and mittens signals me to pull out my trusty crock pot. I know that after an entire day out playing in the snow, we will all just want dinner to appear. Slow cookers are also a great resource for working moms who, especially after the chaos the holidays generally bring, just need to get back to a normal schedule, and healthy dinners.

This crock pot recipe for Mexican Pulled Chicken Soft Tacos is a spicy spin on the classic pulled chicken sandwich. The beauty of this one is you can use as few or as many ingredients as you like, and most of them are canned and jarred pantry items you already have on hand.

By combining black beans, corn and salsa you have a great base to which you can add whatever fresh ingredients you like, from fresh jalapenos and tomatoes to olives and fresh cilantro. My kids love for me to set up a topping bar so they can further customize their taco with shredded lettuce, cheese, guacamole-the works!

The taco itself is a complete meal-in-one, so you can omit the side dish, or keep it simple. Serve with a side of tortilla chips, rice, or try adding the rice directly into the taco, like they do in the wraps at the Daily Harvest Cafe. The variations are only limited by your imagination. I hope you like this recipe as much as we did. Happy 2013, and enjoy!

Mexican Pulled Chicken Soft Tacos

4 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 package flour tortillas
1 can black beans
1 jar salsa
1 can corn
1 fresh jalapeno
½ white onion, diced
2 T. fresh cilantro (or parsley)
1 T. Franks Red Hot Sauce

*Add black beans, salsa, corn, jalapeno, onion, cilantro and Hot Sauce to crock pot and mix well. Add chicken and cover with some of the mixture to coat. Allow to cook for 4-6 hours on low setting. When chicken is cooked through, use two forks to shred the meat. Use a slotted spoon to strain the chicken and vegetables as you pile ¼ cup of mixture onto small size flour tortillas. Add your choice of condiments, fold taco around filling, and enjoy!