Mexican Chicken Pasta

In an effort to create another crockpot meal that would get us through a few dinners without being the same old meat & canned soup, I came up with this mexican-inspired bowl of goodness. A dinner packed with the protein of black beans and chicken but still easy on the palate for the kiddos. Also pretty low fat when using light or fat free options as we did. I hope you enjoy!

Ingredients

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size cubed pieces
2 cans Campbells condensed cheddar soup
1 cup sour cream (I used light)
1/3 cup milk (I used fat free)
1 can black beans, rinsed
1 can corn
1 can mexican Rotel
1 small can green chilies
2 tbsp chopped jalapenos (I used regular sliced ones from the jar) OPTIONAL
1 packet taco seasoning (partial packet to taste)
1 packet ranch seasoning (partial packet to taste)
1 box wheat pasta

Serves 6-8 (My husband and I have eaten it for three nights in a row with some leftover and my husband has a healthy appetite. This pot may go further for your family.)


Mexican Garlic Bread

1 loaf french bread
butter or vegetable spread
garlic powder
onion powder
cumin

Directions:

Saving the black beans for the last hour of cook time, dump all ingredients into crockpot & stir well. For the seasoning packets: we like spicy dishes and I used only about 1/2 of each packet. You can always taste before serving and add more if you like.

Cook on low for 7 hours. I added the can of black beans about an hour before serving. I also turned the pot on warm for about 30 minutes before serving which made the sauce thicker and perfect for serving over pasta.

For garlic bread:

Using a large bread knife, slice 1 inch thick rounds of french bread. Coat with as much butter as you like and sprinkle generously with garlic powder, onion powder and lightly with cumin. Bake at 375 degrees for about 7 to 8 minutes. We light ours soft without much brown on the edges so you may want to bake for a little longer!

Shot of garlic bread before baking to gage seasoning.