Family traditions can be something as elaborate as a tree trimming party on Christmas Eve that has all of your neighbors and friends stringing popcorn to hang on your street’s trees or something as simple as having your parents over every Sunday for pot roast. The great thing about traditions is that they can ebb and flow like the tide. If you miss a weekend, no worries. You can always make up for it next Sunday. Or better still, don’t wait. If mom and dad can visit on a weekday, they should. To me, traditions are not just about using the good china or showing the next generation how to make your secret hot chocolate recipe. Traditions are about spending time with the people you love, enjoying whatever makes you happy be it good food, great conversation or just a comfortable silence.
Lately, my youngest is all about creating new traditions in our home. I get the feeling that as another birthday passes him, he feels time is speeding up and he wants to slow it down a little. Whatever his reason, I agree about slowing things down. My older child is starting to spend more time with her friends, asserting her independence like any teen will and while I am happy to see her grow, I also want to snatch her back and keep both kiddos close to me for a while longer. While I may not be able to do that every day, creating new traditions and maintaining old ones will go a long way to ensuring my family wants to come back to the nest.
I mentioned food earlier and truth be told meal times are a great opportunity for those traditions to thrive. People have to eat and most really enjoy it, so it is a given they will be in your kitchen at some point. For the older family members who may make plans you don’t know about in advance, entice them to stay at the table by making meals that are fun as well as tasty. Last week we did just that by making a new version of a family favourite: tacos.
In an effort to get a bit healthier this year, I searched for a taco recipe that I thought even my pickiest eater would enjoy, one that was fairly easy to make and one that would allow me to use our go-to taco tools from Old El Paso. The end result was Crock Pot Chicken Tacos! These guys were super easy to make and oh my goodness, they are delicious! I hope you try out this simple recipe and let me know what your family thinks, because I am positive it will become a favourite in no time. The best part is that the whole family had a had in the prep work, so we got to chat and catch up with each other. Instant tradition material right there. 🙂
Ingredients
- five skinless and boneless chicken breasts
- one packet of Old El Paso Taco Seasoning
- one small can of Cream of Chicken soup
- one 14oz jar of salsa (we used sweet, but you can use heat, if you prefer)
- toppings like sour cream, shredded cheese, lettuce, chopped peppers etc
- Old El Paso Tortilla Bowls (mini or regular)
Directions
1) Rub Old El Paso Taco Seasoning all over the chicken breast. We actually did this while the chicken was in the crock pot, that way the excess seasoning was left to cook and not knocked off on a plate.
2) Pour the entire small can of Cream of Chicken soup over the chicken breasts. Make sure they are all covered.
3) Next, empty the full jar of salsa on top of the chicken and soup, again making sure to cover everything well.
4) Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 4 to 5. At that point remove the lid and using two forks, shred the chicken. Give the whole mixture a stir and let it sit while you prepare your toppings.
5) Serve using Old El Paso Tortilla Bowls and your favourite toppings! We used sour cream, cheese and lettuce, but you can add so many different things. I really wanted to have the flavours of the salsa and chicken come through on their own, so we opted for fewer toppings this time, but next time I will add chopped red peppers and maybe bean sprouts to the table.
*Tip: we used both the regular size and mini Old El Paso Tortilla Bowls, but I found the minis worked best. The Chicken Taco mixture can get messy the more you have at one time. 🙂
Our Crock Pot Chicken Tacos were a hit! My whole family loved them and the leftovers were had for lunch the next day. This new meal is sure to become a favourite tradition in no time. My youngest has already told his Nana that is what we are having for next Sunday’s dinner. 🙂
Can you see yourself creating a new family tradition around tacos? What is one type you would like to try?
FT&PD
Suz
**Read more about our adventures with Old El Paso here and here. ?
This post is sponsored by Old El Paso. In exchange for this review, I have received special perks in the form of products and/or compensation. All opinions on this blog are my own.
Looks good I would love to print it is thee a print option? yjamks
I had my first taco over 40 years ago and I loved them then! Since then I have tried tacos twice and just can’t seem to like them…..but……this recipe I will try! We eat more than our fair share of chicken, so it is nice to have a new recipe. I will definitely print this, Suzanne! Thank you for the recipe!
Oh this sounds really good, will have to try this one out next time we have tacos.
What a simple fun delicious recipe! I bet it would have been great on nachos the next day!! yum! Thanks!
Sounds delicious! I will give this a go. 🙂
My brothers love tacos, but it does get tiring having the same kind all the time. This is a great variation I can try, Thanks! Meat is getting so expensive, chicken is about it for us these days.
I’m afraid that I don’t like Taco Seasoning nor salsa but I do love chicken breasts. Strangely enough I’ve never thought of cooking them in a slow cooker so I’ll have to give that a try 🙂
This looks amazing! We have taco nights quite often so it’s great to find a healthy alternative to the typical beef tacos we usually have! Thanks for the recipe! I think I will be trying it very soon!
Sounds really easy I guess I will have to try this one out.
Easy to make with the taco kit
We love tacos around here, and especially salsa, so these would be perfect for dinner.
My hubby and I love Mexican food. Our daughter not so much. I will have to try this one. Sounds like something she might like. She usually eats everything.
I’ve still not got around to making this, since there’s only me I have a lot of left-overs that I have to eat up. I try to buy things individually which works with tomatoes, potatoes and a few other things but not hot dog buns, hamburger buns, eggs, spring onions etc etc
Looks like something to eat on the weekends.
Sounds scrumptious , i will def be making this one day next week thanks for sharing !
This really looks delicious and I love that they can be made in my slow cooker.Thanks for this amazing post! 🙂
We all enjoy tacos and will try this recipe, particularly as it uses a slow cooker.
Thanks for the info.I love Mexican food!
oh yummy! anything slow-cooker is my favourite. coming home to a meal already cooked is the best! thank you for this post 🙂
The chicken tacos look good. I love how they can be made in the crockpot. They would be great for busy school days.
This recipe looks great! I like to have Taco night at least once every 2 weeks or so in my home. I would love to try these chicken ones you made. They look yummy!
These look delicious, my family loves tacos. I would be lost without without my crockpot! Thanks for sharing 💖
I keep hearing about tacos in the crockpot, and finally a recipe. Thanks so much, I can’t wait to try it. It sounds delicious!!!
I’ve never seen this recipe before but I really want to try it because I love taco seasoning
I make this when my grandkids visit they love it !