slow cooker chipotle chicken & rice

the first time i made this for dinner, i followed the recipe exactly and found out that cooking bone-in skin on chicken breasts on the stove takes literally forever - or at least much longer than i want to wait on a weeknight. when we finally sat down to eat, the three of us gobbled up our plates. between forkfuls, jason had the best idea: throw everything into the slow cooker and let it work it's magic.

and did it ever work. this is the perfect dish for the slow cooker as slow cooking the chicken made it so much more tender, literally falling apart when i picked it up with tongs. minimal prep, minimal fussing at the end. it's flavorful, makes a ton, and leftovers are perfect.

if you aren't a big user of chipotle chilis in adobo (neither am i), consider buying a can, using what you need for this recipe, and freezing the rest. i poured the rest of a can into a quart freezer bag, closed it, spread out the chipotles to make a relatively thin layer of them and froze it. now when i need a pepper, i just break off a chunk from the bag. works like a charm.

slow cooker chipotle chicken & rice
adapted from everyday food
15min prep, serves 6-8

about 2 3/4 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, breasts, or a combination, trimmed
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced
28 ounce can diced tomatoes
3 tablespoons corn starch
cooked white rice for serving

1. season chicken with salt and pepper and place in a large slow cooker. add the onion, garlic, chipotle pepper, and diced tomatoes. mix until the chicken is evenly coated. make sure the chicken is nestled into and covered with the sauce. cover and cook on low at least 8 hours and up to 10.
2. about an hour before serving, remove about 1/2 cup cooking liquid and whisk in the corn starch. return the mixture to your slow cooker and mix with the rest of the cooking liquid. turn your slow cooker up to high, leave the cover off, and cook another hour or so, until the sauce thickens.
3. when you're ready to serve, use tongs or forks to shred the meat. serve over cooked white rice.