Crack Chicken Chili (Recipe)

Now through the end of October, Tuesday and Thursday evenings are the busiest for us.  With schedules what they are on those days (volleyball followed by jiu-jitsu) I try to put dinner in the crockpot in the morning, and then I can forget about it until time to eat.  Fall lends itself easily to soups and stews, and I'll share a few of those tried and true recipes later.  Today though, I'm sharing a new recipe that we had this past week, and it was a huge hit.

I'm not good at taking photos of food, and honestly this isn't the prettiest meal, but it's VERY tasty.

Crack Chicken Chili

4 boneless chicken breasts
2 14-oz cans black beans (drained and rinsed well)
2 14-oz cans whole kernel corn (undrained)
2 10-oz cans  Rotel tomatoes
2 packages dry ranch dressing mix (or more depending on taste)
2 Tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 8oz blocks cream cheese
1 cup water

Place uncooked chicken breast in crockpot then add all the other ingredients.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours.  Remove chicken breast and shred; return to crockpot and stir well.   

Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream and/or tortilla chips.

Variations and helpful tips:  You can use precooked/left over chicken or even canned chicken (well drained).   If the chili is a bit thinner than you'd like, stir in instant potato flakes a bit at a time to thicken.   You can easily cut this recipe in half for a smaller family, or double it for a larger family (and a bigger crockpot).

Enjoy!