Proof that you don't have to spend a lot of money to cook a nourishing, easy, and delicious meal that everyone will enjoy
If you really want to make me mad, tell me that you really want to eat more nutritious meals but it's just too expensive. Then order take-out for the next five nights...
You might think I'm kidding but I get this all.the.time.
People want to fill their bodies with nourishing food but "they can't because it costs too much money to be healthy."
But let's be honest... that's not entirely true!
Yes, eating nutritious foods can be expensive but it's all in how you approach it.
Have you ever noticed how much money it costs to order takeout? When I'm ordering for one, I never spend less than $20 per meal, and while I may be able to stretch that into two meals, it is still way more than I'd spend if I were to prepare that meal at home.
I've done a few posts specifically on budget meals, and I'll try to remember to tag a recipe if it's a budget friendly meal, too. But I wanted to share another one with you today.
[clickToTweet tweet="These #slowcooker Chicken Ranch #Tacos are proof that you don't have to spend a lot of money to cook a nourishing, easy, and delicious meal that everyone will enjoy" quote="These #slowcooker Chicken Ranch #Tacos are proof that you don't have to spend a lot of money to cook a nourishing, easy, and delicious meal that everyone will enjoy"]
After a rude lady at the grocery store judged my grocery cart and said claimed that she just couldn't afford to eat healthy (her cart had cases of soft drinks, family sized bags of chips, and packs of ribs -- all expensive items that offer little nutritional value) I decided to channel her negativity into something positive by creating more budget friendly recipes and sharing them with my lovely readers.
I'd like to take a second to say that it is perfectly fine to buy foods and drinks that aren't the picture of health. However, it is wrong to assume that all fruits, veggies, whole grains, filling protein, and heart-benefitting fats are more expensive than snack foods and soft drinks. Sometimes this is the case and other times it is not. It's important to explore what you enjoy eating that offers you benefits in taste, pleasure, and/or nutrition.
The result was this deliciously easy, budget friendly Chicken Ranch Tacos, made in a slow cooker, no less.
It's a recipe based on those crock-pot tacos you have probably seen on Pinterest or other blogs that are made with a packet of ranch dressing mix + a packet of taco seasoning mix.
I've talked about it before, but those seasoning packs are not cost effective and have a bunch of unnecessary ingredients. You can buy the spices to make those flavors, and you can make so many more dishes without having to go buy a packet of seasoning mix.
To make this more budget friendly, I use chicken thighs because they are inexpensive and flavorful. Feel free to use chicken breasts or a combination of chicken breasts and thighs. However, it will be more expensive to use the breasts.
These turned out delicious and made me very happy. Take that judgy lady at the grocery...
No strange or expensive ingredients.
Less than 10 minutes prep time.
Less than 10 dollars spent.
I'll take that as a major win.
Meme: 1. Rude, judgmental, grouchy lady at the grocery store: 0.
Feel free to use corn tortillas, another whole grain tortilla, or lettuce wraps to serve these. The chicken is just as delicious over a large bed of chopped romaine lettuce. I just happened to have the tortilla chips at my house. I chose them because they add to the ease of this recipe as well as the likeableness of the dish, but you might want to add a side of extra veggies for a more filling meal.
Slow Cooker Chicken Ranch Tacos
Ingredients
- 2 large onions diced
- 1 medium green bell pepper diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1.5 pounds skinless chicken thighs
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon dill
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 cup unsalted chicken broth or water
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients into a slow cooker in the order listed. Cover and cook on Low for 5-6 hours, until chicken is done.
- Take out chicken and shred. Put shredded chicken back into slow cooker and cook on High for 30 minutes.
- Serve as tacos, with chips, or over lettuce.
Notes
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Meme
Happy happy birthday to my mom!! Last year, I made Carrot Cake Protein Pancakes for her. I highly suggest trying them
Meme
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