Southwest Shredded Chicken

I am a big fan of planning ahead and like to tuck away freezable items like this Southwest Shredded Chicken for when I need to throw together a meal in minutes.  Everyone has their own twist on this recipe, but I find this particular one to be flexible plus delicious.  Fire-roasted tomatoes add a certain something that regular diced tomatoes cannot replicate.  Try this flavorful shredded meat in one of the following ways:

• The starting point for tacos, enchiladas, burritos, chalupas
• An addition to a Mexican lasagne or salad
• A layer in a pile of game-day nachos
• A spicy fettucine -- Alfredo sauce, some red or green pepper, a touch of cayenne
• A wrap:   mix  the meat with a little ranch dressing and roll it up with black beans, corn, cheese, and lettuce.

SOUTHWEST SHREDDED CHICKEN
Printable version of this recipe

1 lb of boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 c. chopped onion
3 gloves of garlic, peeled and minced finely
1 T oil
1 (14.5 oz) can of chicken broth
1 (14.5 oz) can of fire-roasted tomatoes
1 package of taco seasoning

DIRECTIONS

Slice chicken into manageable small pieces.  Choose a large pan that can fry and boil (like a large, deep skillet.)  Heat the oil and saute the onion and garlic until translucent.  Add the chicken, and brown the outside lightly.  Add enough broth to cover the chicken and allow to simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.  Add broth as necessary to keep the chicken swimming.  At 30 minutes, check:  can it be shredded?  If so, remove from the heat and shred the meat.  Pour off all but about 1/2 of a cup of liquid, trying to preserve as much of the onion mixture as possible.  I usually pour off through a strainer so I can dump the onion and garlic back in.  Return the shredded meat to the pan.  Add the can of tomatoes and taco seasoning.  Simmer, covered, until liquid is absorbed.

Chicken can be used immediately in any number of delicious combinations.  If you plan to freeze this, I recommend pulling it off the stove while some liquid remains. This will keep it from getting too dry during reheating.   If you decide later to freeze it, simply add a tablespoon or two of broth to the mixture when defrosting to keep it moist.  Allow the chicken to cool thoroughly before freezing.