Home ยป Slow Cooker Chicken with Corn and Poblanos

Slow Cooker Chicken with Corn and Poblanos

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I think I may have mentioned this, but the daytime course I teach, Medical Nutrition Therapy (part 2), is the same group of students I had last quarter for part 1.

So I’m lecturing yesterday and my students got way, way outta control. Generally, I keep the classroom a pretty easy-going, light-hearted place that is still conducive to learning, but yesterday there was no focus. I was trying to explain complex processes of how to calculate intravenous nutrition in critically ill and malnourished patients and they were more interested in…anything but me and the lecture.

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Class comes to a close, I remind them of their EXAM next Monday and I get a bunch of blank stares…as though this information isn’t readily available to them on the course syllabus (and shared in Monday’s lecture). I have to snicker inside just a bit when my students (who, for the most part, are a few years older than me) whine and BEG for study guides. I’m a pretty fair instructor and for that reason, I gear my lectures 100% towards what I test on…hence, it should be incentive to not only come to class, but to pay attention.

Of course my students swear up and down that they want to be Registered Diet Technicians and love the field of nutrition, but their outward signs would lead me to believe otherwise. Lord love’em.

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I can kind of relate my student’s lack of…focus when it comes to blogging, much less healthy blogging. I snicker inside just a bit when all recipes donut, buffalo saucy, and faux fried get hundreds of re-pins and stumbles, but healthier recipes get overlooked and fail to be passed along. My readership is like having a ton of Mr. Prevention’s around…what is a girl to do?!

This recipe is simple, and wholesome…and it isn’t exactly attractive. It’s practical and balanced…it’s made in the crock pot. It probably won’t get passed along, BUT IT SHOULD!

Focus.

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Chicken is a blank slate just waiting to be dolled up, but what drew me to this recipe was the plentiful amounts of poblanos it called for. Poblano peppers are one ingredient that are not only easy to find, but they’re cheap and packed with pepper flavor without all the heat from a jalapeno or other spicy chile.

I made this recipe the night before (it does take about 15 minutes to throw together), refrigerated over night, and turned it on in the morning. My recipe actually cooked about 11-12 hours, but it would certainly be ready after 7-8 hours. I always like the option of the crock pot even for really long days because in reality, those are the days I most enjoy the convenience of a pre-made dinner most.

The original recipe recommended serving this chicken over rice, but since brown rice takes about 30-40 minutes to cook, I opted for couscous which is ready in about 6 minutes. You can certainly eat this solo, or swap in another starch of your choice — I could see this served over noodles or baked potatoes, for example.

Mr. Prevention and I enjoyed this dish a lot, but I did opt to serve a salsa verde and sour cream with my helping. I warmed the salsa verde in the microwave and gave it a quick drizzling and a dollop of nonfat Greek yogurt (or sour cream) — it really made the dish all the better!

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Slow Cooker Chicken with Corn and Poblanos adapted from Gourmet, as seen on Apple A Day

1 large white onion, chopped
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
2/3 lb fresh poblano chiles (about 5), stems, seeds, and ribs removed and chopped
1 (12 oz) bag frozen corn
1/2 cup 2% plain Greek yogurt
3/4 cup cilantro, chopped
salt and pepper, to taste
2 cups dry whole wheat couscous, to serve

Directions:

Place onion and garlic in slow cooker. Top with chicken and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

Layer poblanos and corn over chicken and season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours.

Cook 2 cups of couscous according to package directions.

Lift chicken from cooking liquid and shred into large pieces. Whisk in Greek yogrut and cilantro into cooking liquid. Return chicken to sauce. Season with salt and pepper and serve over couscous. Garnish with remaining cilantro.

Yield: 7 servings (4 1/2 ounces of meat with 1/2 cup sauce/poblano/corn served over 2/3 cup couscous).

Nutrition Information (per serving): 400 calories; 2.4 g. fat; 64 mg. cholesterol; 301 mg. sodium; 55.7 g. carbohydrate; 8.4 g. fiber; 41 g. protein

Result: Simple flavors with tender, fall-apart chicken. This meal is loaded with protein and fiber and very, very low in fat and sodium. It is simple to make and reheats well. And no, this isn’t spicy…even for those who don’t care for heat. 🙂 Like I said above, this is even better with a drizzle of warm salsa verde and a dollop of plain Greek yogurt or sour cream. Enjoy!

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In completely unrelated news, it was stunning in Ohio yesterday. People were eating lunch outside in t-shirts! I took advantage by running outside and ran 5Kin 29:54 (9:38/mile)! That’s pretty speedy for this turtle! Seeing as I am running a 5K race this Saturday, I’m hopeful that I can repeat that pace and get a sub-30 5K in the books! 😀

Be well,

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17 Comments

  1. Amy B @ Second City Randomness
    February 2, 2012 / 6:53 am

    Nice job on the run! And it has been somewhat nice here all week, too. Mid to high 40’s in Jan/Feb? I’ll take it!

  2. Erika - The Teenage Taste
    February 2, 2012 / 7:05 am

    It’s the same way with my blog readership. Post the most decadent chocolatey dessert and people will go wild. I can relate to them though, for some reason I just never get the same “OHMYGOSH, I ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO MAKE THIS NOW!” feeling when I find a recipe for stew or something as I do when I find a cake recipe. ๐Ÿ˜‰

    Anywho, this looks delicious and I absolutely love that it was made in the crockpot. I’ve been using my crockpot so much lately – I love it! ๐Ÿ˜€

  3. Kate
    February 2, 2012 / 8:14 am

    It’s funny how all students seem to act the same, regardless of age or program of study. Maybe it’s something they pump into the air in classrooms.

    • Nicole, RD
      Author
      February 2, 2012 / 10:20 am

      Kate, I think you’re on to something!!

  4. Renee @ Mykitchenadventures
    February 2, 2012 / 9:05 am

    My dog got 2 walks yesterday in this stunning midwinter weather. NOT complaining! I love the fact that there is no snow to deal with…just love it!

    I don’t know…study guides are for elementary school students…by the time you get into high school and certainly beyond that…you should sort of figure out what will be on the test by the lectures. I don’t ever remember getting any study guides in nursing school. I think kids today just expect it to be handed to them….they need to learn to get it for themselves. Just my opinion. NO study guides! Start the revolution Nicole!

    • Nicole, RD
      Author
      February 2, 2012 / 10:20 am

      Renee, I am like an old school teacher…I am adamantly against all things study guide-related. You’re right – the classroom is now spoon-feeding students and it is only hurting them in the long run.

  5. Faith
    February 2, 2012 / 9:56 am

    I completely know what you mean…why is it that people go absolutely crazy for anything-but-healthy-desserts and pass up healthy, wholesome meals like this? It always seems to happen that way though.

    This looks wonderful and I love how it enlists the help of the slow cooker — perfect!

  6. Anna @ On Anna's Plate
    February 2, 2012 / 10:00 am

    You think that’s bad? Just wait until spring hits…there’s really no point to me even attempting to teach class when the temps are 70 and sunny. ๐Ÿ™‚

    • Nicole, RD
      Author
      February 2, 2012 / 10:19 am

      Haha, I knew there was a reason I didn’t teach last summer ๐Ÿ™‚ …’Cause I, too, wanna be outside!

  7. Leah @ Why Deprive?
    February 2, 2012 / 11:37 am

    Awesome job on the run!! Thats an awesome time. ๐Ÿ™‚

    I’m always amazed by how little attention some people pay in class. There’s always that kid in the back that hasn’t even looked at the syllabus. At the end of last semester I even hear someone ask what a syllabus even was. Really? You haven’t figured that out yet?
    The chicken sounds delicious. I need to start making better use of my slow cooker. The poor thing has been pretty neglected.

  8. Kristen (swanky dietitian)
    February 2, 2012 / 11:45 am

    This looks incredible!
    So funny to hear your teacher stories. I was always paying attention. I think it just depends on the type of student you were. Never missed a class either..what a nerd. My friend in all my classes was the opposite and she did just as well as me. Who knows! ๐Ÿ™‚

  9. Cara
    February 2, 2012 / 12:39 pm

    I think this recipe sounds pretty awesome and I will definitely be sharing it. Down with the donuts and buffalo stuff! (jk. Sorta ๐Ÿ˜‰ )

  10. Heather @ Get Healthy with Heather
    February 2, 2012 / 3:40 pm

    Great run girl! I love it when the weather cooperates for a nice run.

    Aren’t crickpots the best? This sounds super tasty… I bet even better with that beer huh? ๐Ÿ˜‰

  11. Tami @Nutmeg Notebook
    February 2, 2012 / 6:31 pm

    I am a huge fan of the slow cooker and this recipe is one my family would enjoy! I use Alton Browns oven method for making perfect brown rice and make a double batch that I can then freeze for quick future meals.

  12. Melinda
    February 3, 2012 / 1:26 am

    Oh ya gotta love those moments. This week I had a student submit their project and inform me they worked really hard on it. Then I discovered they plagiarized. That was a rough moment for me because I thought they were being genuine. But seriously, if you have to tell me you worked really hard on something, there is a good chance you didn’t. My A students never have to tell me they worked really hard because it’s implied by the level of work they submit. Never fear, we both will have plenty more of these moments in our careers!

  13. Pingback: Crock Pot
  14. Andrea @ HandMakeMyDay
    May 3, 2012 / 5:14 pm

    I’m new to your blog and funny enough found this recipe which you thought wouldn’t get pinned on Pinterest ๐Ÿ˜‰ Just wanted to say I love your blog and healthy lifestyle advice.

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