By Ethan starts his senior year this week. I've been thinking about this since June and I thought by August I'd have processed it into something manageable, but it turns out you cannot pre-process the first day of your firstborn's last year of high school. I drove him to school even though he could drive himself, said I wanted to hear about his summer reading assignment on the way. He knew exactly what I was doing and let me do it anyway, which is the kindness of a child who understands his mother.
The house was quieter after I dropped him off. All four kids in school now, the last gap of elementary school years behind us. The kindergarten-to-senior span I'll spend the next eight months finishing. I sat in the kitchen for twenty minutes with my coffee before I did anything else.
Then I cooked. Of course. I made a big batch of chicken enchiladas — Ethan's favorite — for dinner, with a homemade red sauce that takes an hour but is worth it. He came home and said, "Enchiladas? It's a Tuesday." I said, "I know." He understood.
The channel is at 120,000. I filmed a back-to-school video: meal prep for the school year, how I set up Sunday to make the week functional, what I make in advance, how to stock the fridge so after-school snacks happen without drama. It's a video I could have filmed three years ago. I didn't have the audience yet. Now I do.
The red sauce enchiladas I made that Tuesday were Ethan’s, made specifically for him — but this slow-cooker version is the one I reach for on the weeks when love has to be practical, when I need dinner to take care of itself while I’m driving carpool and answering comments and keeping four kids’ schedules straight. It has all the same warmth as that Tuesday — the chili, the melted cheese, the chicken — just built for the kind of Sunday prep that makes a whole week possible. If you caught my back-to-school meal prep video, this is exactly the kind of recipe I had in mind.
Slow-Cooker Chicken Enchilada Stuffed Peppers
Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 4 hours (low) | Total Time: 4 hours 20 minutes | Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 6 large bell peppers (any color), tops cut off and seeds removed
- 1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 can (15 oz) red enchilada sauce, divided
- 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup frozen corn kernels
- 1 can (10 oz) diced tomatoes with green chiles, drained
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese, divided
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (for serving)
- Sour cream, sliced avocado, and lime wedges for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Season the chicken. Place chicken breasts in the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker. Pour 3/4 cup of the enchilada sauce over the chicken. Sprinkle with chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt.
- Cook the chicken. Cover and cook on low for 3 to 3 1/2 hours, or until the chicken is cooked through and shreds easily. Remove chicken to a cutting board and shred with two forks.
- Make the filling. Return shredded chicken to the slow cooker. Add black beans, corn, diced tomatoes, remaining enchilada sauce, and 3/4 cup of the shredded cheese. Stir to combine.
- Stuff the peppers. Stand the prepared bell peppers upright in the slow cooker, nestling them snugly so they hold their shape. Spoon the chicken enchilada filling generously into each pepper, pressing it down to fill completely.
- Finish cooking. Cover and cook on low for an additional 45 to 60 minutes, until the peppers are tender but still hold their shape.
- Add cheese and melt. Top each stuffed pepper with the remaining 3/4 cup shredded cheese. Replace the lid for 5 minutes until the cheese is fully melted.
- Serve. Carefully lift peppers out with tongs or a large spoon. Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve with sour cream, sliced avocado, and lime wedges if desired.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 385 | Protein: 38g | Fat: 12g | Carbs: 32g | Fiber: 7g | Sodium: 820mg