Sweet Salsa Chicken & Lime Cilantro Rice

I got these recipes from my sister-in-law Katie and they have become a favorite for both sides of our family.  It's dee-lish. The black type is the original recipe, the blue is my little tips.  Enjoy!

Sweet Salsa Chicken:
1 package Taco Seasoning
4 chicken breasts
2 Tbsp. oil
1 cup salsa (I use the Mango Salsa from Costco!)
1/4 cup apricot jam
1/4 cup water
1 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped
1 Tbsp. lime juice
1 (15 oz.) can Black beans, drained and rinsed

Cut chicken breasts into bite size pieces. In large skillet, heat oil; add chicken and taco seasoning. Cook until juices run clear. Add salsa, apricot jam, water, cilantro and lime juice. Bring to boil. Stir in beans, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes. Serve over rice.

*I always cook it in the crockpot. I throw everything in but the black beans. Cook on HIGH until chicken is cooked through. Shred the chicken and add the black beans. Turn it to LO and cook another 30 minutes.

For our group I doubled the recipe for the chicken, but not the rice.

Lime Cilantro Rice:
2-4 Tbsp butter
2 green onions peeled and minced
2 cups jasmine rice or long grain rice
grated zest of 2 limes
2 Tbsp fresh cilantro washed
4 cups hot chicken stock/broth
kosher salt and pepper to taste

Saute green onion in butter then add to all the other things in a 9x13 pan. Cover with foil. Cook at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until all liquid is gone and rice is soft.

*I've just used lime juice, dried cilantro and no onions and it's still yummy. I also don't take the time to saute the onions, I just add them and the butter to the pan.

Sour Cream Salsa:  (This is the sauce to serve over the chicken and rice)
1 cup sour cream
2 tsp lime zest
2 Tbsp. lime juice
1/3 cup Cilantro, chopped
4 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/2 tsp salt
Mix all ingredients together and serve over chicken and rice

*I just supplied the sour cream to make this, but it is SUPER yummy for anyone that wants to try it.

Freezing Tips: I used Marci's idea to freeze it in portion sizes using muffin tins. I experimented with a few portion sizes, but figured out to do 1/4 cup rice and 1/4 cup chicken.  Freeze and bag. 

Cooking: Microwave individual portion sizes in bowl until thawed and heated to desired temp (about 2-2.5 minutes). Serve in fresh cooked tortilla with sour cream.