Quick Dinner x2 : Pulled BBQ Chicken

I can spend an entire Sunday curled up on the couch with a cup of coffee and watch the Food Network.  I don’t watch Ellie Krieger very often but I’m glad I did to see her make these BBQ Pulled Chicken sandwiches.  They have become a staple in the Kearney household and I have an awesome left over meal to share with you too!
The original recipe is available online.  What’s below has some of my very minor tweaks.

Pulled BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

Ingredients

1 tablespoon canola oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14-ounce) can low-sodium tomato sauce
1/4 cup tomato paste (I just use a small can)
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup and 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
5 tablespoons molasses
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke
1 whole rotisserie chicken, skin removed, meat shredded into thin strips (about 4 to 4 1/2 cups)
6 whole-wheat hamburger rolls
1 cup baby arugula
1 lime

Directions

Heat the oil in a large saute pan over a medium heat. Add the onions and cook until they are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, water, vinegar, molasses, pepper and liquid smoke and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes. Add chopped chicken, return to a simmer, and cook an additional 10 minutes.

While the chicken is simmering, prepare the baby arugula salad by tossing 1 cup of arugula with the juice from half a lime, 1 tsp. of apple cider vinegar and some pepper.

Split rolls, pile on the chicken mixture and arugula salad and enjoy.

Ellie’s recipe Per Serving: (my minor tweaks shouldn’t affect any of this.
Calories 440; Total Fat 12 g; (Sat Fat 2.5 g, Mono Fat 5 g, Poly Fat 3.5 g) ; Protein 36 g; Carb 47 g; Fiber 5 g; Cholesterol 95 mg; Sodium 400 mg

This usually lasts Matt and me two nights of sandwiches and one super left over meal….

Pulled BBQ Chicken Pizza!

Ingredients
1 ½ cups of BBQ chicken mixture from above
1 pizza crust (we like to use whole wheat
1 ½ cups fresh mozzarella
1 cup of more baby arugula salad (toss arugula with the juice from half a lime, 1 tsp. of apple cider vinegar and pepper)

Directions
Follow the directions on the pizza crust for the oven temperature and cook time.  Top the crust with the chicken mixture then the cheese and bake.  When the pizza is done top with the arugula salad just before serving.  I think I like this better than the sandwiches!

This recipe is easy to double if you need more.  It’s also a great things to keep warn in a slow cooker.  You can also make and bottle just the sauce for any other BBQ recipe.  I hope you enjoy this one as much as me.  Bon Appetite.