Put Some South in Your Mouth: Slow-Cooker Pulled BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

Words aren't enough to describe how much I love my slow cooker and I am glad I have the opportunity to find and try out new recipes to share with all of you.  I know a lot of you have requested slow-cooker recipes so I tested this one out and I must say, it's a keeper that I can't wait to share.  I found the original version of this recipe in The Fix It and Forget It Cookbook, but I altered some of the ingredients to suit my tastes. Simple, healthy and delicious, this recipe will definitely be added to the rotation in this household . Last night, after dinner, I asked my husband and kids what they thought of the sandwiches and they all agreed in unison that they were excellent, well Mike and Lil did.  Nate just shook his head and smiled, and I took that as a yes.  I am sure if he had a better grasp of the English language he would have emphatically agreed with his dad and sister.

Anyways, I have made pulled pork before, but I have never made pulled chicken BBQ and I think I actually like it better than the pulled pork.  I try limit my pork consumption, with the exception of bacon and sausage then it's game on.  I can't get enough of either and of course it has to be the "healthiest" cuts of pork.  This BBQ chicken recipe was the perfect meal for a day spent at the circus, gorging on everything from cotton candy to snow cones to french fries.  The bbq sauce is not heavy like bottled sauce, it is a homemade bbq sauce and we used boneless chicken breast for the meat. You are more than welcome to substitute dark meat for this dish, if you like.  I didn't even bother making side dishes, the sandwich was plenty after a day of stuffing ourselves silly with circus food-fare.

 I hope you all enjoy it as much as we did!

Pulled BBQ Chicken Sandwiches
2-3 lbs of chicken breast, trimmed of excess fat
1 onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 tbsp  butter, cubed
1 C water*
1 C chicken broth*
2 C ketchup (we use all natural heinz)
3 tbsp brown sugar
4 tbsp white vinegar
2 tsp ground mustard
s&p
kaiser rolls or steak rolls
corn starch (optional)
water (optional)
cheddar cheese (optional)

(* when it comes to the liquid component of the sauce, you can use either all water, all broth, or half of each.  I chose to use half of each because I wanted to add some flavor to the bbq sauce but I didn't want it overpowered by the chicken broth.  This choice is completely up to you.)

• In a slow cooker add chicken breasts. In a bowl, mix onion, green pepper, butter, water, broth, ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, mustard and s&p.  Once combined, pour over chicken.
• Cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high 4 hours.
• Once done, if sauce is thin (like ours turned out) mix 2 tbsp of cornstarch with 2 tbsp cold water.  Add cornstarch mix to slow cooker and let cook for 5 more minutes.  The bbq sauce will thicken.
• Shred chicken with two forks.
• Serve on rolls and top with cheddar cheese if desired.