Leftover Pulled Chicken and Chipotle Sliders

It happens to all of us. You look in the fridge and there sits quite a bit of leftover chicken.  It might have been rotisserie chicken bought for a quick meal after a long day, or the leftovers from a great Sunday dinner with family. Regardless of the initial origin, you have a pound or two of chicken that needs to find itself a home or go to waste.

We know that nobody want’s to think about wasting that chicken! Why not turn it into something spicy, succulent and divine instead with this simple little twist on a slider. You’ll be very glad you did.

Oh. make sure you’ve got plenty of napkins. These are messy! (Which, of course, makes them fabulous. Just sayin’)

In all honesty though, you don’t have to turn to leftovers if you don’t have any. Just cook up some chicken and then follow along as though it were leftover. The results will be the same, your family and your budget will thank you, too.  this recipe serves equally well for a Tuesday night dinner or as snacks on game day. It can be paired with whatever sides you please and fills all the needs of sandwich lovers everywhere.

While it might be tempting to add all kinds of colorful toppings, If you just must add something, I would limit it to something simple, like red onion (which we were out of), a few cilantro leaves or some very simple slaw. These tiny sandwiches are packed with flavor and  really don’t require anything to make them extraordinary. We hope your family enjoys them as much as ours did.

What’s your favorite recipe for leftover chicken? Is it a casserole, a sandwich, or just reheated with a side of mashed potatoes? We’d love to know, so feel free to leave a comment below.

Yield: 12 sliders

Leftover Pulled Chicken and Chipotle Sliders

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

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Ingredients

• Approximately 1 pound leftover chicken, chopped or pulled from bone
• 1 - 6 ounce can tomato sauce
• 3/4 cup chicken stock
• 3 Tbsp dehydrated onions
• 2 Tbsp chipotle Sauce or 1 chipotle pepper, finely chopped
• 1 Tbsp chili powder
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 12 slider sized rolls or buns (We used a serious whole wheat roll for these. it was a very good choice.)

Instructions

1. Place chicken, tomato sauce, stock, dehydrated onion, chipotle sauce or chipotle pepper and chili powder in a pot over medium heat. Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally' until chicken has completely broken apart and liquid is nearly absorbed. (About 45 minutes)
2. Place approximately 2 Tbsp worth of chicken on each roll. Serve immediately.
3. Share and enjoy

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 410Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 105mgSodium: 534mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 2gSugar: 5gProtein: 29g

I really do wish I’d had some red onions or scallions. I think that would have taken this clean over the top. I’ll have to wait until next time to figure that out, though.

Links to other recipes like this:

• Today’s Meat is Tomorrow’s Sandwich, from Adam Roberts, a.k.a. The Amateur Gourmet
• Pulled BBQ Chicken Panini, From Panini Happy
• Barbecue Chicken and Penne Skillet, from Real Mom Kitchen