Shredded Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches

I am kind of in love with buffalo chicken. I think my obsession started in college when we used to go to Applebee's on a weekly basis for half-off appetizers. My appetizer of choice was always the boneless buffalo chicken wings. But, now that I cook my own food, I make my own buffalo chicken meals. This one is extremely easy and one I have made multiple times. In fact, I just made it for our fantasy football draft lottery party. I think it was a hit with our friends! This recipe has also been making its way across the blog-o-sphere so I'm sure you may have seen it already, but just in case you haven't, here it is. This recipe can be easily doubled or tripled as well. And I welcome the leftovers because they can be turned into other great meal ideas, like buffalo chicken pizza or quesadillas. It also freezes well in case you want to make up a big batch and then have another meal to go later!

Shredded Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches
Source: Slightly adapted from allrecipes.com

Ingredients:
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 bottle of your favorite buffalo wing sauce
1/2 packet of dry ranch seasoning mix OR make your own (recipe below)*
Sandwich buns

Directions:
1. Put chicken, wing sauce, and dry ranch mix or 2 Tablespoons of your own mix into slow cooker.

2. Cover and set on low for 6 hours or on high for 3 hours.

3. Then shred chicken with two forks and serve on sandwich buns.

Dry Ranch Seasoning Mix
Source: 5 Dollar Dinners

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp dried parsley
1 tsp dried dill
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp pepper

Directions:
1. Mix all ingredients well. Store in an airtight container.Pin It

Burgers with Big Mac Sauce

I remember when I used to hate burgers. I could never finish one, no matter how much I tried to choke it down. Then one day when I was about 14 my cousin and I decided to sit down and eat an entire burger just to see if we could do it. We did it and I liked it, but I didn't really start loving burgers until much later in life. Now, I love a good burger, but definitely need a lot of toppings or some type of sauce on it. For some reason I have always liked Big Macs, even though I should be disgusted by them. I just used the sauce to make these burgers "Big Macs," and I was pretty pleased with the results. I was afraid that the burgers themselves would be pretty plain with just salt and pepper, but that was all they needed in this instance. Now, if you want to do the whole double decker sandwich thing like a real Big Mac, go for it! 

Burgers with Big Mac Sauce

Source: Slightly adapted from Grilling 24x7 via What's Cooking, Chicago?

Ingredients for the special sauce:
1 cup miracle whip
1/3 cup sweet relish
1/4 cup French dressing (I used Catalina since that's what I had on hand)
1 T sugar
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp minced onion

Burgers:
1 lb. ground chuck

4 slices American cheese
4 hamburger buns, toasted if desired

Optional ingredients: Lettuce leaves, pickles, onion slices

Directions:
1. Make the special sauce -- Combine the miracle whip, sweet relish, dressing, sugar, pepper and minced onion in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Chill for at least 1 hour.

2. Divide the ground chuck into 4 equal portions and make into patties. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Grill to your desired preference and top with cheese for the last minute of cooking.

3. Put the burgers on the buns and top with desired toppings, including the special sauce.Pin It

Slow Cooker Pulled BBQ Hawaiian Chicken Sandwiches

Happy 4th of July! I know most people grill on days like today, but if you don't have a grill or outside space (like me), then a slow cooker is a wonderful thing to use instead. Hawaiian chicken sandwiches are a popular sandwich going around one of the cooking message boards where I belong. I have always enjoyed the savory sweet combination and these sandwiches were no exception. I love pulled meats and being able to use my slow cooker on super hot days like the ones we've been having so I decided to adapt this recipe to do just that. I also added some BBQ sauce to the mix. These sandwiches were fantastic and something that I will definitely be making again. If you want you can grill up your pineapple slices or brown them a little in a skillet, but I just added them as is because I got a little lazy. 

Slow Cooker Pulled BBQ Hawaiian Chicken Sandwiches

Source: Adapted from So Tasty, So Yummy 

Ingredients:
1.5 pounds chicken breasts
1 can pineapple rings 
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons dijon mustard1/2 cup BBQ sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon water
Hamburger buns

Directions:
1. Spray slow cooker with cooking spray and add chicken.

2. Mix together the juice from the pineapple rings, soy sauce, brown sugar, dijon mustard and BBQ sauce, then pour over the chicken.

3. Cook on low heat for 4-5 hours.

4. When finished cooking, remove chicken and shred on a plate. Turn slow cooker to the warm setting.

5. Combine cornstarch and water in a small bowl. Take liquid from slow cooker and pour into a medium-sized saucepan, then add the cornstarch mixture. Boil over high heat and mix until thickened.

6. Put chicken back into slow cooker and pour the sauce over top. Mix well.

7. Serve on toasted hamburger buns and add a slice of pineapple to the top, if desired. Pin It

Spicy Chicken Sandwiches with Cilantro-Lime Mayo

I've been on a sandwich kick lately, but that usually tends to happen in the summer. I made this sandwich last year, but never blogged about it since I wasn't blogging at that moment. So when I made it again this week I knew I needed to share. The chicken gets a nice little kick from the hot sauce in the marinade and the tortilla chips make it a little bit crispy after being very lightly fried in a little bit of oil. It's a nice alternative to just plain old chicken! And just a note - you can assemble these in advance and then just cook them up when you're ready for dinner. They take no time at all!

Spicy Chicken Sandwiches with Cilantro-Lime Mayo

Source: Slightly adapted from Cooking Light, via My Recipes

For the Cilantro-Lime Mayo

Ingredients:
1/4 cup mayo
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
1 garlic clove, minced

Directions:
1. Mix all ingredients well. Chill under ready to use.

For the Chicken

Ingredients:
1 egg
3 Tablespoons hot sauce
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 chicken breasts
6 cups tortilla chips
2 Tablespoons canola oil
4 whole wheat buns

Directions:
1. Combine first 4 ingredients in a large ziploc bag (or dish with a lid) and mix well. Cut the chicken breasts in half horizontally to form 4 cutlets. Place in mixture and marinate for at least 2 hours.

2. Place tortilla chips in food processor and process until ground. Place on a plate or in a shallow dish.

3. For each chicken cutlet - remove from marinade and let excess drip off, then place in crumbs and coat thoroughly.

4. Heat canola oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Once heated, cook chicken for 3 minutes on each side, or until browned and cooked through.

5. Spread mayo on buns, top with chicken cutlet and any additional toppings you may like. I usually add a little extra hot sauce to mine. You can add lettuce leave, red onion slices, or avocado as well!Pin It

Tomato Basil Soup & Grilled Turkey and Ham Sandwiches

I've always wanted to make my own tomato soup to see how it measures up against the condensed kind so once I saw this recipe pop up on my Google Reader, I knew I would someday be making it! I finally got the chance to do that this past week. This tomato soup is really good, although I cannot find fresh basil anywhere so I had to use dried. I really think the fresh would flavor the soup MUCH better. However, I still thought it was pretty good and Jon ate two bowls so I'm assuming he liked it too! He added some shredded cheese and croutons to his second bowl to flavor it up even more. As for this sandwiches - I LOVED them. I used Miracle Whip Light and I just think it added that little extra zip!

Tomato Basil Soup
Source: Savory Spicy Sweet, who adapted it from allrecipes.com

Ingredients:
2 (28 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
14 ounces chicken or vegetable broth
18 fresh basil leaves, minced (I used minced but strongly recommend fresh if you can find it!)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup whole milk, half and half, or whipping cream (I used half & half)
3 to 8 tablespoons butter
salt and pepper, to taste
grated or shredded Parmesan, for garnish

Directions:
In a large saucepan, bring the tomatoes and broth to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add basil and sugar. Reduce heat to low; stir in cream (or milk) and butter. Cook until butter is melted.

Grilled Turkey & Ham Sandwiches
Source: Cooking Light - go to website to get recipe! :)Pin It