Pulled Chicken Sandwich

For the Rub:
1 T. each garlic powder, brown sugar, and chili powder

For the Chicken:
1 boneless skinless chicken breast
4 chicken thighs, skin removed
2 T. olive oil
1 1/2 c. Barbecue sauce
4 kaiser rolls, toasted

For the Barbecue Sauce:
1 c. ketchup
1/3 c. cider vinegar
1/4 c. packed brown sugar
1 T. yellow mustard
1 T. lemon juice
2 t. Worcestershire sauce
2 t. soy sauce
1 t. cayenne pepper
1/2 t. each kosher salt and black pepper

For the Apple Cucumber Slaw:
1/2 c. mayonnaise
2 T. cider vinegar
2 T. sugar
2 t. prepared horseradish
kosher salt and black pepper to taste
1 c. thinly sliced cucumber rounds
1 granny smith apple, cored, quartered, and thinly sliced
1/2 c. thin cut strips red bell pepper
2 T. fresh parsley, chopped

For the Barbecue Sauce:
Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl.

For the Apple Cucumber Slaw:
Whisk together mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, horseradish, salt, and black pepper in a large bowl.
Toss with cucumber, apple, bell pepper, and parsley. Chill slaw until ready to serve, at least 30 minutes.

For the Chicken:
Preheat grill to medium high heat.
Combine garlic powder, brown sugar, chili powder, salt and thyme for the rub in a small bowl.
Place chicken breast and thighs on a large tray and toss with oil. Pat rub mixture on chicken until pieces are thoroughly coated.
Reduce heat on one side of the grill to low. Grill breast and thighs, covered, over low heat until chicken browns and crisps, about 10 minutes. Use tongs to flip chicken over. Continue grilling until chicken breast reaches an internal temperature of 165 and thigh reach an internal temperature of 175. Transfer chicken to a large bowl.
Shred chicken using two forks to pull apart meat while it's still hot, discarding bones from chicken thighs. Add barbecue sauce to bowl with shredded chicken; stir until chicken is coated. Divide meat evenly among four rolls. Top each sandwich with apple cucumber slaw.

Makes 4 sandwiches. Total time 45 minutes.

Verdict:
We ate these twice in a week. I used the short cut version though...Instead of cooking the chicken I used a rotisserie chicken. I pulled the chicken off of the bone and then put it into a pan and sprinkled it with the rub spices. Then I heated the chicken with the spices for a few minutes then added the barbecue sauce. Easy peasy and good.

Creamy White Mac & Cheese With Apples and Kielbasa

For the topping:
Melt;Add:
1/2 stick butter
1 sleeve saltine crackers, crushed

For the macaroni and cheese:
Cook; Reserve:
1/2 lb. dry elbow macaroni
1 c. pasta water
Melt; Whisk In; Stir In:
2 T. butter
2 T. flour
3/4 c. whole milk
3/4 c. heavy cream
pinch of nutmeg
2 c. white cheddar, shredded
4 oz. cream cheese

For sauteed kielbasa and apples:
Brown in 1 T. olive oil:
1 lb. kielbasa, cut into 1" pieces
Saute in 2 T. butter; Add:
2 c. granny smith apples, cored and sliced
2 T. sugar
1 T. lemon juice

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400.
Rub inside of 2 qt. baking dish with softened butter. Bring large pot of salted water to boil for macaroni.
Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and reserve 1 c. pasta water.
Melt 1/2 stick butter for the topping in a non stick skillet. Add crackers and cook until lightly browned.
Melt 2 T. butter in a small saucepan.
Whisk in flour, cook 1 min. then gradually whisk in milk, cream and nutmeg. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, then add cheeses, stirring until melted. If sauce seems to thick, add reserved pasta water to thin sauce.
Toss sauce with macaroni.
Coat buttered baking dish with a dusting of crumb topping. Top macaroni mixture with remaining crumbs and bake 20 min.

For the kielbasa:
Brown kielbasa in oil in nonstick skillet about 5 min. Transfer to a plate. Return pan to burner.
Saute apple slices in butter in the same pan until softened, 2-3 min. Add remaining ingredients and cook just until sugar dissolves, 1-2 minutes. Return sausage to skillet and toss to combine.

Makes 4-6 servings. Total time 45 minutes.

Verdict:
First off when I made this I couldn't find white cheddar so I just used extra sharp cheddar. It worked good. This is yummy. Salty cracker goodness with noodles and cheese underneath. It is a yummy combo. When you add the kielbasa and apples to the mix it is like a little slice of heaven.