Smokey Pulled Chicken

When you want simple, affordable comfort food, look no further. I was craving pulled chicken sandwiches something fierce. (Did my southern dialect fool you?!) Instead of resorting to a bottled BBQ sauce (which is fine for the truly time crunched), I followed this recipe to create my own. Not your traditional taste, but very good. I used smoked paprika, which Dustin felt overwhelmed the other flavors. I liked the smokiness it infused. I'll have to try it with sweet paprika in the future. This is a no-nonsense, throw it in the crock pot and walk away kinda meal. Of course, if you are going to make your own sandwich rolls as I did, you'll need a few more minutes for that.

INGREDIENTS

1 8 oz. can tomato sauce

1 4 oz. can chopped green chiles, drained

3 Tbsp. cider vinegar

2 Tbsp. honey

1 Tbsp. sweet or smoked paprika

1 Tbsp. tomato paste

1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

2 tsp. dry mustard (I used 1 tsp. Dijon)

1 tsp. ground chipotle chile

1/2 tsp. salt

2 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs (I used breasts), trimmed of fat

1 onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

DIRECTIONS

1. Stir tomato sauce, chiles, vinegar, honey, paprika, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, ground chipotle and salt in a 6-quart slow cooker until smooth. Add chicken, onion and garlic; stir to combine.

2. Put the lid on and cook on low until the chicken can be pulled apart, about 5 hours.

3. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and shred with a fork. Return the chicken to the sauce, stir well and serve.

Serves 8.

(Adapted from Eating Well)