BBQ sandwiches can feed a crowd

Barbecued Slaw

5/29/2011

Memorial Day means the unofficial start to deck parties and big summer gatherings. You can always fire up the grill -- but what if you don't have one? Or just don't feel like being the grill master for the day?

Enter today's ultra-desperate version of Barbecued Pulled Chicken Sandwiches with Barbecued Slaw. By using the rotisserie chickens available at most large grocery stores, cooking the chicken is already completed.

Last week, I snagged a couple of chickens on sale, ready to eat for $3.49 each. That's at least a couple of dollars cheaper than a whole raw chicken at the same store. But even at the regular price, the chickens are almost always less than $6 each.

You can make our favorite barbecue sauce, Fred's Red, available on kitchenscoop.com, or use a purchased sauce. For testing purposes with this recipe, I used Sweet Baby Ray's Award-Winning Barbecue Sauce, and it was delicious.

For my big "cookout dinner," I served 20 people for less than $50 with leftovers! So not only is this desperate because it takes 30 minutes to throw together; it's cheap, too.

BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwiches

Start to finish: 30 minutes

1 rotisserie chicken

⅔ cup barbecue sauce of choice, plus more for serving

8 sandwich rolls

Barbecued Slaw, for serving, recipe follows

Skin and bone the chicken. Discard the skin and bones, and place the meat in a bowl. Add the barbecue sauce, and toss. (The meat can warm in a crock-pot for up to two hours on low.) Add more sauce, to taste, if desired.

Serve on sandwich buns with slaw.

Yield: 8 sandwiches

Approximate values per serving: 460 calories (32 percent from fat), 10 g fat (8 g saturated), 100 mg cholesterol, 17 g protein, 30 g carbohydrates, 3 g dietary fiber, 750 mg sodium

Start to finish: 15 minutes to prep, at least one hour to chill

1 large green cabbage (about 3 pounds)

1 large onion

1/2 cup barbecue sauce of choice

1/4 cup apple-cider vinegar

1 cup water

1/4 cup light mayonnaise

Shred the cabbage and onion into a heat-resistant bowl. In a small saucepan, bring the barbecue sauce, vinegar and water to a boil. Remove from heat, and pour over the cabbage and onion. Stir well to mix.

Chill for at least one hour to marinate. Stir in the mayonnaise and serve, or cover and refrigerate for up to three days.

Yield: about 6 cups

Approximate values per 1/4 cup: 30 calories (28 percent from fat), 1 g fat (0 g saturated), trace cholesterol, 1 g protein, 5 g carbohydrates, 2 g dietary fiber, 75 mg sodium