You should see The List right now. In addition to the usual suspects (book doctor appointments, contact accountant, hire business partner!!!, “garage sale!!!!!”) there are all those tasks that have the distinct whiff of self-betterment, the kinds of things usually reserved for New Years. Does this happen to you? Do you get the Clean Slate feeling every September? Do you find yourself making silent resolutions to yourself in the Starbucks line like “Make More Freezable Dinners” or “Eliminate All White Foods” or “Call More, Text Less” or “Stop giving so much money to Starbucks.” Well, apparently a good number of you do, because upon my return from vacation, my DALS inbox was filled with requests for posts like these: (I’m paraphrasing)
How do I shop more efficiently?
How do I squeeze in exercise when I have kids, a job, and the need to sit down at some point during the course of my 18-hour day?
How do I cook with sustainable fish without mortgaging my life?
How do I serve more vegetable-based dinners without alienating the meat-eaters at my table?
How can I help you sell as many Dinner: A Love Story books as possible?
OK, so maybe that last request I might have made up. But the other issues are very very real so in the next week or so I’ll be addressing them and any other back-to-school resolutions you may want to discuss here on DALS. Well, except for resolutions about fondant. I will not be able to provide any assistance with fondant.
You can either email me those requests directly or comment below. In the meantime, here’s one answer to my Make-More-Freezer-Dinners Resolution. I made a big old pot of this pulled BBQ chicken for Andy’s birthday dinner party last spring (alongside some pulled pork, quick-pickled onions and jalapenos, and lots of slaws). In addition to being an excellent Make-Ahead Menu, I happened to notice that the pulled chicken froze exceptionally well. So my resolution this week is to make a pot of it on Saturday, freeze in small, thawable stashes (flat ziplocs!), and then be prepared for any dinner situation this school year decides to throw my way — late trains, babysitter cancellations, ridiculous amounts of extracurriculars and all! Warning: Freezer Dinner Ambition Subject to Waning.
Pulled Chicken Sandwiches
1 cup barbecue sauce (bonus points for homemade, which takes 15-20 minutes, page 238 Dinner: A Love Story)
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1 chipotle pepper in adobo (not adobo sauce, just a single saucy pepper)
6 to 8 boneless chicken breasts (2 pounds-ish), halved if they are large, salted and peppered
Potato Rolls (slider or sandwich)
pickled onions and jalapenos (optional)
In a large heavy pot, mix together barbecue sauce, cider vinegar, onion, garlic, bay leaf, and chipotle. Add chicken and enough water to cover (about 2 cups), whisking water with barbecue mixture until it’s blended. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 15-20 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pot and shred with two forks. Bring the sauce to a boil until it thickens and reduces, another 10 minutes. Once it reaches desired consistency (should not be as liquidy as show in photo above — I was losing my light! I had to act fast!) stir in chicken. (If you want to freeze for a later use, allow to cool at this point, then spoon into zip-top bags and flatten slightly so they are easier to thaw.) Otherwise, serve chicken on potato rolls (sliders are always fun) with pickled vegetables (or jarred pickles), your favorite slaw, or shredded sharp cheddar.
For the super-ambitious, here’s how to quick-pickle some onions with jalapenos: Bring 2 cups water, 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 2 tablespoons sugar, and a heavy pinch of salt to a boil in a saucepan. Add red onion slices and cross-sectioned jalapenos and simmer, uncovered about 3 minutes. Drain and cool to room temp. Serve on top of pulled chicken sandwiches. I don’t want to overstate things, but…Killer.
And Just for the Heck of it…A Basic Cole Slaw
In a large bowl, whisk together 1/3 cup cider vinegar, dash of Sriracha, 3 heaping tablespoons mayonnaise, ½ teaspoon celery seed, 1 tablespoon sugar, salt and pepper to taste. Set aside. Shred half a head of green or red cabbage (5 cups) as thinly as possible. (With a mandoline or the shredding disk of a food processor.) Add to the dressing and toss to combine. Toss in a little chopped cilantro. Serve right away.
PS: If I knew anything about slow-cookers, I might suggest adapting the chicken for that use, too.
This sounds great–quick question: boneless or bone-in chicken breasts? Thanks!
I conquered my fear of raw meat and made this. It was delicious, and my husband was thrilled to have a non-veggie meal for once. We ate half, the other half is freezing in ziplocs!
I make almost this exact same chicken on a very regular basis for my family, and I do it in the slow cooker. Typically, this is how it goes: throw all ingredients into the slow cooker in the morning, and set to cook on “low” throughout the day while I’m gone. When I get home, I pull the chicken out, shred it, and keep it warm, while I pour the sauce into a pan on the stove and reduce it there. We usually serve it just on buns with regular pickles, but I love these pickle ideas, too! (Just finished the book, btw–really enjoyed it!)
How many onions and jalapenos?
I am trying this for dinner tonight! Also, I was happy to learn awhile ago that Ziploc brand bags are BPA free:
http://www.ziploc.com/Sustainability/Pages/Safety-and-Plastics.aspx
Hi there. I stopped by the site today to catch up a bit and ended up here. This is exactly what I needed. My wife is having a baby very soon, and I feel an intense need to get food in the freezer NOW, particularly things our 3 year old will also eat. I always have trouble thinking beyond soup. Thanks for the inspiration — and thanks to the commenters for additional ideas of what to freeze. Like one of your other commenters, I have a tiny Brooklyn freezer, but I’m determined to evict all of the other tenants of the freezer. Popsicles? Frosty mugs for beer? Forget you! It’s time to feed the family.
My son approaches any new food with a ready made grimace. He loves potato leek soup, he love corn on the cob, in quesadillas, etc., so I thought corn chowder would be ok. He was ready to freak out, but I let him pick out his own bowl (a tiny little ramekin) and he got to slice the cheese sticks to go on top. When we sat down to eat, he tried a little, then a little more, and ended up eating three (tiny) bowls full. Needless to say, I’m glad I made a huge pot… we’ve got a full dinner’s worth in the freezer. I read your newsletter. Do I win Placemat Art?
Love it!
I Liked Bodum on Facebook. Do I win the Newsletter Prize?
Mmm, made this tonight to rave reviews! I combined this recipe with a recent tip that I found on Pinterest — using the KitchenAid mixer to shred chicken. You can use the triangular-kinda mixer paddle thingie (which is of course the technical term). It worked like a charm. (Apparently the chicken has to be warm, though, or you’ll break your triangular-kinda mixer paddle thingie.)
HI! I just recently discovered your blog and book and have become obsessed! Your ideas for dealing with picky eaters has been life changing for me and my daughter! Is there a way to add a “favorites” or “recipe” section to your blog? I see so many things I like and would like to store them somewhere on the blog for easy reference. For now, I’m filling up the blank pages in your book with recipes I’d like. Just a thought! BTW, your book is my new “go to” bridal/baby shower present! Thanks!
Is this a silly question– but does the recipe for pulled chicken sandwiches call for boneless chicken or chicken on the bone?? Would love to try this for dinner tonight!
I found this recipe on the Wednesday Chef and what a find! Seriously, this chicken. I’m not usually one to look forward to eating the same meal multiple days in a row, but for this pulled chicken I made an exception.
I used homemade peach ketchup instead of bbq sauce for the recipe and it was all kinds of magic. Now, of course, I’ll have to try it with classic bbq sauce as well.
Thanks for this weeknight star.
I too was inspired after seeing this on Wednesday Chef and made this last night – really great, loved it! I normally much prefer chicken thighs to breasts but this dish really needs the strands of meat – can’t wait to finish the leftovers!
I’ve been making this for years but I had to come comment because I had a frozen bag of it that I made beforemy daughter was born four months ago. I just defrosted it, we enjoyed a fabulous dinner (with picked onions AND the coleslaw!), and it made me nostalgic for those few weeks before my baby arrived. But also proud of myself for stashing that in the freezer! Along with your chicken and orzo soup!