Texas-Sized BBQ Chicken and Cheddar Sandwiches
(from kylerhea’s recipe box)
Use either your favorite homemade BBQ sauce or a store-bought sauce. Our favorite brand is Bull’s-Eye Original Barbecue Sauce.
Source: Cook's Illustrated E-notes June 2007 (from RecipeThing user jerseyjenny)
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Serves 4 people
Ingredients
- 4 slices bacon, halved crosswise
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds), trimmed
- Salt and pepper
- 1 cup barbecue sauce
- 1 minced chipotle chile in adobo
- 1/4 cup water
- 4 deli-style onion rolls, split in half
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Directions
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Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Fry bacon in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until crisp, about 4 minutes. Transfer to large plate lined with paper towels and pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat.
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Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Cook chicken in bacon fat until browned on one side, about 4 minutes. Flip chicken and add barbecue sauce, chipotle, and water. Cover, reduce heat to medium, and simmer until chicken is cooked through and sauce is slightly thickened, about 8 minutes. Remove chicken from skillet and slice crosswise into 1/4-inch pieces.
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range rolls cut-side up on baking sheet. Divide chicken among bottom halves of rolls and top with sauce, cheese, and bacon. Bake open-faced sandwiches in oven until cheese melts and rolls are golden brown, about 4 minutes. Top each sandwich with toasted roll top. Serves 4.