As summer vacations are winding to a close there’s some denial in the “back to the grind” busy schedules. That doesn’t mean you need to give up on perfect summer fare just yet!

Pulled meat (typically pork) sandwiches slathered with barbecue sauce are one of those meals that have you thinking of picnic tables and summer get togethers.

I have adjusted an Anne Burrell recipe from the January/February 2014 edition of Food Network Magazine (Anne Burrell’s Pulled Pork Sliders) to utilize the slow cooker, meaning you don’t need to turn on the oven or be stranded at home while it roasts away. You could even make the BBQ sauce in advance if you didn’t wan, or have the time, to be at the stove 30 minutes before dinner. I used chicken instead of pork because that’s what I already had in my freezer, if you want pork she used a 3 lb Boston butt pork roast.

Slow Cooker Pulled Chicken

Ingredients:

• 4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 1/2 tbsp paprika
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 1/2 tsp dark brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp mustard powder
• 1 tsp cayenne
• 1 bottle (12 oz) beer (I used a summer ale)

Steps:

1. Season chicken with S+P. Place in the bottom of a slow cooker.
2. In a small bowl combine paprika, garlic powder, brown sugar, mustard powder, and cayenne. Sprinkle over the chicken.
3. Pour beer into the slow cooker. Cook on LOW 5-7 hours until the chicken shreds easily.
4. Serve as a sandwich, wrap or salad with thinly sliced apple, red onion, lettuce, and apple cider vinegar bbq sauce (recipe below).

Apple Cider Vinegar BBQ Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 C apple cider vinegar
• 1 clove garlic, smashed (I used 1 tsp Gourmet Garden garlic paste)
• 1 Fresno chili pepper, deseeded and halved (I used 1 tbsp Gourmet Garden lightly dried chili pepper)
• 2 tbsp dark brown sugar
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard

Steps:

1. Place all ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium high heat then reduce to a simmer. Cook 20 – 30 minutes, or until a desired consistency is achieved. Remove the garlic and chili pepper, if used.