Honey BBQ Chicken Strips

One of mine and my daughter's favorite appetizers is Boneless Honey BBQ Chicken Strips from Applebee's. The sauce is just perfect for us. My husband loves Parmesan Garlic Wings from Buffalo Wild Wings. So for the Superbowl we decided to attempt at-home versions of both flavors. Unfortunately, my husband's recipe was a flop, but the BBQ strips turned out perfectly. Not exactly like Applebee's, but we were good with that because this sauce was really great. It was tangy and sweet.

The strips we chose were Tyson Crispy Chicken Strips, I'm telling you... they are just right for this sauce. We had leftover sauce and strips so I had this meal for lunch 2 days in a row. Just thinking about them now makes me crave them. These little sweeties will leave your tastebuds yearning for more. You'll be totally set with ranch or bleu cheese dipping sauce and a small side of slaw or these delicious homemade potato chips.

Let's get saucy...

Honey BBQ Sauce

1/4 C brown sugar
1/2 C + 2 tbsp BBQ (I used Sweet Baby Ray's)
1/4 C water
1 tbsp honey

Mix everything together and the sauce is ready to go!

Bake the desired amount of strips. The quantity of sauce was enough for the entire bag. We only made about of the half the bag and baked the rest when we ready to eat more. I like my strips extra crispy so I always bake them longer than the bag recommends.

Once your strips are done, give them a honey BBQ bath. Flip 'em and flop 'em around in the sauce.

 Now you are set to sit down and enjoy some tasty, tasty Honey BBQ Chicken Strips!!

Super Wife BBQ Chicken Nachos

Want a real crowd pleaser for your next party?  Whether its a late holiday family party or the upcoming Superbowl, these BBQ Chicken Nachos are so delicious and they disappear quite quickly!  The best thing is they are easy to make but look pretty impressive.  I don't really follow a recipe when I make them so the amounts below are just estimates - you should definitely adjust them to your taste.

BBQ Chicken Nachos

1 tub of bbq chicken - heated per instructions
1 package of shredded cheese of your choice - cheddar, colby, pepperjack (I like doing a mix)
1/2 bag of shredded lettuce
1 - 2 tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup frozen corn - heated
1 small can of sliced black olives
1 bag tortilla chips (I like the big restaurant style)

On a cookie tray or oven safe dish. spread desired amount of tortilla chips.  Sprinkle cheese on the chips.  Heat in 375 degree oven for approximately 10 minutes or however long it takes to melt the cheese.  Add the meat, lettuce, and remaining toppings.  Other topping ideas include onions, peppers, and beans.

Go Packers!

Slow-cooked Pulled Pork

Today’s “Friday Quickie” is pulled pork (beef, chicken). Pulled meat… fast you ask? Yes, it’s true, kind of. There's a minor catch. The meat must be slow-cooked. While it does take all day to cook, it's fast and easy to prepare once it's done.

Here we go!

Prepare 3 lbs of boneless country style pork or beef ribs or chicken breast (pork is cheapest) in a crockpot. You can use a rub on the meat if you prefer, I choose not to. Add water to the crockpot, enough to almost or completely cover the meat, turn to low heat. We eat dinner between 6:00pm and 7:00pm. I start cooking the meat by 10:00am at the latest. 

Cook……cook……cook….cook…..cook…..cook…………………………………………………

Fast forward to 6:00pm(ish). Remove meat from crockpot. Don’t pour the water/juices from the crockpot quite yet. The meat is so awesomely tender it basically falls apart. I use 2 forks, 1 to hold the meat and the other to shred the meat. It pretty much shreds effortlessly. If your side dishes have not been prepared yet, put the meat back into the crockpot. Let it soak up more yummy moistness. Strain the meat a bit before putting it on the plate.

When we have this meal, my husband usually makes jo-jo potatoes. Those are timely, but oh so good with pulled pork. You could also have a bean salad, coleslaw or french fries/tator tots. 

Our area has an amazing mom and pop style bar-b-q restaurant. Lucky for us, they sell their signature sauce in takeout jars. KC Masterpiece or Jack Daniels sauce does not compare... not even close. My suggestion is to find a local bar-b-q diner with an amazing sauce and purchase a jar of it. It really does make a difference. 

Although this meal takes all day to cook, the serving part is actually fast and easy. This meal feeds our family of six (p.s. it's a total winner with the kids!) and we generally have leftovers. It’s delish reheated too!

Add this to your meal plan today!

Other options for the pulled meat:

Nachos with all the fixings
Soft shell tacos with all the fixings
Pulled meat sandwich
Spinach salad with veggies and meat (use bar-b-q sauce)