These Crockpot BBQ Chicken Sandwiches are one of my favorites recipes for a family get together. This easy meal comes together with a broccoli slaw and a lighter sauce with fewer calories than normal sauce for just as much flavor. We love slow cooker BBQ chicken and this recipe is awesome!

First, happy Friday Night Lights! We have really gotten back into college football this year, which has amped up our game night/date night around here. I had missed it since my college days, and my husband hasn’t ever really been into it as much as I have been {since I was raised with mostly boys who were into sports, and he had only sisters who watched the 6-hour Pride & Prejudice}.

It’s been fun a fun excuse to get together with family, be crazy, and of course–  food.

I have had this sandwich idea brewing around for a bit and wanted to share this sauce with you anyway. We discovered Stubbs sauce earlier this year when my husband and I started counting calories. It is WAY less calories than most other brands {not advertised as low-calorie or anything, but look, it is}, and because there isn’t any corn syrup and nasty stuff added in, it’s just better. And, since I have friends who are G-free, it IS gluten free. And though we like all the flavors, this Sweet Heat is by far our favorite. I had been dreaming up a way to use this for a game day meal and we finally did.

We used Foster Farms chicken and grilled thighs. I am going to go ahead and tell you- YES definitely yes go with dark meat on this one. It makes a big difference on the flavor and I think it’s so much juicier in the BBQ when it’s dark. This stuff was also on CRAZY SALE at Vons so we got tons and grilled it all up for later. I’ve done this lots of times and then have grilled chicken for lots of meals! I’m also a big Foster Farms fan because it’s always fresh and raised here in California and in the Pacific Northwest and I know they don’t add hormones or steroids. {PS, there is an Instant Redeemable Coupon in stores to grab the chicken AND BBQ sauce so you can save. The coupon expires on 12/31/15}

Anyway, what you’re going to do is marinade your chicken in your favorite italian dressing. It almost doesn’t matter which, because it’s just about the seasoning and oil there. Then grill the chicken, shred it and toss it with the Sweet Heat sauce. Just trust me on the Sweet Heat. I mean, grab a few so you can try them, but make this sandwich with the Sweet Heat. Don’t hurt my feelings.

Then make up a slaw- I like using shredded broccoli, cabbage, and carrot {buy in a bag as “broccoli slaw” and add purple onion. Saute in italian dressing until softened, but not cartelized. Sandwich goes BBQ chicken, pepper jack cheese, sautéd slaw, and lots of fresh avocado. The flavor is this unexpected melding of sweet, savory, and tangy and is one of the more flavorful ways I’ve done BBQ. Also, because the slaw and sauce are lighter, it’s not as heavy as perhaps a more “traditional” BBQ chicken sandwich…

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