Blue Cheese Corn Bread Pulled Chicken Sandwiches

Prepare for Game Day with Blue Cheese Corn Bread Pulled Chicken Sandwiches. This recipe combines corn muffins and pulled chicken in a sweet and savory barbecue sauce.

The pulled chicken is seasoned with sea salt, peppercorn and sautéed chopped onions, adding a savory depth to the recipe. The chicken is then simmered in chicken broth and barbecue sauce, paprika, garlic powder and thyme, contributing to even more flavor for this delicious recipe.   

The blue cheese corn muffins are homemade with corn muffin mix, blue cheese crumbles, eggs, sweet corn, sour cream and sugar. These muffins are the perfect combination of sweet and savory.  

Each bite is a composition of textures and flavors of sweet barbecue sauce, savory chicken and tangy blue cheese.

Serve these sandwiches at a backyard gathering or a cozy family dinner. This Blue Cheese Corn Bread Pulled Chicken Sandwiches recipe will not only impress your guests, but make everyone happy with a delicious and filling meal.

Prep Time:  30 minutes   |    Cook Time:  1 hour, 30 minutes   |    Total Time:  2 hours   |    Yields:  24 Sandwiches

Ingredients:

Chicken:

  • 2 pounds Kirkwood Chicken Breasts
  • ground  Stonemill  Sea Salt Grinder, to taste
  • ground  Stonemill  Peppercorn grinder, to taste
  • 2 tablespoons  Carlini  Vegetable Oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 32 ounces  Simply Nature  Organic Low Sodium Chicken Broth
  • 3 cups Sweet Baby Ray's Original Barbecue Sauce, divided
  • 1 teaspoon  Stonemill  Paprika
  • 1 teaspoon Stonemill Garlic Powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon  Simply Nature  Organic Thyme

Muffins:

  • Carlini  Canola Cooking Spray
  • 8.5 ounces Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix
  • 1 cup  Emporium Selection  Blue Cheese Crumbles, plus additional for garnish
  • 3  Goldhen  Large Eggs
  • 1/2 cup  Season's Choice  Super Sweet Corn
  • 1/3 cup  Friendly Farms  Sour Cream
  • 1 teaspoon  Baker's Corner  Granulated Sugar
  • sliced jalapeno, for garnish

Directions:

  1. Heat oven to 450°.
  2. For the chicken: Season with salt and pepper.
  3. In a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion and sauté for 3-4 minutes, until softened.
  4. Add chicken breasts, chicken broth, 2 cups of the barbecue sauce, paprika, garlic and thyme to the Dutch oven. Stir to combine. Make sure the chicken is covered with liquid. If it is not, add additional chicken broth or water to the pot.
  5. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to a simmer and cover with a lid. Braise the chicken for 40-50 minutes, flipping the chicken every 15 minutes, until it reaches an internal temperature of 165° and is fork tender. Remove the lid and shred the chicken with two forks.  
  6. Turn the heat to medium high. Stir in the remaining barbeque sauce and continue cooking, stirring often until the chicken has absorbed most of the liquid and becomes thick and saucy.
  7. For the muffins: Coat two 12-cup muffin pans with cooking spray.
  8. In a large bowl, combine all muffin ingredients. Stir to combine. Evenly distribute among muffin cups. Bake for 15 minutes. Allow to cool.
  9. Slice the muffins in half and fill with pulled chicken. Top with additional blue cheese and sliced jalapeno if desired.

Recipe Courtesy of Chef Michelle, recipe updated by Audrey, ALDI Test Kitchen