Slow Cooker Chicken Caesar Sandwiches

I found this recipe and picture over on Six Sisters' Stuff and it was another winner. Very quick and easy to put together. I actually cooked and shredded the chicken the night before so that I didn't have to figure out how to time it right for dinner time, and it worked perfectly.

Before I get into the recipe, I have to say that if you ever cook with shredded chicken and you are shredding it by hand, you're wasting time. I tried shredding it in my KitchenAid mixer, and I'll never shred it by hand. The key is to make sure the chicken is still warm (I literally pulled it from the crock pot and put it straight into the mixer). Just pulse it on low to start to break up the chunks, then up the speed a bit until you have it at the desired consistency. Seriously - this took 30 seconds in the mixer and probably would have taken 10 minutes by hand.

On to the recipe...

Slow Cooker Chicken Caesar Sandwiches
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts
1/2 to 1 cup of your favorite Caesar dressing (I used the Ken's low-fat stuff)
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley (if you don't have fresh use around 2 teaspoons of dried parsley)
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
2 cups shredded romaine lettuce
Buns or rolls 

1. Place chicken in a 3-4 quart slow cooker with 1-2 cups of water, cover and cook on low heat for 4-6 hours. I also seasoned the chicken with a little bit of minced onion and garlic powder.

2. Remove chicken from cooker using a slotted spoon and drain the water from the slow cooker. Shred in whatever way you prefer (see above for my dissertation on using the Kitchen Aid mixer).

3. Place chicken back in the cooker and pour dressing, Parmesan cheese, parsley, and pepper over the top. I really make sure that I discard any fat pieces so by the time I was done I only used about 1/2 cup of dressing but you make need more if you have more chicken. Stir until mixed evenly. Cover and cook on high heat for 30 minutes or until mixture is hot. 

4. Spoon 1/4 cup mixture onto each slider bun if you are making sliders or more for regular sized buns. Top with extra shredded Parmesan cheese and lettuce to serve (we also added a little bit of dressing on on the buns).

These were great hot, and they were also great cold the next day for lunch. This is definitely a make-again for me.