BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwich Bake

This BBQ pulled chicken sandwich bake is perfect for a weekend dinner. Comfort food at its finest.

Welcome!  This recipe for a BBQ pulled chicken sandwich bake is inspired by a delicious sandwich at Rosa’s Pizza in Bozeman, Montana.  If you are ever in Bozeman – you need to stop by and try their BBQ Chicken Chuckwagon sandwich (or any of the Chuckwagon sandwiches).  Their pizza is delicious too.

Both the BBQ Chuckwagon sandwich +  a family favorite breakfast bread called tea ring fused together is really where this idea came from.

The dough is the same used in last week’s recipe bread machine buns.  The sky is the limit for what you can make with this delicious bread dough recipe!

Grocery List

Chicken, BBQ sauce & cheese topping

• 2 large boneless and skinless chicken breasts
• McCormick’s barbecue seasoning
• Salt and pepper
• Ketchup
• Western salad dressing
• Lemon juice
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Bread dough

• 1 cup milk (lukewarm)
• 1 egg (lukewarm)
• 2 tbsp butter (sliced)
• 3 cups flour
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast
• Butter to grease hands and spread on bread dough

This recipe is great for a Sunday dinner with the family.  Or serve for special company.

Yes, there is a lot of time involved.  But most of it is wait time!

• Prep chicken breasts – 10 minutes
• Slow cook chicken on low – 4 to 5 hours
• Bread dough prep – 10 minutes
• Bread dough cycle and rise time – 2 to 2 1/2 hours
• Form dough into a sandwich ring – 15 minutes
• Bake at 350 degrees – 22 – 25 minutes

Slow Cook the Chicken

Start by adding two boneless skinless chicken breasts to your slow cooker.

Season with salt, pepper, and McCormick’s barbecue seasoning.  Add a little bit of water.

Cook on low for about 4 hours.  Check occasionally to make sure it’s not drying out.

The chicken should be easy to shred at that point. Pull chicken apart using two forks.

Then mix the barbecue sauce:  1 cup of ketchup + 1 cup of Western salad dressing + 1 teaspoon of lemon juice

[disclaim]The Western Salad Dressing is sometimes hard to find.  We can find it in groceries stores in North Dakota, but not in Montana.  So I normally order from Amazon.  There is an option to add-on bottles of Western dressing to other orders which makes it much cheaper.[/disclaim]

Add the sauce to the shredded chicken.

Cook on low for a least another hour.  Then turn off the heat and let the bbq chicken cool.

Bread Dough

Start the bread dough about 2 1/2 hours before the chicken is done and cooled.  (You can even make the chicken the day before and pop it in the fridge.)

Add these seven ingredients in order to the bread machine pan:

• 1 egg + 1 cup of milk – warmed in the microwave for about 30 seconds until lukewarm
• 2 tbsp butter sliced
• 3 cups flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast (room temperature)

Use the dough/pizza dough setting on your bread machine.  Press start. 🙂  The cycle should be about 90 to 100 minutes.

Once the bread machine dough cycle is complete, let the bread rise to the top of the bread machine pan.

Form the Sandwich Bake

Once the bread dough is done rising, prep an area with parchment paper.  Grease your hands with butter.

Spread the dough to the size of a 13 X 9 pan.

Spread butter over the dough.

Top with a thin layer of shredded chicken (in BBQ sauce).

[warning] Important – you don’t want the chicken to be too warm or it will make your dough really hard to work with.  You also don’t want it cold because it will increase the cook time of the dough. [/warning]

Top with shredded mozzarella cheese.

Roll the dough up from long end to long end. Pinching the end to the rest of the dough.

Then make into a ring.  Pinching the two ends together.  Make slits in the top of the ring about 2 inches apart (with a kitchen scissors).

Bake & Serve

Bake at 350 degrees for 22 to 25 minutes.  You want it to be golden brown on the top and the bottom.  Check one of the cutouts to make sure it is cooked thoroughly.

Serve warm.  Cut into slices and drizzle with barbecue sauce. Serves about 8 people.

Pair with your favorite barbecue sides – corn on the cob, baked beans and more.  🙂

Enjoy!

Please stop by and say hi in the comments!

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Also, enjoy our other great recipes:

• Oh So Simple Creamy Cucumber Dip
• Sunrise Slush
• How to Make the Best Bread Machine Buns
• Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites