I’m going to talk about healthy school dinners because I am not emotionally equipped yet to talk about my oldest son heading off to middle school and my youngest son to grade 4 today. That will come on another day, accompanied by shameless pleas for sympathetic comments and reassurances.
Instead, I am pulling out my slow cooker and cooking up some shredded chicken, with a lower-sugar barbecue sauce, all topped off with a light kefir cilantro slaw. What’s kefir, you ask? Read on, my friends. In the meantime, I’ll tell you that my whole family loved this meal. The kids asked me to pack the leftovers of both the chicken and the slaw in their lunch boxes. Stamp of approval.
(An aside: For more healthy school night dinner recipes, check out this Pinterest board. It’s filled with all sorts of fantastic ideas from some of my favorite bloggers.
I chose to make my own barbecue sauce because I find that many of the store-bought versions are much higher in sugar. This one is healthier and, I swear, only takes 5 minutes to make. That being said, if you are really short on time (believe me, I’ve been there), use the store-bought stuff. No judgement here. This is supposed to be a quick meal for busy school nights. Do what you need to do to make that happen.
I used chicken thighs (skinless and fat trimmed) in this recipe because I find that they add more flavor and moisture than boneless, skinless chicken breasts. I’m here to stand up for the lowly chicken thigh. If you don’t feel the same, feel free to substitute chicken breasts for the thighs.
Now let’s talk about the kefir.
Last summer I made Grilled Curry & Kefir Marinated Chicken with Fresh Corn Salsa and fell in love with the light, tangy taste of kefir, which is a fermented milk.
The kefir from Green Valley Organics is gluten-free and lactose-free, so is a good option for people with dietary restrictions.
Besides the taste and health benefits of the kefir, I feel great about feeding my family Green Valley Organics, and Redwood Hill Farm (their sister farm), products for other reasons. First of all, all of the kefirs, yogurts, sour creams and cheeses are free of artificial colors, sweeteners, flavors and preservatives.
Not only that, but both the goat and cow dairies used for these products are Certified Humane. That means happy cows and goats. In addition, Green Valley Organics and Redwood Hill Farm are committed to the environment, as evidenced by their commitment to recycling and their use of solar energy. These people do things well. Really well.
Green Valley Organics and Redwood Hill Farm products can be found at Whole Food Markets and other health food and specialty stores. To learn more about the products, visit the sites or follow them on Facebook and/or Twitter.
The sauce:
Heat the canola oil in a medium saucepan set over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add the ketchup, cider vinegar, molasses, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, chipotle pepper and adobo sauce. Whisk to combine. Heat the sauce until simmering.
The chicken:
Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Add half of the chicken and brown on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
Place the chicken into the bottom of a large slow cooker.
Pour the barbecue sauce over the chicken and turn to coat.
Set the slow cooker to LOW and cook until the chicken is tender, about 4 hours.
Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and shred with 2 forks. Return the chicken to the slow cooker and toss to coat with the sauce.
The slaw:
In a medium bowl, whisk together the Kefir, cider vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper.
In a large bowl, toss together the green and purple cabbage, shredded carrot and cilantro. Toss to coat with the dressing.
Pour the dressing over the slaw mixture and toss to coat.
!Putting it together:
Place one hamburger bun half on each of 8 plates.
Top each with 1/2 cup of the chicken mixture and 1/2 cup of the slaw. Serve.
Instructions
The sauce:
Heat the canola oil in a medium saucepan set over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add the ketchup, cider vinegar, molasses, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, chipotle pepper and adobo sauce. Whisk to combine. Heat the sauce until simmering.
The chicken:
Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper.
Heat the oil in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Add half of the chicken and brown on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
Place the chicken into the bottom of a large slow cooker.
Pour the barbecue sauce over the chicken and turn to coat.
Set the slow cooker to LOW and cook until the chicken is tender, about 4 hours.
Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and shred with 2 forks. Return the chicken to the slow cooker and toss to coat with the sauce.
The slaw:
In a medium bowl, whisk together the Kefir, cider vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper.
In a large bowl, toss together the green and purple cabbage, shredded carrot and cilantro. Toss to coat with the dressing.
Pour the dressing over the slaw mixture and toss to coat.
Putting it together:
Place one hamburger bun half on each of 8 plates. Top each with 1/2 cup of the chicken mixture and 1/2 cup of the slaw. Serve.
Notes
Calories 248.6 / Total Fat 4.8g / Saturated Fat 0.9g / Cholesterol 43.4mg / Sodium 835.1mg / Total Carbohydrates 33.9g / Fiber 4.3g / Sugars 16.1g / Protein 15.8g / WW (Old Points) 5 / WW (Points+) 6
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