Slow down this summer with slow cooked sandwich meat
If there’s one thing summer brings, it’s a slower pace, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you want to spend time cooking over the stove. The days are longer and the weather is warm, making you want to get outside and enjoy the afternoon, not stand around in the kitchen sweating over the oven. The solution to having meals cooked while you’re relaxing outside is using the slow cooker! It doesn’t heat up your house and there’s little hands-on time – the perfect win-win for summer.
Some of my favorite slow cooker recipes are meats that you can put on bread to make a sandwich for lunch and then later serve over rice for dinner. If you’re new to gluten-free or if you’re a longtime veteran of this lifestyle and you’re looking for a tried-and-true bread for your summer sandwiches, might I suggest Canyon Bakehouse’s Hawaiian Sweet Bread? (Or any of Canyon Bakehouse’s breads, for that matter!)
Canyon Bakehouse, a certified gluten-free bread company, makes gluten-free breads – including their large-slice Heritage Loaves – that are non-GMO, Kosher, and free of dairy, nuts, soy, and sesame seeds. Their Hawaiian Sweet Bread is unlike any other loaf I’ve tried, and it pairs perfectly with juicy pulled meats for a summer lunch.
Want proof? Give these two delicious recipes a try. One goes great on the Hawaiian Sweet Bread and the other is especially nice on the Heritage Style Bread for a two-hand kind of sandwich! Enjoy!
Kalua Pork Sandwiches with Pineapple and Bok Choy
Ingredients
- 4 strips bacon
- 4-5 pounds pork shoulder
- 1 tablespoon liquid smoke
- 1 tablespoon pink Himalayan salt
- 1 bok choy sliced
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 fresh pineapple cored and sliced into rings
- 1 loaf Canyon Bakehouse Hawaiian Sweet Bread
Instructions
- Line the bottom of a slow cooker with the bacon strips.
- Brush the pork shoulder with liquid smoke and sprinkle the entire roast with the salt. Place the roast in the slow cooker, on top of the bacon strips.
- Slow cook the roast for 8-10 hours on low. Remove the roast from the slow cooker and place it in a large bowl and shred it, using two forks.
- Spoon some of the cooking liquid over the kalua pork to keep it moist before serving or transfer the pork back to the slow cooker to keep warm.
- Cut the ends of the bok choy. Rinse and dry the leaves.
- Add the coconut oil to a large skillet and quickly sauté, until the leaves are tender and bright green. Set aside.
- Assemble each of the sandwiches by layering kalua pork, sautéed bok choy and sliced pineapple between two slices of Hawaiian Sweet Bread. Serve immediately.
Pulled Jerk Chicken Sandwiches with Mango Salsa
Ingredients
For the Sandwiches:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup yellow onion chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tablespoons jerk chicken seasoning
- 2 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup diced canned tomatoes
- ¼ cup cilantro chopped
- Juice of 2 limes
- 8 slices Canyon Bakehouse Gluten Free Heritage Style Bread
- 8 butter lettuce leaves
- Mango salsa recipe follows, and fresh cilantro, for garnish
For the Salsa:
- 1 jalapeño pepper ribs and seeds removed, minced
- 1 ½ mangos chopped
- ½ red onion chopped
- ½ bell pepper chopped
- 2½ tablespoons lime juice
- 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Lightly sauté onions and garlic in oil over medium heat, until just tender. Add jerk seasoning, and sauté for 1-2 minutes more until fragrant.
- Add the sautéed mixture to a slow cooker and lay the chicken breasts on top. Pour the chicken broth, vinegar and tomatoes over the chicken. Slow cook on high for 2-4 hours.
- Meanwhile, make the mango salsa by combining all salsa ingredients. Cover and chill for 15-20 minutes before serving.
- Transfer the chicken breasts to a large bowl to shred. Return the sandwich filling to the slow cooker with the cilantro and lime juice and stir to combine.
- Assemble the sandwiches on buns with lettuce and filling. Garnish with mango salsa and fresh cilantro.
Recipes by Canyon Bakehouse
