It is Principally a Hen Pot Pie on a Bun and It is Superb

In response to one story, the sloppy Joe originated in Iowa, a descendant of the state’s free meat sandwich. True or not, the Joe went mainstream many years in the past, whereas its poultry counterpart continues to be kind of distinctive to a different a part of the Midwest.

The Ohio shredded rooster sandwich, additionally referred to as a “sloppy chicken,” is mainly rooster pot pie filling on a bun. Within the northwestern and central components of the state, it’s a staple, served in faculties, ice cream outlets, and retirement properties. The usual recipe requires a can of rooster breast meat, a can or two of cream-of-something soup, a sluggish cooker, and a pack of burger buns. Many cooks additionally use crackers, stuffing combine, breadcrumbs, or potato chips to thicken the slow-cooked filling, making it extra scoopable.

The sandwich is straightforward to make and straightforward to get pleasure from, so long as you’ve gotten a Midwesterner’s appreciation for carbs on carbs, which is why it’s been common in Ohio because the Nineteen Forties. Compact and transportable, it’s the strolling taco of rooster dinners. It doesn’t have the zing of a tomato-sauced sloppy Joe, however it has its personal heat, steamy, comforting enchantment.

As you may think, some variations can be bland and mushy. Engaged on this recipe, I didn’t wish to reimagine the sandwich, or add something you’ll be able to’t simply discover on the grocery store, which might really feel like a betrayal of its convenience-food origins. I wished to give you a model that tasted like extra than simply comfort… with out plenty of further effort.

Ranging from scratch acquired me there. As an alternative of canned rooster breasts, I used contemporary rooster thighs, which is a extra forgiving reduce—much less prone to dry out and naturally richer in taste. I sear the thighs to develop fond and taste, braise them, shred them, then end them in a type of selfmade cream of celery soup. The ingredient record continues to be brief and acquainted, however I changed the crumbly thickeners reminiscent of breadcrumbs utilized in conventional recipes with a roux and puréed greens, to maintain issues easy and comparatively mild.

For some mouthwatering tang, I added pickled banana peppers, a well-liked topping for different sandwiches in addition to pizzas in Buckeye State sandwich outlets and pizzerias. They aren’t normal on shredded rooster sandwiches, however I’m not the one Ohioan who makes use of them, and my analysis turned up extra stunning secret elements, together with mushrooms, eggs, and numerous cheeses. Customization is a part of the custom.

There’s no good cause why the shredded rooster sandwich is simply an Ohio factor—no hyper-regional surplus of canned rooster, to my information. It’s a dish that would slot in nearly anyplace. (Who doesn’t like rooster and gravy?) Hold this simple recipe in your again pocket for potlucks, tailgates, and all these different events whenever you want a sloppy sandwich to scoop out of a skillet.

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