Spatula Diaries: Back to school with easy weeknight barbecue chicken sliders

Whether you find it a drag or a big relief, summer break is about to end. The start of a new school season and its fresh sense of order looms, which means all those leisurely nights in the kitchen will soon be compromised by math homework and ball practice.

But with a little planning, the family dinner doesn’t have to be a source of stress. Start this week by making lists of recipes you can pull off in short order, and then stock the ingredients you can source ahead of time. Here’s a simple and delicious dinner that features a purchased rotisserie chicken, easy homemade barbecue sauce and a cool and flavorful salad made with on-hand staples.

Barbecue chicken sliders with corn and black bean salad

Serves 4-6

For the sliders:
1 rotisserie chicken (purchased from your favorite deli)
1 cup honey barbecue sauce (recipe follows)
1 cup coleslaw
12 slider rolls

Debone the chicken, discarding the skin. Shred or cut the meat into bite-sized chunks. Place in a saucepan and cover with the sauce, combining to coat evenly. Slice open the rolls, arranging about a ¼ cup of the barbecue chicken on one half, then topping with the coleslaw. Cover with the other half of the roll and arrange on a platter. Serve with corn and black bean salad (recipe follows).

For the barbecue sauce:
¼ cup olive oil
½ finely diced red onion
1 clove garlic, finely diced
1 cup ketchup
1/3 cup yellow mustard
1 teaspoon chili powder
Juice of one lemon
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
1 tablespoon honey or brown sugar
½ teaspoon kosher salt
Several turns cracked black pepper
Hot sauce (optional)

Heat the olive oil in saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté for about 5 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and sauté another 2 minutes, being careful to not let the garlic scorch. Add the remaining ingredients and whisk until smooth. Let simmer for about 10 minutes. If the mixture becomes too thick, add a little water to thin it.

For the corn and black bean salad:
¼ cup olive oil
½ cup chopped red onion
2 cups frozen corn, thawed completely and at room temperature, or cut fresh from the cob
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup chopped fresh tomato
Juice of two limes
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh basil for garnish

Heat the olive oil to medium-high heat. Sauté the onions until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the corn and sauté for one minute. Add the beans and sauté for one minute. Remove from the heat and pour the mixture into a bowl. Add the tomato, lime juice, salt and pepper and fresh basil. Serve at room temperature.

Maggie Heyn Richardson is a regular 225 contributor and the author of Hungry for Louisiana, an Omnivore’s Journey. Reach her at hungryforlouisiana.com.