Pulled Chicken with Green Chili Mac-n-Cheese

I had about 16 ounces of leftover barbecue sauce from 4Rivers Smokehouse, so I decided to make pulled barbecue chicken. I needed a side dish, so I also made Green Chili Mac and Cheese in my pressure cooker.

Pulled Chicken Ingredients:

• about 16 ounces barbecue sauce
• about 2 pounds boneless chicken breasts (frozen ok!)
   
  

Green Chili Mac and Cheese Ingredients:

• 8 ounces (2 cups) elbow macaroni
• 2 cups water
• 1 teaspoon salt 
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• pinch cayenne pepper (or 1/2 teaspoon Sriracha sauce)
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 (12‑ounce) can evaporated milk
• 2 ounces of cream cheese
• 8 ounces shredded Mexican blend cheese (or a mix of cheddar and mozzarella)
  
• 7 ounce can diced green chilis
  

Instructions:

1. Make the pulled chicken: Place about 2 pounds of chicken breasts in a crock pot, and pouring about 16 ounces of barbecue sauce over them.
   (I used  5 or 6 small chicken breasts from Costco.)
2. If you start at noon with frozen chicken breasts, start with temperature on high, and stand the chicken breasts against the sides of the pot to help them defrost quickly. After an hour or two, knock the mostly thawed chicken down into the sauce.
3. After another hour or so, turn down the temperature to low. Cook for about 6 hours total.
4. After 6 or so hrs of cooking, use a large spoon to press the chicken and shred it.
5. Stir the shredded chicken around in the barbecue sauce to coat all the shreds.
   
   
6. Make the Green Chili Mac and Cheese: Mix macaroni, water, 1 teaspoon salt, mustard, butter, and cayenne/Sriracha together in pressure cooker pot. The water may barely cover the noodles
   
7. Lock pressure cooker lid in place and bring to high pressure over high heat. As soon as pot reaches high pressure, reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 5 minutes, adjusting heat as needed to maintain high pressure.
   (The 5 minute time is 1 minute over 1/2 of the typical 9 minute cook time for my elbow pasta.)
8. Use the quick release method to release the pressure: Remove pot from heat. Pour water over lid until the pressure releases. Release pressure locks, then carefully remove lid, allowing any remaining steam to escape away from you.
9. Stir in the evaporated milk and simmer over medium heat until sauce has thickened and pasta is tender, 3 minutes or so.
   
10. Remove the pot from the heat, and stir in cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses, a handful at a time, until cheese has melted and sauce is smooth. 
11. Mostly drain a a seven once can of diced green chilis. Stir in the green chilis.
    (Use 4 ounces of green chilis if you want a milder version.)

Carole's Notes:

We liked both dishes. They went well with cantaloupe chunks.

The Green Chili Mac and Cheese recipe is a slight variation to my Pressure Cooker Mac and Cheese.