BBQ Chicken Grilled Cheese with Homemade BBQ Sauce

First, prepare the BBQ sauce: Combine 2 tsp paprika, 1.5 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp salt, and 0.5 tsp black pepper in a bowl. In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup ketchup, 0.25 cup apple cider vinegar, and 0.25 cup brown sugar. Stir in the spice mixture and simmer for 5-7 minutes. Pour into a bowl and refrigerate to cool.

Next, prepare the BBQ chicken: Heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat. Add 1 small chopped red onion and cook for 5 minutes until softened. Add 5 minced garlic cloves and cook until fragrant, 2-3 minutes. Add 2.5 lbs chicken (shredded or diced), 1 tsp paprika, and 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce. Cook for about 2 minutes until the chicken is mostly cooked through. Add 1 cup of the prepared BBQ sauce and stir to combine. Lower the heat to medium and let the mixture simmer and thicken while you prepare the bread.

Finally, assemble and cook the grilled cheese sandwiches: Butter one side of each of your 12 slices of firm bread. In a large pan over medium heat, place 1-2 slices of bread, butter-side down. Lay a slice of cheese (pepper jack or provolone) on top of the bread. Pile a generous amount of the BBQ chicken mixture over the cheese. Place another slice of cheese on the chicken mixture, then top with another slice of buttered bread, butter-side up. Using a spatula, gently press the sandwich together. Cook until crispy and golden brown on the bottom, then flip and cook the other side until golden brown. Remove from the pan, let cool slightly, then slice from corner to corner. Serve with any leftover BBQ sauce for dipping.