Published: September 01. 2010 2:00AM

By Janet Poleski
CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Is it the end of summer or beginning of fall? September can be both! It’s back to busy, back to school, back to routine, yet the still-hot days can make us yearn for the slow pace and taste of summer. I’m going to give you a few slow cooker favorite recipes for an easy “farewell to summer barbecue.”

As we all know, the beauty of the slow cooker, besides the moist, succulent meat, is that it really is perfect for busy people. You can choose if you want it finished in 3-4 hours or 6-8 hours, all depending on your schedule. With a little planning, you can make all three of these with one slow cooker over a couple days. I’d do the Pulled Pork Sandwiches first, then the Balsamic Baked Beans and finally the Barbecue Chipotle Chicken.

The pulled pork and beans reheat nicely and the extra sitting time only enhances the flavors. Or if you’re like me and have a slew of slow cookers, you can do theses recipes all at once. Add some end-of-season corn on the cob, some cool and creamy coleslaw and sliced watermelon for dessert, and you have your whole barbecue ready with minimal last-minute preparation. Sounds tempting, doesn’t it? No time for a farewell to summer barbecue? These make perfect busy night dinners the whole family will love. Slow really can be fast!

Chipotle Barbecue Chicken Thighs

Serves 4-6

• 4 pounds skinless chicken thighs

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• Smoked paprika, ground cumin, granulated garlic

• 1 cup sliced onion

• 1½ cups barbecue sauce

• 1 tablespoon minced chipotle chilies in adobo sauce with 1 teaspoon sauce from can

• ¼ cup hot tap water

• 2 limes, one squeezed, one for wedges, for garnish

• Cilantro or sliced scallions for garnish

1. Trim all visible fat from thighs, and season chicken with salt, pepper, smoked paprika, cumin and garlic. Cover with plastic wrap, refrigerate and marinate from 1 hour up to overnight.

2. Arrange onions in bottom of slow cooker and arrange chicken over them. In a medium bowl, whisk together barbecue sauce, chipotle chilies with sauce, water and lime juice. Pour mixture over chicken.

3. Cook 3-4 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low. Garnish with lime wedges and cilantro or scallions.

Balsamic Baked Beans

Serves 4-6

• 4 strips of bacon, chopped

• ½ Vidalia onion, chopped

• 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

• 1/3 cup brown sugar

• 1 teaspoon dry mustard (I use Coleman’s)

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1 28-ounce can of pork and beans (I like Bush’s original), not drained

• 1 15-ounce can of black beans, drained

• 1 15-ounce can baby limas or butter peas, drained

1. In a medium sauté pan, cook bacon and Vidalias over medium heat until bacon is rendered and onions are soft. Add vinegar, brown sugar, mustard , garlic and salt. Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes.

2. Pour undrained pork and beans, and other drained beans in bottom of slow cooker and stir to combine. Pour bacon-onion mixture over top and cook on low for 3 hours.

Pulled Pork Barbecue

Serves 8

• 1 large Vidalia onion, sliced

• 3 pounds pork butt, rinsed and patted dry

• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

• 1½ cups barbecue sauce

• 1/4 cup yellow mustard

• 1 cup hot tap water

• 2 tablespoons liquid smoke

• Seeded or onion hamburger buns, for serving

1. Arrange onion slices in the bottom of a slow cooker. Generously season pork with salt and pepper. Place in slow cooker on top of onions, fat side up.

2. In a medium bowl, stir together barbecue sauce, mustard, water and liquid smoke. Pour over pork. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Remove pork and let rest for 10 minutes.

3. Shred pork with two forks or chop if necessary. Serve on split bun and top with your favorite coleslaw.