Chicken Caesar Sandwich

Chicken sandwiches can be seen as dull, boring or blah. As you bite into this one, and boring will be far from your mind, as you will be surprised by the dimension of flavors that burst in your mouth. I roasted chicken breast, which I brined, keeping the chicken juicy and full of flavor. Topped with a delicious, flavorful Caesar dressing that takes only minutes to prepare, this sandwich is brought to another height. With a slice of cheese and fresh tomato, you will be savoring every bite. You can also add some lettuce and bacon to make this into a Chicken Caesar BLT. This is a great option to take on a picnic, or enjoy with a warm bowl of soup. I like to roast some extra chicken and use it for lunch throughout the week.  

Yields:4-6 sandwiches

Ingredients:

For the roasted chicken:

2 split chicken breast halves

2 cups water

1/8 cup salt

pepper

3-5 garlic cloves

1/2 Tablespoon butter

Ceasar dressing:

1 – 1/2 Tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh parsley

1 small garlic clove

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1-2 teaspoons anchovy paste

1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

2-3 Tablepoons parmesan cheese

salt and pepper to taste

For the sandwich:

2-3 tomatoes, sliced

Mozarella or provolone cheese, sliced

lettuce, optional

bacon, optional

8 – 12 slices bread (Italian, ciabatta, rustic, etc. I used No-knead bread )

Dissolve 1/8 cup salt in 2 cups of water. Crush garlic and add to the brine. Add the chicken and brine for about half an hour. This will ensure that the chicken will be moist and perfectly seasoned. Brining meat is an awesome way to make sure that it will stay moist as it cooks, especially very lean meat, such as chicken breast of pork loin, etc. When you brine it, meat absorbs some of the liquid, and the sodium in the salt helps it to enter the muscle fibers of the meat. When the meat cooks, there is moisture loss, but it loses much less moisture, since it absorbed an excess amount. Salt plays a critical role in retaining moisture. Don’t worry about the amount of salt – there is only about 1/8 of a teaspoon of salt absorbed per serving.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Drain the chicken and dry thoroughly. Place in a rimmed baking sheet, season with ground black pepper. Bake for about 15 minutes, brush with melted butter. Bake for another 10-15 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken, until the chicken reaches 165 degrees or the juices run clear when you pierce it with a knife.

I like serving this chicken for dinner with rice pilaf or mashed potatoes. It goes great with barbecue sauce too. There are so many versatile ways to serve it. Make extra and you’ll have enough for many different kinds of sandwiches, like this delicious one with Caesar dressing or even in paninis. Do not be tempted to cook it longer than it needs to. Dry, rubber chicken is not fun to eat. Cool. Slice the chicken against the grain. How to slice meat.

Make the dressing. Coarsely chop the garlic and parsley. Pulse in the food processor until they are finely minced. Add the rest of the ingredients and pulse a few times to bring together. Spread the dressing on the bread. Top with a slice of cheese and tomato. Add some lettuce and bacon, if using. I used No-Knead Bread from Natasha’s Kitchen. It is incredible and so easy to make. It’s definitely worth making, but you can certainly use any other bread that you like.

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