Chicken Caesar Croissandwich

I love homemade but choose the Just Bare chicken for this because they are just so good & cuts down on time, making this an easy weeknight meal! These sandwiches are awesome & take you to flavor town. 

1 large clove of garlic, minced
1 tsp anchovy paste
Lemon
1/2 c mayo
1/2 tsp dijon
1/4 tsp Worcestershire
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 c shredded parmesan
Romaine lettuce, cut into strips

4 croissants

4 lightly breaded chicken breast fillets by Just Bare

Butter (optional)

Garlic Powder (optional)

Parmesan Cheese (optional)

Parsley (optional)

To a large bowl, add 1 clove minced garlic, 1 tsp anchovy paste &  juice of 1/2 lemon. Mix & let sit for 5 minutes. Add in 1/2 cup mayo, 1/2 tsp dijon, 1/4 tsp worcestershire, 1/2 tsp pepper & whisk together. Then add in 1/2 cup shredded parmesan and mix well. 

Air fry chicken breast fillets until done. While they're cooking, slice croissants but not all the way through. I like to melt a little butter with garlic powder to smear on top of each croissant. Then sprinkle a little shredded parm cheese & parsley, pressing into the top. This makes them prettier. Warm through for just a minute or 2 once chicken is done.

Grab your reserved dressing from step 1, add in thinly shredded lettuce & toss.

Place lettuce mixture on bottom half of croissant, top with chicken, then more lettuce.

Chicken Bacon Ranch Sliders

Wow, what a treat! These were OUTSTANDING. 4 people gave them a 2 thumbs up. I adapted these from Alyssa Cooley's FB page & made quite a few changes. Her recipe description and picture did not add up at all because she mixed shredded chicken with bacon, ranch & parm and then spread it on the rolls yet the pictures showed a layered scene so I used it as a guide only and went with my cooking intuition. I also decided to cook seasoned chicken thighs which are so much more tender. Just do a search on her page if you want to see original. 

4-5 boneless skinless chicken thighs

Salt, pepper, garlic & onion powder
1 cup Ranch dressing
1 pkg bacon, cooked & torn into large pieces
3-6 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese
18 Hawaiian sweet rolls
1- 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9x13 baking pan and place the bottom half of the sliced Hawaiian rolls inside. Or use a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. 

In a small bowl, mix the melted butter with garlic powder. 

Season chicken thighs with salt, pepper, garlic & onion powder. Let sit on counter for 1/2 hr. This will allow even cooking. Heat a little olive oil in same pan as the bacon was cooked in. Cook chicken on each side for about 6 min until cooked through. Rough chop/shred.

Place the bacon pieces all over the bottom half of rolls. They should mostly cover every part without overlapping too much. Scatter the shredded parmesan cheese over bacon. Place chicken pieces all over parm. Drizzle ranch with a spoon. I made sure every roll had a nice amount but it was not drenched. 

Then scatter the cheddar cheese. Place the top half of rolls on top. Then brush the garlic butter over the top of the rolls.

Loosely cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the sliders are heated through.

A little progress pics below.

 

Chicken Tequila Burgers

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded & minced
1 lb ground chicken
3-4 tbsp. cilantro
Zest of ½-1 lime
1 1/2 oz. tequila
1 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 cup of panko breadcrumbs
Sea salt & pepper to taste
Provolone cheese

French hamburger buns

Blue Plate light mayo

Lettuce & tomato
Tortilla strips

In a bowl, mix the ground chicken, garlic and jalapeño. Add the fresh cilantro, lime zest, tequila, soy sauce, breadcrumbs, salt & pepper. Form 4 patties. I put mine on wax paper and in the freezer for about 20 minutes to keep them from falling apart on the grill. Grill on medium heat for 4-5 minutes each side.

Butter & grill hamburger buns for about a minute until they are nice and toasty. Top with patties, provolone cheese, lettuce, tomato and tortilla strips. 

{Food for thought}

We have tried these with peppers and onions but found they overwhelmed the burger too much. Lettuce and tomato is simple, adds texture and coolness to offset the kick in the burgers. Add a little tortilla strips for a little crunch if you'd like.

Chicken, Arugula & Provolone Pressed Sammy

Like most foodies, I love kitchen gadgets & appliances but there are some that just take up more room more than they add worth. One is the Panini press. Maybe I feel this way because I have a George Foreman & it's worked beautifully for pressing & warming sandwiches through. Whatever you have or don't have, making warm melty sandwiches at home is a breeze.

This is a classic combo & one that we really enjoyed. I am falling more in love with Cuban bread because it is perfect for these sandwiches although you can use what you prefer, like Ciabatta or Sourdough. I am even going to start keeping pre-measured sections of bread in my freezer so they're sandwich ready!

{ Cuban bread will press down even thinner than sandwich shown above which was with French Bread}

CHICKEN, ARUGULA & PROVOLONE PRESSED SAMMY

{ Click for Printable Recipe }

4 chicken breast halves boneless & skinless
1 tblsp olive oil
1 tsp sage
1 tsp rosemary or thyme
Salt & Pepper
4 pieces of crusty bread like Cuban, about 6” long
1/3 cup balsamic vinaigrette dressing
2 cups arugula washed & dried
8 pieces prosciutto thinly sliced
8 pieces Provolone cheese thinly sliced

Brush chicken breasts lightly with oil. Sprinkle chicken with sage, rosemary, salt & pepper. Grill chicken breasts over charcoal grill or under broiler until firm to the touch. Transfer to plate & let cool slightly.

While chicken is cooking, cut each sandwich loaf without cutting all the way through. This will keep your sandwich from falling apart when it’s being pressed & warmed through. Hollow out the

loaf by removing just some of the bread inside.

Sprinkle bottom of each piece with vinaigrette. Divide arugula among each loaf. Layer 2 slices of prosciutto on each.

Add 2 slices of cheese. Slice each chicken breast half crosswise into diagonal slices & place on top of cheese.

Drizzle more vinaigrette over chicken. With either a Panini press, George Foreman grill or a stovetop pan, press the sandwich until warmed through & cheese is melted. {Not shown below. This is before sandwich is pressed}

{Food for Thought}

I love Cuban bread from the grocery bakery for sandwiches like this. It's crusty & warms perfectly without becoming too hard. The arugula, prosciutto & herbs are a classic combo but you can also use spinach & any other type of herb you're fond of. I am not even a big Rosemary fan so I used Thyme instead. Prosciutto is an Italian type of ham you ask for at the deli. It's saltiness adds so much flavor to a sandwich like this.

If you're using your stovetop you can lightly butter your pan & just use low heat with something heavy to press the sandwich down.

And for one of our most favorite sandwich meals ever:

Ham & Caramelized Onion Grilled Cheese, with Homemade Southwestern Onion Rings

 {  Linking Deliciously to Blessed with Grace for Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays  }

Roasted Vegetable & Mozzarella Panini

Tis the season I get energized & motivated, invigorated by the cooler weather. With Autumn comes the desire to be my best self so that I can truly enjoy everything around me, all the goodness that happens these last 3 months of the year.

Turning another year older & wanting to embrace it rather than regret ~ Brisk mornings in the park with a cup of coffee ~ Reading in the sun while feeling a cool breeze ~ And of course, the sights & smells of the holidays!!!!!!

So with all that goodness, here's some more.

ROASTED VEGETAGLE & MOZZARELLA PANINI

Bread of your choice
1 tblsp Balsamic vinegar
2 tblsp Olive oil
Salt & Pepper
Garlic powder
1 red pepper, quartered
½ Onion, sliced thick
1 zucchini, cut in half then lengthwise into 1/4" slices
Pesto purchased (optional)
Fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
8 Fresh basil leaves

Pre-heat oven to 400. Combine balsamic, oil, salt, pepper & garlic powder. Brush over vegetables & roast for 10-15 minutes, turning over halfway through cooking time.


Meanwhile, prepare your sandwich. Spread slices of bread with a little prepared pesto. Layer with mozzarella, 3-4 basil leaves, roasted veggies & then a little more cheese. Top with bread.




Using either a pan on stovetop, a George Foreman grill or panini maker, grill sandwich until golden brown on both sides & cheese is melted & slightly oozing out.


I used a dry pan & heated the sandwich over medium heat for about 3 minutes on one side, carefully flipping using a plate, then heating on the second side for about 1 1/2 minutes. Makes 2 sandwiches.


{Food for Thought}

I used a multi grain bread fresh from the bakery but any bread cut into thick slices will work, especially sourdough. If you have leftover oil/vinegar mixture you can brush some on the bread, just don't use too much as you don't want the bread to become soggy. Eggplant & tomatoes would work wonderfully too in a combo of veggies.

Click Here to Print Recipe

And because it's Fall & that means apple picking, take a look at these sweet & savory beauties I posted last year:

Visit here for some Grilled Apples with Cheddar & Bacon
& Apple Thyme Martinis.

This post is my Not So Fat Friday & links to Momtrends Friday Food.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Fun-ion Time!!!!!!!!!!

It's 2-fer Tuesdays. 2 recipes today & both involving onions. I thought this was one of the best sandwiches ever & I loved these homemade onion rings more than any I've ordered anywhere!!!! It may seem strange to pair this duo, what with all the onions, but I really was in the mood to make both. And it was actually fun!!!!!!

Many people have commented about frying things at home & how nervous they get but don't be! I don't fry a lot but what I do fry is totally worth it & easy!!!!!!!!! I urge you, dare you, encourage you, to try these onion rings. They're not like fast food, dripping with grease & the flour breading is very light!!!!!

HAM & CARAMELIZED ONION GRILLED CHEESE

1 large onion, very thinly sliced
1/2 tsp sugar
Pinch salt
4 tsp spicy brown mustard
3 tsp horseradish
2 tsp honey
8 slices bread like sour dough 5 grain
12 slices deli ham

4 slices low-fat Swiss cheese

Coat a medium skillet with nonstick spray & place over medium heat. Add onion, sugar & salt to skillet. Cover. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally or until lightly browned. Remove from heat. Stir together mustard, horseradish & honey. Set aside.

Spread 4 slices of bread evenly with mustard mixture, then layer 3 slices of ham over each piece. Place about 2 tblsp onions on top of ham then place 1 slice of Swiss on top of the onions. Place the remaining bread over cheese.

Spritz both sides of sandwich with nonstick cooking spray & cook in a nonstick skillet over medium heat for about 5-8 minutes or until cheese has melted, turning halfway through.

{Food for Thought}

The original recipe called for regular whole wheat bread but I bought some fresh bread at Publix, some type of sour dough 5 grain bread & I wouldn't change a thing. You want something a little bigger than whole wheat & a little more special. As for the special sauce, I recommend doubling up if you're like me & like to spread a bit on each side.

{Click Here to Print Recipe}

SOUTHWESTERN ONION RINGS

2 large sweet onions
2 ½ cups buttermilk
2 eggs
3 tblsp water
1 ¾ cups all purpose flour
2 tsp salt
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ground cumin
Vegetable oil

Cut onions into ¼ in slices. Separate into rings. Place in a large bowl & cover with buttermilk & soak for 30 minutes, stirring twice.

In a shallow dish, beat eggs & water. In another shallow bowl, combine flour, salt, chili powder, cayenne, sugar, garlic & cumin. Drain onion rings, dip in egg mixture, then roll in flour mixture.

In medium to large skillet, heat 1 in of oil to 375. Fry onion rings, a few at a time for 1 to 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

{Food for Thought}

These weren't spicy at all, just a nice little sweet kick. When you fry the rings, just let the golden color be your clock. Once the outside is golden on both sides the onion ring is perfect on the inside.

{Click Here to Print Recipe}

Visit Lisa at Blessed with Grace for more Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays!!!!

Pecan-Crusted Sliders

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. The weather was perfect for kayaking & tennis. Is it just me or is everyone just busier than usual these days? I make it a point to visit everyone new who comes by, it's just taking me longer lately. And while I used to visit my blogroll regularly it's been difficult to say the least. Please know I miss you guys & will always get there eventually. 

This dish was perfect for a casual Sunday dinner.  I really enjoyed it & had leftovers for dinner tonight as well. It'd probably be just as tasty with chicken, for my non-pork eating gals. To cut down on the calories, I had this on a whole wheat English Muffin for lunch today & just added tomato.

2 oz. pork tenderloin, sliced crosswise in 8 pieces
1 egg
2 tblsp honey
1 cup finely chopped pecans
2 tbsp cooking oil
1 small green apple
1-1/2 cups broccoli slaw
1/4 cup light mayonnaise
8 small buns or dinner rolls, split
Dijon-style mustard (optional)

With palm of hand flatten pork slices to 1/4 inch thickness. In shallow dish whisk together egg & 1 tblsp of the honey. In another shallow dish combine chopped nuts, 1 tsp salt & 1/2 tsp ground black pepper. Dip pork in egg mixture then nut mixture, pressing to coat.

In 12-inch skillet heat oil over medium-high heat. Cook pork in hot oil 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until golden & slightly pink in centers. 

Meanwhile, for slaw, quarter apple, remove core & seeds; thinly slice. In bowl combine apple, shredded broccoli, mayonnaise, & 1 tblsp honey. Season with salt & pepper. For sliders, place pork on buns or rolls; top with slaw. Pass mustard. Makes 4 servings (two sliders each).

{My Thoughts}

I found it difficult to get uniform pieces out of the tenderloin & to get big enough ones even for a slider so I ended up making regular size sandwiches rather than sliders & just put two pieces of meat on one sandwich. I do recommend making the slaw ahead of time if you can, because it was even better the next day. Although the recipe says the mustard is optional both hubs & I agree it wouldn't be the same without it. 

{Click Here to Print Recipe}

Go Visit Lisa at Blessed with Grace for more Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays!!!!

Buffalo Chicken Wraps - Healthy Makeover

Hey all. I'm going to make this quick since it was the first day at my new job & I am just plain ol' tired. It went really well though, much better than I could have expected so I am really grateful for that. On a night such as tonight, a dinner like this would be perfect. Simple, fast but healthy & deliciously satisfying!!!!

I found this recipe at EatingWell.com, a site I go to often for healthy & tasty meals. Each wrap only had 275 cals. The dressing was outstanding & a little blue cheese went a long way. This is definitely a perfect alternative to the fat laden buffalo chicken sandwiches you get out at a restaurant.

2 tblsp hot pepper sauce, such as Frank's RedHot
3 tblsp white vinegar, divided
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 lb chicken tenders
2 tblsp reduced-fat mayonnaise
2 tblsp nonfat plain yogurt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
4 8-inch whole-wheat tortillas
1 cup shredded romaine lettuce
1 cup sliced celery
1 cup chopped onion
1 large tomato, chopped

Whisk hot pepper sauce, 2 tblsp vinegar & cayenne pepper in a medium bowl. Spray cooking spray in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken tenders; cook until cooked through & no longer pink in the middle, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Add to the bowl with the hot sauce; toss to coat well. 

Whisk mayonnaise, yogurt, pepper & the remaining 1 tblsp vinegar in a small bowl. Stir in blue cheese. 

To assemble wraps: Lay a tortilla on a work surface or plate. Spread with 1 tblsp blue cheese sauce & top with one-fourth of the chicken, lettuce, celery, tomato & onion. Drizzle with some of the hot sauce remaining in the bowl & roll into a wrap sandwich. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.

{My Thoughts}

We had two leftover so I wrapped them in foil for lunch the next day. While hubs thought they were even better then, I thought they had dried out a bit so I suggest you save some hot sauce mixture to pour over your remaining wraps. Original recipe also called for 2 tsp of olive oil to cook the chicken tenders in but I used spray to cut down on fat further & would again. I added the onions as they were not included in original recipe.

Also, if your wraps are not pliable enough just put them in the microwave for 8-10 seconds. I did this before wrapping our leftovers. 

{Click Here to Print Recipe}

See you all this week & into the weekend as I make it on over your way to see what's going on with you. Hope everyone is doing well!!!!

And for more Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays, please visit Lisa at Blessed with Grace!

Spicy Chicken Sandwiches with Cilantro-Lime Mayo

This is another "...have to make this right away recipe" that I found from Cooking Light. When I get the urge for one of those breaded chicken sandwiches from the fast food joints, I will reach for this instead. 

While this is meant to be a healthy alternative, I did succumb to the urge of fattening it up just a bit by adding a little cheese. I also used spicy Doritos instead of baked tortilla chips. This really only takes minutes once you have the chicken marinating. I love how the hot sauce works its way through the chicken in the short time it marinates. This is a must try folks!

MAYO:
1/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
2 tblsp chopped fresh cilantro
1 tsp fresh lime juice
1 garlic clove, minced

CHICKEN:
1/4 cup egg substitute
3 tblsp hot sauce (such as Tabasco)
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
2 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
4 1/2 ounces baked tortilla chips (about 6 cups)
2 tblsp olive oil

REMAINING INGREDIENTS:
4 (2-ounce) Kaiser rolls, split
12 (1/8-inch-thick) red onion slices
Lettuce leaves

To prepare mayo, combine the first 4 ingredients.

To prepare chicken, combine egg substitute, hot sauce, oregano & salt in a large zip-top plastic bag. Cut chicken breast halves in half horizontally to form 4 cutlets. Pound out a bit to uniform the size & make thinner. Add chicken to bag; seal. Marinate in refrigerator 2 hours or up to 8 hours, turning bag occasionally.

Crush tortilla chips in a shallow dish until ground.

Working with one cutlet at a time, remove chicken from marinade, allowing excess to drip off. Coat chicken completely in chips. Set aside. Repeat procedure with remaining chicken & chips.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil to pan, swirling to coat. Add chicken to pan; cook 3 1/2 minutes on each side or until browned & done. Spread mayo evenly over cut sides of rolls. Layer bottom half of each roll with 3 onion slices, 1 lettuce leaf & 1 chicken cutlet; top with top halves of rolls. Makes 4 sandwiches.

{My Thoughts}

I used Spicy Doritos (used less than the 6 cups mentioned) for the breading. I also added 1/2 slice of American cheese to each sandwich because we love cheese!!! We made these twice & while I used dried cilantro I do recommend using fresh. I also think this sandwich would be as equally tasty with just mayo but my husband loved it so much as is. 

I rarely ever use red onions because they're so strong but they work really nicely on this sandwich. Also, feel free to use whichever sandwich rolls look best to you at your market. I used French hamburger rolls from the bakery because they looked too beautiful to pass up. I marinated the chicken for 2 hours & it was perfect. 

{Click Here to Print Recipe}

For more Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays please visit Blessed with Grace!!!!

Chicken Florentine Sandwich

What a wonderful weekend!!!

Disney on Ice was very nice, will post pics soon ~ Laughed hysterically at What Happens in Vegas, it's a must see, new favorite romantic comedy ~ Park with Tristan on a beautiful Saturday morning ~ Shrimp rolls from seafood market, oh my ~ Fall cleaning frenzy & crazy mad mission to do ALL laundry AND even put it all away, felt amazing ~ Made 4 post-worthy dishes, 3 new ones & 1 old favorite ~

And Twilight, pg 245, speechless, in love with Edward's character already, read it at all the red lights on the way into work this AM. Funny - I was ready to call my co-worker to say I'd be late, to stop at a coffee place to have a cup while I read some. Just then, she texted me to say she'd be late. I laughed & decided I would still make it happen in the next day or so. You were all SO right. My biggest question is are they ever going to kiss. Ohhhhhhhhhhhh......................

Chicken Florentine Sandwich

This is to die for, a favorite for over 6 years, adapted from a lady who won a bunch of money for it in a recipe contest. Originally made with pizza crust & called a panini, I've adapted it to be even easier & faster by using rolls instead. We ate this for dinner last night with an amazing Asian slaw which I will post this week.

2 chicken breasts, flattened for uniformity
Italian seasoning
Garlic powder
Light Mayonnaise sprinkled with garlic powder
2 kaiser rolls
3 slices provolone cheese
1/2 box frozen spinach, thawed & cooked, all water drained
1 cup onion, chopped
1 tblsp white vinegar, cider or apple
1 tblsp sugar

Sprinkle chicken breasts with Italian seasoning & garlic powder. Grill on George Foreman (or your own method) until cooked through. Meanwhile, saute onions until softened. Add sugar & vinegar & cook through until liquid is evaporated. When done, push to side of pan. Place spinach in pan to keep warm. Mix together & set aside.

Get rolls ready - cut rolls but not completely through. Spread mayo garlic mixture on both sides. Place 1 slice provolone cheese on one side & 1/2 slice on other side (one's not enough, two's too many). Place onion spinach mixture on one side & chicken breast on top. Close sandwich & place on George Foreman grill to press together for 45 seconds.

Thoughts:

It's important that if you use a slanted grill like the George Foreman, to place the closed part of the sandwich closer to you because it will keep the filling from sliding out. I may even start pressing my sandwich in a pan. This is a must try. A yummy sandwich you'd think you ordered at a sidewalk cafe!