Grilled Chicken Caesar Sandwich (for two)

 

 

With the advent of summer comes much warmer weather and hotter temperatures. We don't always want to chain ourselves to the stove cooking heavy meals. We desire things which are quicker and easier to make and much lighter to eat.

That is the way it is for me anyways. I don't want to be heating up my kitchen if I can help it and I want to spend more of my time outdoors doing things rather than chaining myself to a hot stove.

 

 

This is also the time of year that we begin to be able to enjoy fresh local produce. It is a bit early yet, but in the summer time we want to be taking advantage of all of the fresh local produce that we can. 

Lettuce and greens, peas, beans, tomatoes, fruits and berries, corn, beetroot, carrots, etc. I like to enjoy as much of it as I can while it is available locally and in abundance!

 

I grill a lot in the summer months. I don't have an outdoor grill anymore but I have a very reliable indoor grill. Mine is a Cuisinart Griddler. It is quite ample for my purposes. 

 

I had one of these in the UK that I used all the time. It has flat plates and grill plates and I bought the waffle plates for mine as well. I am prepared for anything and everything!   It was one of the things I thought to replace when I went to set up my kitchen here in Canada.

I use the grill plates most of the time. They clean really easily, go in the dishwasher, and the machine itself does a wonderful job of grilling.

 

One of my favorite salads is the Caesar Salad.  It is a popular salad that was invented in Tijuana Mexico in the 1920's by an Italian Chef, Caesar Cardini.

Generally speaking it is composed of fresh green romaine lettuce leaves, and a tangy garlicky dressing made from pounded anchovies, Dijon mustard, garlic, Worcestershire Sauce and Lemon juice.  Rich and creamy.

It is most often served topped with crisp garlic croutons, crisp bacon, and shavings of Parmesan cheese.  

 

One of my favorite versions is the Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad, but it is really difficult to find a place that does a really nice one.  I don't know why. How hard can it be? 

 Apparently it must be quite difficult for many places because I have always had a hard time finding on that I really enjoy. The ones I enjoy the most are the ones I make myself.

 Anyways, today's recipe is for a delicious hot sandwich based on the idea of a Grilled chicken Caesar Salad, with a toasted artisanal garlic bread base, topped with a Caesar dressing, crisp streaky bacon, grilled Caesar marinated chicken breast cutlets, Caesar dressed sweet romaine lettuce, crisp croutons (optional) and shavings of good Parmesan cheese over top. 

A wedge of lemon on the side to drizzle really enhances the tastiness of this fabulous open-faced, fork & knife, sandwich.

 

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE GRILLED CHICKEN CAESAR SANDWICH

Very simple ingredients actually.  But you know me. I love simple things best of all! Because everything is so simple you will want to use the best of each ingredient that you can afford.

For the Caesar Chicken and Marinade:

• 1/4 cup your favorite brand of creamy Caesar Salad dressing
• 1 1/2 TBS light olive oil
• 1 1/2 TBS Dijon mustard
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut horizontally into cutlets

For the sandwich:

• 2 (1/2 inch thick) slices of a good artisanal sour dough bread cut on the diagonal
• 4 slices of streaky bacon, cooked until crisp
• softened butter
• 2 cups of chopped romaine lettuce
• 3 TBS your favorite creamy Caesar salad dressing divided
• shaved parmesan cheese
• crisp garlic croutons (optional)
• lemon wedges to serve

 

There are a multitude of very good quality Caesar salad dressings out there these days. You want a creamy one, not a vinaigrette. Of course you can make your own.  You can find a really tasty and reliable recipe on this blog, Once Upon a Chef.

Romaine lettuce is the only lettuce to use for a Caesar.  My mother would never eat anything but Iceberg Lettuce. You could not get her to even try anything else. If it wasn't iceberg she wasn't having it! That is the only lettuce we grew up with.

Imagine my joy at growing up and discovering the wealth of lettuce options that are available out there. One thing I really miss here in Canada is Baby Gem lettuces. It might be available in larger urban centers, but it is just not available here where I live. It makes a great substitute for Romaine or Cos lettuce.

This is the bread that I used for the base of my sandwiches. I cut it into 1/2 inch thick slices on the diagonal. It toasts really well and has a lovely flavor and a sturdy enough crumb to stand up to this sandwich!

I used PC Free From chicken breasts, that have not been fed antibiotics and also PC Free From streaky smoked bacon.  In the UK I would use dry cured streaky smoked bacon. (Something else that I miss from the UK!  It is bound to happen!)

Croutons are not really necessary due to the bread base, but I recognize that some people just like to have crispy croutons on top of their salad! If that is you, I say go for it!!

 

HOW TO MAKE A GRILLED CHICKEN CAESAR SANDWICH (FOR TWO)

This is really simple and other than the marinating time for the chicken goes together very quickly. Especially if you have all of the elements assembled and ready to go! 

In a container large enough to hold the chicken, whisk together the Caesar salad dressing, olive oil, Dijon mustard and minced garlic for the chicken marinade. Add the chicken breast cutlets, turning to coat them completely in the marinade. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 6 to 8 hours, or overnight.

 

When you are ready to cook the sandwiches, slice your bread diagonally into 2 1/2 inch thick slabs. Put your lettuce into a bowl. Cook your bacon and keep warm.

Remove your chicken from the marinade, discarding any marinade left in the dish. Cook your chicken cutlets on a hot grill for about two minutes per side, until golden and cooked through. Keep warm.

 

Toast your bread slices, lightly buttering them if desired. (I used a garlic loaf. Alternately you can rub the toasted sides with a clove of garlic to infuse flavor.) Place on two serving plates. Divide 1 TBS of the Caesar salad dressing between the two slices and spread it over top of the bread.

Top each slice of bread with two slices of crisp bacon. Place two chicken cutlets on top of the bacon on each sandwich.

Toss your lettuce with the remaining salad dressing and pile lightly on top of the chicken cutlets. Shave some Parmesan over top and serve immediately with lemon wedges for squeezing.

 

This was a beautiful combination of savory, tangy, salty, crispy, garlicky, deliciousness.  I found it to be very filling.  The toasted bread did absorb some of the juices from the bacon and the grilled chicken but not overly so.  When eaten soon after assembling, it was still quite crisp.

The chicken was moist and tender and had beautiful flavor and well, bacon  . . .  who doesn't like bacon!  The dressed lettuce worked beautifully on top!  Don't forget the Parmesan shavings and the lemon for squeezing!

I really quite enjoyed this! It made the perfect light supper!

Some other knife and fork sandwiches in The English Kitchen that you might enjoy are:

SOUTHWESTERN CHICKEN MELT -  Chunky cooked chicken mixed with some mayo, taco seasoning, lime juice, green tabasco, plenty of jack cheese and spring onions. Piled onto some toasted bread and grilled until everything melts into hot and spicy melty deliciousness!

HOT YORKSHIRE PUDDING SANDWICHES - Hot roast beef sandwiched together between two crispy Yorkshire puddings, with gravy ladled inside and over top. Served with chips and veg, this is a delicious dinner that everyone will love, Love, LOVE!

Grilled Chicken Caesar Sandwich

Yield: 2

Author: Marie Rayner

Prep time: 6 HourCook time: 20 MinTotal time: 6 H & 20 M

All the best things you like about a Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad in the shape of a delicious open face sandwich! You will need to marinate the chicken for several hours prior to cooking so bear that in mind when planning!

Ingredients

For the Caesar Chicken and Marinade:

• 1/4 cup your favorite brand of creamy Caesar Salad dressing
• 1 1/2 TBS light olive oil
• 1 1/2 TBS Dijon mustard
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut horizontally into cutlets

For the sandwich:

• 2 (1/2 inch thick) slices of a good artisanal sour dough bread cut on the diagonal
• 4 slices of streaky bacon, cooked until crisp
• softened butter
• 2 cups of chopped romaine lettuce
• 3 TBS your favorite creamy Caesar salad dressing divided
• shaved parmesan cheese
• crisp garlic croutons (optional)
• lemon wedges to serve

Instructions

1. In a container large enough to hold the chicken, whisk together the Caesar salad dressing, olive oil, Dijon mustard and minced garlic for the chicken marinade. Add the chicken breast cutlets, turning to coat them completely in the marinade. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 6 to 8 hours, or overnight.
2. When you are ready to cook the sandwiches, slice your bread diagonally into 2 1/2 inch thick slabs. Put your lettuce into a bowl. Cook your bacon and keep warm.
3. Remove your chicken from the marinade, discarding any marinade left in the dish. Cook your chicken cutlets on a hot grill for about two minutes per side, until golden and cooked through. Keep warm.
4. Toast your bread slices, lightly buttering them if desired. (I used a garlic loaf. Alternately you can rub the toasted sides with a clove of garlic to infuse flavor.) Place on two serving plates. Divide 1 TBS of the Caesar salad dressing between the two slices and spread it over top of the bread.
5. Top each slice of bread with two slices of crisp bacon. Place two chicken cutlets on top of the bacon on each sandwich.
6. Toss your lettuce with the remaining salad dressing and pile lightly on top of the chicken cutlets. Shave some Parmesan over top and serve immediately with lemon wedges for squeezing.

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