Hey you guys, it feels like it's been awhile ! I hope you're having a pretty good week so far. These days, with quarantine and summer meshing together, the days feel long and the weeks feel short. I don't know if it's just me, but I definitely feel a lot lazier and less motivated by the day. Practically the one thing that never fails to lighten up the mood is food! I love to share recipes but I've been stuck in a slump and having a hard time coming up with ideas (for all blog posts in general), hence my lack of blog posts recently. Anyways, since food is the main source of joy and togetherness during quarantine - at least in our household - I thought I'd share a quick & simple recipe with you today!
This is also my first post for my "No-Measure Recipes" category! Like I said earlier, I love to share recipes, but I always have a hard time formulating measurements because I truly never measure when I'm in the kitchen, unless I'm baking. If you hate washing extra, unnecessary dishes, or just can't be bothered to stick measuring utensils into all of your ingredients, these recipes are for you. I promise, these dishes will still turn out delicious with balanced flavors — just without all the extra fuss. So let's start cooking !
THE CHICKEN SALAD SANDWICH
If you've never tried this sandwich before, think potato salad but with shredded chicken. I know it doesn't sound appetizing, and I definitely wouldn't have been excited to eat this if you served it to me a few years ago (I used to hate mayo), but if you give it a chance I think you'd be pleasantly surprised! It's a little sweet, a little salty and has crunch from the celery + a good consistency from the mayo and chicken mixture, all sandwiched between two toasted slices of bread.
Now onto the recipe....
Yield: 4 sandwiches
Ingredients:
chicken (Rotisserie, grilled, doesn't really matter - leftover chicken works well)
mayonnaise
celery
carrots (optional)
diced onions (optional - you can use scallions or red/white/yellow onions)
lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
mustard
white & black pepper
salt
bread of choice (I use this gluten free bread)
butter of choice (to use when toasting bread - I use this nut-free vegan butter)
Let's Get Cooking:
Shred your chicken, or cut it into bite-sized pieces. I used our leftover rotisserie chicken from Costco, so about 1/4 of a whole rotisserie chicken made four sandwiches. But, it's all up to you, if you stuff your sandwiches with less filling, it'll make more sandwiches.
Dice your celery (and carrots if you'd like) into small, bite-sized pieces. Use more or less depending on how much you like in your sandwiches. (I used approx. 1.5 cups of celery + some leftover carrot shreds.)
Grab a medium-sized mixing bowl and scoop about 2 spoonfuls of mayo into the bowl. You can always add more if needed.
Add salt, black, and white pepper to taste, as well as mustard to the mayo. I added about 3 small"squirts" of mustard (you can use dijon if you'd like). Again, you can always add more seasonings if needed.
Squeeze the lemon juice (or add a small splash of apple cider vinegar) onto the mayo mixture. (This is meant to just be a light, subtle acidic flavor. No need to add more than a 1 tsp of lemon juice/ACV!) Mix it the seasonings, lemon juice, & mayo altogether.
Add the cut-up chicken, celery, and carrots (if using) to the same bowl. Again, you can always add more chicken and/or veggies if needed. Mix those ingredients together.
Your chicken salad is now ready! Taste it and see if it needs more seasoning, chicken, or mayo, etc.
If it's not already sliced, go ahead and slice your bread. Use your butter of choice & spread it onto both sides of the bread slice. You can drizzle it with cooking oil if you don't have butter.
Heat a sauté pan (or any kind of grill pan) on medium heat. Place the bread slices on top.
Once the bread slices have been grilling on the pan for about 2-3 minutes, check and see if it's golden brown & crisp. If you're happy with the way it looks, flip the bread crisp the other side.
Repeat step #10 until all of the slices are nice and toasted.
This step is pretty self-explanatory: assemble your sandwiches! Scoop your desired amount of chicken salad onto a slice of bread and place another slice on top.
Serve with desired sandwich toppings and enjoy!
Additional topping ideas:
lettuce
avocado
bacon
sliced tomato
any kind of chips
any kind of hot sauce
cranberry sauce
Recipe tips & some products I used:
Tip for avoiding soggy sandwiches:
I used a cashew butter spread for my dad's, mom's, and my own sandwich but a nut-free one for my sister since she's allergic to nuts. So, I grilled my sister's sandwich first. I didn't want it to get soggy while grilling up the rest of the bread slices, so I pulled out my "bread ventilation trick". Just take a small cup and place it on the plate you're going to eat with. Then, simply lay the bread slices on either side of the cup. For some bread types it may take a second to balance, but it's a very quick + easy way for the bread to stay crisp! No steam and sogginess here ;)
Product mentions (click to shop):
What I put in my sandwich:
I love to mix sweet + savory, so I spread some cranberry sauce onto one of my slices. The one from Trader Joe's is my favorite! I also put some avocado slices, tomato, and lettuce on top.
And that's it for today! Leave a comment below if you try this recipe, or if you have other recipes you'd like to share. I'd love to hear from ya ;). I hope to publish more content soon, so stay tuned for that. In the meantime, I have another recipes page if no-measuring isn't your thing, and you can also find me on Pinterest !
If you've read this post 'til the end, I really appreciate it — thank you!
