Italian Chicken Sandwiches

I hope all of you had a wonderful Mother's Day! Mine was great and I had thought I would post on Saturday, but this was a busy weekend. On Sunday, we went out to eat after church to my favorite Mexican food restaurant here in town. Our oldest son and his wife were there, along with our second son and his girlfriend(and her young son), and our daughter and her boyfriend. Afterwards, we drove about 30 miles to nearby town where my MIL lives in an assisted living facility. She is a wonderful MIL and she was so excited to have all of us come to visit! We really filled up her room! It was a great day! The only cooking I did was to make Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes and I made a fresh pot of coffee to go with them. It was a cool day, so these really hit the spot in the evening! But on Saturday, I made these delicious, Italian Chicken Sandwiches which are filling enough to be served as a quick meal on busy week nights. I purchased this Ciabatta loaf at Walmart. That is pretty much our bakery choice here, but this bread is really good. It's a sturdy, chewy loaf that small kids may not be able to handle though. Any way, I cut the loaf in half, then in half lengthwise. After toasting in the broiler, I spread a mayo mix over the toasted

bread, then topped the bread with some sliced, cooked chicken. After that, I topped the chicken with Provolone Cheese and stuck it under the broiler for a short bit, so the cheese would get

nice and melted. When removed from the broiler, I topped the sandwich with fresh basil,, red onion, tomato and topped it with the other half of bread. It is so yummy, just like ordering one from a nice deli.

You may also use lettuce or roasted red peppers if desired, or any other toppings you desire. Served with chips, salad or Sweet Potato Oven Fries, it makes a great meal!

Wouldn't you like a bite of this? It's quick to make, so lets get started.

ITALIAN CHICKEN SANDWICHES ( adapted from Cooking Light)

1 Ciabatta loaf or Ciabatta rolls, or Italian bread of choice

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cooked in a skillet

salt, pepper and garlic powder

8-10 large basil leaves

6 slices Provolone Cheese, or 1 cup of shredded Mozzarella Cheese

tomato slices

bell pepper slices, or roasted red peppers

thinly sliced red onion, if desired

lettuce, if desired

Dressing

For dressing, you can use Creamy Italian dressing, OR mix together 1/4 cup regular Italian dressing with 3 Tbs. mayo, OR mix together 1/4 cup sun dried tomato pesto with 3 Tbs. mayo. I know those are 3 choices, but I like to experiment, that way if I'm out of an ingredient, I can use something else. In a large skillet in 1 Tbs. olive oil, brown chicken breasts that have been seasoned with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, if desired. Cook until juices run clear, lowering heat, if needed. Remove chicken to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes. Slice chicken breasts into thin slices. Turn on broiler. Cut bread in half and place on a baking sheet, cut sides facing up. Place pan under the broiler for a minute or so, until bread is golden. Watch it carefully! Remove bread from broiler. Spread 1/2 of dressing over the bottom half of bread, and top with all of the chicken slices. Arrange cheese over the chicken and then place bread back under the broiler just until the cheese melts. It won't take long. Remove bread from broiler and finish topping sandwich with the basil, onion slices , tomato and bell pepper slices. Spread remaining dressing on top half of bread and place on top of sandwich. Don't skimp on the dressing! Cut into four sandwiches and serve. These are so scrumptious and flavorful! These sandwiches can be ready in 30 minutes, or less, depending on whether you have crying children hanging on your ankles or, if the phone is ringing and driving you crazy! It's an easy, quick meal, perfect after along day at work or any other time, for that matter. Try one today!