Hi there, and happy Tuesday! I hope your week is off to a great start! And I hope this post will make your week even better! Because we have a tasty summer dish for you today that is so savory and delicious, you are going to love it! Today we are sharing a Grilled Chicken Bacon Cheddar Sandwich!

Years ago, we had a chain of restaurants here in Michigan called “Baker’s Square”. My husband’s favorite sandwich there was a “Grilled Chicken Bacon Cheddar Sandwich”. Well, we decided to recreate this sandwich and it is a winner! We added in our “Garlic Basil Mayonnaise” which we have used before and it is exquisite! So without further ado, let’s begin!

Chicken Sandwich Ingredients

• Chicken Breast  (1 per person)
• Bacon (2 strips per sandwich)
• Sliced Cheddar Cheese (1 slice per sandwich)
• Lettuce
• Tomato Slices
• Red Onion Slices
• Olive oil (about 3 Tbsp)
• Kosher Salt
• Bread (we used a thicker sliced sourdough bread)
• Butter and Garlic Salt to make the garlic toast

Flavored Mayonnaise (Garlic Basil Mayonnaise)

• 1/2 cup of Mayonnaise
• 2 cloves garlic crushed
• 2 Tbsp chopped basil
• 1 tsp Kosher salt
• 1 shake of Worcester Sauce

One of the tricky parts about grilling chicken breast is because the meat can be uneven in thickness by its shape. So you can place the pieces one at a time in a ziplock bag with some olive oil drizzled on each side. Press/release any air in the bag and seal it. Then take a mallet or something flat and heavy and hit it on the thickest part of the meat until the meat is equally thick throughout the piece of meat.

Add a little more olive oil on both sides, and generously salt and pepper the chicken (using kosher salt). You could also marinade if you want to, but we go straight to the grill.

Spray your grill with non stick cooking spray. Place the smoother side of the chicken down first. Cook it on medium high to high, but watch carefully, 3-4 minutes per side, and halfway through, turn the chicken a quarter turn (this will give you grill marks going criss cross) Flip and repeat on the uncooked side.

Here you can see what it looked like when done cooking.

In the meantime, you can get your bacon cooking (or you could do it before you start the chicken). Preheat the oven to 425°.  Cover a cookie sheet with tin foil, and place your bacon on the sheet. Bake until golden brown and crispy, around 10-15 min. Drain on a paper towel.

Now we need to make our flavored mayonnaise. Add the mayo to a small bowl, and add in the chopped garlic and Kosher salt.

Chop your basil and add that in.

Add a shake of Worcestershire Sauce,

and stir. Your Garlic Basil Mayonnaise is ready!

Now let’s get that garlic toast ready! Use a cookie sheet covered in tin foil. Take 2 slices of bread per sandwich and butter it and season with garlic salt on both sides. Place on the cookie sheet and broil (watching carefully, it cooks fast) until a nice gold color on the one side.

Now you are ready to assemble your sandwiches!

Grab a slice of the garlic toast and put some of your awesome Garlic Basil Mayo on there, and a piece of chicken.

Add your cheese and bacon.

Lettuce, Tomato and Onion reporting for duty!

Yes, Yes and Yes! Add one more coat of the mayo on the underside of the top piece of bread and voila!

Using a sharp knife, cut it in two! This sandwich went to my dear husband! For the record, he said it was delicious!

Here is mine!

For sides, I had some fresh fruit and crunchy veggies, and some potato salad.

One bite of this sandwich and you are in heaven!

I don’t know if its that amazing garlic toast, or the garlic basil mayo, or that delicious bacon cheese and chicken or the red ripe tomato, whatever it is, this sandwich has “got it!”

This sandwich really is like a team effort, all the flavors playing together, each has their part. Kind of like families and friendships! We each bring a little something different to the table! We sit in awe and respect of what incredible gifts, talents, warmth and charm each person has. Don’t you ever just stop in amazement and simply marvel at the incredible people you get to do this life with?

And we also know that at anytime some or maybe even all at our table may come with some unspoken burdens on their heart. It is just about a given that someone has some kind of trouble. Your warmth, your smile tells them that this is a place they are welcome and loved. And that is the most important thing you will be serving. From soup to nuts, if our words are drenched in love, Your meal will be exactly what they hungered for. We never go wrong with love!

I hope you have a fantastic week!

I’ll be back Friday for another post!

Love Always,

Amy

 

“Love is patient, love is kind, It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.”  1 Corinthians 13:4, 7-8