Ranch Chicken Sandwich
What makes a good meal is not the perfect recipe. You can page through countless recipe books and magazines, dog earring pages and setting high expectations for what you are going to make. I’ve done that plenty of times and end up with a grocery list that more resembles a scroll and a cupboard full of ingredients I’m not sure I’ll touch again any time soon. In the end, what makes a good meal is putting good food into it. It doesn’t take kitchen magic, just simple quality ingredients that taste really good all on their own. That’s the difference for this sandwich. The bread is from this awesome bakery in Chicago called Little Goat Bakery. The sourdough has the perfect airy pockets and just the amount of stretch. It’s the perfect base for this sandwich. I bought a really nice cheddar cheese still full of flavor unlike the pre-sliced cheese that always tastes like it’s missing something to me. I roasted the tomatoes to bring out their sweetness. Add creamy avocado, crunchy lettuce and a drizzle of herby ranch and this sandwich knocks it out of the park. If you’ve got the time to go the extra mile to grab really fresh ingredients it will definitely pay off for your taste buds.
Ranch Chicken Sandwich Recipe
Makes 1 sandwich.
Ingredients
- 2 slices sourdough bread
- 1/2 avocado, sliced
- 3 chicken tenders or small chicken breast
- Chicken seasoning of choice (substitute salt/pepper)
- 3 small tomatoes, plum or Roma
- 2 romaine lettuce leaves
- 1 slice cheddar cheese (substitute Gouda)
- Ranch dressing
Directions
- Cut the tomatoes in half. Lay them cut side up on a baking sheet. (I like to cut a thin slice off the opposite side so the tomatoes lay relatively flat.) Drizzle them with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast in the oven at 350 for 20 minutes.
- Spray the chicken with olive oil cooking spray and sprinkle with your favorite seasoning or salt/pepper. (I use Arizona Dreaming from Penzey’s.)
- Cook the chicken on a grill, grill pan or in a skillet until thoroughly cooked, about 3-4 minutes per side. After the chicken has cooled for a 1-2 minutes, slice longways to make thin strips.
- Slice 1/2 of an avocado. Tear 2 romaine leaves from the head.
- If you want warm or toasted bread, place 2 slices in the toaster until desired toast-y-ness. (I prefer my bread soft and not toasted.)
- On one slice of bread spread the avocado, lightly mashing it so it sticks to the bread.
- On the other slice of bread, layer the cheese, romaine leaves, tomatoes and chicken. Drizzle with ranch dressing and top with the second piece of bread.
- Serve warm.
Let the chicken and the tomatoes cool for a few minutes before adding them to the sandwich. You want them warm, but not hot out of the oven or from the grill.
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