By Vida Gustafson
Contributing Writer
While a grilled cheese sandwich maintains pole position in my heart, a grilled chicken mayonnaise is a close second and a family favorite.
Every time I roast a chicken, I know the next day I can make a yummy quick lunch with the leftovers. You can skip the roasting part and make this recipe with a store-bought rotisserie chicken or any precooked chicken.
Keep a batch in the fridge for quick assembly later in the week.
Ingredients:
Per 1 cup of cooked chicken, add 1-1/2 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 black pepper
2-3 medium kosher dill pickles/spears (chopped)
1 tsp capers (chopped)
1tbsp chopped fresh chives
4 slices of bread (I find that sourdough grills up particularly well)
1-2 tbsp butter
Method:
Cut the cooked chicken up into bite-sized pieces and mix with the mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar and salt. Use a fork — you want to start breaking down the meat fibers. We’re looking for the texture of pulled chicken here, so don’t be shy with the fork.
When you’re satisfied with the consistency, go ahead and add the chopped pickles, capers and chives (if using).
Here is where you taste the chicken salad and see how you’d like to adjust it. Everybody has their own unique seasoning sweet spot for tangy, creamy, chicken-y goodness. You may even want to spice it up with some cayenne
Preheat your pan on medium-low heat. I like using my 12-inch cast iron skillet for these.
Fill your sandwich bread with the chicken salad mixture; about 1-2 tablespoons of filling should suffice. Butter the outside of the sandwich and proceed to cook on both sides, just like a grilled cheese. Serve with a simple tossed green salad.
For the carb-conscious, this makes a great filling for butter lettuce cups as well.
