Chicken Caesar Club Sandwiches

This last week I made some sandwiches based on this recipe. With temperatures nearing 100 outside, I figured some easy sandwiches with flavorful chicken and cool crisp greens would be perfect. The original recipe was more work than I had time for, so I made some changes but kept the basics of the sandwich the same. Here's my version!




Chicken Caesar Club Sandwiches
(3-4 servings, depending on the size of ciabatta)

3/4 to 1 lb chicken tenders**
1/2 cup Italian Salad Dressing (any brand)
1 tsp vegetable oil
1 Ciabatta bread**
3-4 Tbsp Caesar Salad Dressing (any brand, the thicker the better)
8 slices bacon, cooked**
10 to 12 sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil
1 bag pre-washed salad greens (I used romaine)
3 oz Parmesan cheese shavings

Earlier in the day, marinate chicken tenders in 1/2 cup Italian Salad Dressing. Refrigerate.

To prepare chicken: remove chicken from marinade and discard marinade. Place large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to skillet and cook chicken until done. Remove from heat and set aside. Cook bacon according to package directions. (You could remove the chicken and use the same skillet.)

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Slice the ciabatta loaf in half horizontally. Place the two halves in the oven for about 5 minutes to toast. Remove from oven.

Spread a few tablespoons of Caesar Salad Dressing on each half of bread. On the bottom half, layer cooked chicken, cooked bacon, sun-dried tomatoes. Top with Parmesan cheese shavings (I just took a block of Parmesan cheese and cut off long slices with my vegetable peeler) and then prepared salad greens. Add the top half of ciabatta and slice into individual sandwich portions.

NOTES

**If you are even more pressed for time, you can purchase pre-cooked & chopped chicken. There are several brands available; in our grocery store they are located near the sandwich meat & cheese aisle. I have used it before in a salad and I would say that it's a great option for any salad or sandwich if you are short on time.

If you are not a ciabatta bread fan, I think most other breads would work fine. I'm sure you could even substitute a regular loaf of $1 french bread from your local grocery store. To me, the toasting is what's important - it adds a great crunch.

One more time saver...if you don't want to smoke your house up and stand over a hot stove cooking bacon, there are packages of pre-cooked bacon also located near the sandwich meat & cheese aisle. I love this stuff - 30 seconds or so in the microwave and ta-da!