My Ultimate Chicken and Pesto Sandwich

I often cook several chicken breasts in pesto and then cool them and refrigerate for use in salads and sandwiches. Of course pesto is most commonly made with basil, but there are so many varieties available today - from mellow red pepper and walnut to refreshing mint pesto - that the flavour possibilities are endless. Of course you can always make your own with fresh herbs as well. I simply mix my pesto with a bit more olive oil (to make it easier to spread and to mellow the flavours a bit) and then spread it on top of chicken breasts before cooking them for about half an hour or until no pink remains inside.

You can use any roasted vegetables in this sandwich - even the ones you get in jars - however I almost always keep roasted veggies on hand in the fridge. They are unbelievably easy to prepare and keep for three or four days in the fridge. Click here to find out more.

I like to use a mild cheese like Swiss, Monterey Jack or Gruyere in this recipe, partly because it melts well and also because you don’t need anything to compete with the flavour of the pesto and the veggies, but please yourself. Any cheese that you like is absolutely fine.

You can make this sandwich as a panini and cook it in a panini press, or make it in baguettes or crispy rolls, wrap in foil and cook in the oven.

If you have made the chicken and roasted veggies up ahead of time, these sandwiches are really quick and easy to prepare. They are great for game day or game night for that matter and would be a great addition to any Super Bowl Sunday menu.

To make two sandwiches you need:

2 panini rolls, pieces of baguette or other crispy rolls

1 chicken breast cooked in pesto, sliced

about ½ cup of roasted vegetables

2 to 4 slices of cheese

It’s strictly an assembly job from here. Slice the rolls in half and place half the chicken, half the roasted vegetables and half the cheese on each sandwich. I don’t use butter because there is oil in the roasted vegetables.

Put the top on the sandwich and either cook in a panini press until done or wrap in aluminum foil, place on a baking sheet and cook at about 350℉ or about 170℃ for 15 to 20 minutes until the sandwich is warm and the cheese is melted.

Yummy Pitta Pockets

So many women I talk to say they are too busy for lunch, but there is an easy way to have a nourishing and delicious lunch that doesn’t take very long at all. You can even make up the fillings in advance to save time.

The average white pitta bread only has about 147 calories and their crunchy pocket style makes them just right for all sorts of lovely fillings. These make a great light lunch - really satisfying but low in fat and calories.  They also travel well wrapped in Saran wrap or aluminum foil in an insulated lunch box if you are eating on the run.  By the way, most kids love to eat pitta breads - I used to call them pitta pockets when my son was little - they are a bit of fun and they make a great change from ordinary bread. 

Do check the mayonnaise you are using to make sure it has ‘good’ fats (not hydrogenated) and be careful as some “light”versions are actually low in fat but high in calories, and some “low cal” versions are actually quite high in fat. I use Hellmann’s Extra Light for this recipe. If you don’t like mayonnaise, you can always substitute a little plain yogurt.

Each of these recipes serves one adult or two little ones (most kids will only eat half a pitta sandwich), but it’s very easy to multiply the quantities to serve more.   

Chicken Salad Pittas

1 pitta bread, cut in half and toasted if you like

half a chicken breast, cut in small cubes

a small handful of lettuce, finely shredded

3 or 4 cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

2 to 3 teaspoons low calorie or light mayonnaise

½ teaspoon freshly chopped chives

salt and pepper, optional

a pinch of curry powder, optional

Mix the chicken, lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise together in a small bowl.  Add the chives, salt and pepper to taste, and curry powder if you like it.   Use the mixture to stuff both halves of the pitta. 

Waldorf Salad Pitta

1 pitta bread, cut in half and toasted if you like

half a chicken breast, cut in small cubes

one quarter to one half a small apple, peeled, cored and cut in small pieces

1 small handful of lettuce, finely shredded

1 stick of celery, finely chopped

3 or 4 walnuts, finely chopped

2 to 3 teaspoons low calorie or light mayonnaise

Mix the chicken, apple, lettuce, celery, walnuts and mayonnaise in a small bowl.  Use the mixture to stuff both halves of the pitta. 

Egg Salad Pitta

1 pitta bread, cut in half and toasted if you like

1 large hard boiled egg, chopped into small pieces

1 teaspoon chopped red pepper

1 stick of celery, finely chopped

pinch of celery salt

2 to 3 teaspoons low calorie or light mayonnaise

a pinch of curry powder (or more or less to taste but please don't leave it out!)

Salt and pepper to taste

Mix the egg, red pepper, celery, celery salt and mayonnaise together in a bowl.   Add the curry powder and salt and pepper to taste and stir to mix.  Use the mixture to stuff both halves of the pitta. 

Tuna Salad Pitta

1 pitta bread, cut in half and toasted if you like

¼ cup canned tuna, drained

1 teaspoon chopped red pepper

1 stick of celery, finely chopped

a small handful of lettuce, finely shredded

pinch of celery salt

2 to 3 teaspoons mayonnaise

a squeeze of lemon juice

Salt and pepper to taste

Mix together the tuna, red pepper, celery, lettuce, celery salt, mayonnaise and lemon.  Add salt and pepper to taste and stir in. Use the mixture to stuff both halves of the pitta.

So as you can see there is no longer any good reason to skip lunch - in fact there are at least four good reasons not to! 

The 21st Century Housewife's© Warming Autumn Sandwich

Although we have had some fabulous weather here in England recently, the odd chilly day really does make you realise that Autumn is taking hold. These are the kind of days when you want more than just an ordinary sandwich for lunch; you want something warming and delicious.

I always like to keep some roast vegetables ready in the fridge. They are incredibly versatile and very nutritious. They are also very easy to make. I wrote about them in a lot more detail back in June, so if you missed the original article, please click here.

For a small pan of roast vegetables, you will need:-
1 courgette/zucchini, sliced in half moons
1 red pepper, de-seeded and cut in small chunks
1 yellow pepper, de-seeded and cut in small chunks
1 red onion, peeled and cut in eighths
1 - 2 cloves of garlic, peeled (optional)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon Balsamic vinegar

Put all the ingredients except the olive oil and vinegar in a medium roasting tin. Mix together the oil and vinegar and pour over the vegetables, tossing lightly to coat. Roast in a hot oven (about 190℃ or 375℉) for approximately twenty to thirty minutes, stirring once. You want the vegetables to soften a bit and go slightly golden in colour.

You can use these straight away or allow them to cool and refrigerate.

For each sandwich you need:-

1 crusty roll, sliced in half
(I like to use seeded rolls as I think they give a nice texture)
1 slice of ham
1 slice of ready-sliced cheddar cheese or some grated cheddar
a couple spoonfuls of roast vegetables

Take each roll and lay it open on a large square of aluminium foil (you are going to wrap it all round the sandwich so make sure it is big enough). I don’t use butter on these as the vegetables have the olive oil on them so you really don’t need it.

Lay a slice of ham on the bottom piece of the roll and top with the vegetables. Place the cheese on top, followed by the top of the roll. Wrap tightly in aluminium foil and place on a baking sheet.

Cook at about 190℃ or 375℉ for fifteen to twenty minutes, or until warm through. Remove from oven and allow to sit for about two or three minutes before carefully opening the hot foil parcel.

Serve and enjoy - being careful not to burn yourself on the lovely hot melted cheese!

For a vegetarian version, omit the ham and replace it with another slice of cheese (or more grated cheese). Be sure to use vegetarian cheddar.