Sandwiches are treats any day of the year, but when you’re tasked with creating the perfect birthday sandwich, it would be nothing short of irresponsible not to go the extra mile.
Especially when you’re feeling guilty since you weren’t able to time your pregnancy just right to give your husband the gift of a brand new son on his birthday… I tried, I really tried. We’re still waiting for that belated birthday gift to arrive, but at least the chicken sandwiches were a success.
Now, before you attempt these sandwiches I encourage you to clear out a little room in your fridge for extra sandwiches. Creating the various elements of these sandwiches are a bit time consuming, so in my opinion it would be best to invest in plenty of ingredients so your efforts in the kitchen can be enjoyed throughout the week.
You’re going to want to start with a quality loaf of bread. Jackson and I have lost interest in eating out lately, but have spent all the money we would have spent on eating out (plus some) on Field and Fire bread. Our local grocery store carries the bread now, and the temptation of loaves and loaves of this fantastic bread being only a mile away is too much to resist. I always cave and it’s always worth it. If you don’t live in Grand Rapids, first of all I’m sorry you have to live without this bread. But not all hope is lost. I’m sure your local bakery or supermarket has something similar. Just make sure the bread is good quality and quite sturdy (like a sourdough or ciabatta). We do not take our sandwich fillings lightly.
Since this is an extra-special birthday sandwich, we have two types of sauces featured. On one slice of bread I spread homemade whipped feta spread. On the other, homemade roasted red pepper and basil mayo. In between these tasty spreads? Chicken, caramelized onions, fresh spinach, tomato, provolone cheese, and crispy bacon (if you’re so inclined).
Serve with fries, sweet potato fries, chips, or a salad (I guess… But don’t force anyone to eat a salad on their birthday if they don’t want to).
Luckily, since I heeded my own advice I now have a fridge full of these sandwiches. Therefore, I have something to look forward to every day this week, something other than the constant suspense of whether or not this will be the day I finally will get to meet my future running partner… I mean son. I promise I’ll still love him if he doesn’t like running.
Birthday Chicken Sandwiches
(Makes six sandwiches)
Ingredients
- 3 yellow onions, sliced into thin half-circles
- 1/4 cup olive oil, divided
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- Salt and pepper
- 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
- Juice from one lemon
- 2 cloves of garlic, separated
- 1 roasted red pepper, well drained (skin and stem/seeds removed)
- You can roast a pepper yourself, or just buy a jar of roasted red peppers at the grocery store
- 1/2 cup basil leaves
- 1/2 cup mayo
- 12 slices of high-quality sturdy bread (like sourdough or ciabatta)
- 3 chicken breasts, cooked however you like and thinly sliced
- 12 strips of cooked bacon (optional)
- 2 tomatoes, sliced
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 6 slices of provolone cheese
Instructions
- Heat approximately 2 tsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions.
- Cook onions until they begin to turn translucent, stirring often. Add sugar and a bit of salt.
- Continue to cook until onions reduce to about 1/3 of their original size and they are a golden brown color. If sugar start to stick to the pan before the onions finish cooking, add a bit of water to the pan to help dissolve the sugar and make the onions more golden.
- Once onions are cooked, turn off heat and set aside.
- In a food processor, combine the ricotta, feta, one garlic clove, and the lemon juice. Pulse until well blended and the spread has a whipped texture.
- Remove feta spread from the food processor and set aside. Now use food processor to combine roasted red pepper, basil, garlic clove, and mayo. Pulse until smooth.
- Lay out the slices of bread and brush the outside of each slice with the remaining olive oil. Flip each piece over and spread the feta spread on half the slices, the roasted red pepper mayo on the other half.
- Divide chicken, caramelized onions, tomato, spinach, bacon, and provolone between the six pieces of bread with feta spread. Top each sandwich with a slice of red pepper mayo bread.
- Heat a large skillet to a low heat and add as many sandwiches that will fit at one time. Cook on each side until the bread is golden brown and cheese is melted.
- Cut sandwiches in half and serve. Store leftovers wrapped in foil in the fridge for up to 5 days.
