Buffalo Chicken Mozzarella Melts

Let's talk Subway. Subway is the only fast food restaurant I frequent. It also happens to be the only fast food establishment in the town where I live (a town of ~1200 people). I still go to Subway because #1, I love sandwiches and #2, you can get something other than a greasy hamburger on a weebly bun. My go-to sandwich there, as of the last year or so, is the Buffalo Chicken. This girl is obsessed with buffalo sauce. Obsessed. So why wouldn't I want to recreate the magic at home?

I was making Grilled Chicken Sandwiches for dinner, because I had some leftover grilled chicken breast. Chicken sandwiches are a great option for leftover chicken breast. I've learned through trial and error, you really only need 1 chicken breast to make 2 sandwiches. Maybe it's because the chicken breasts I buy are unusually thick, but I find if I cut the chicken breast in half (thickness-wise), it's perfect for a sandwich. Anyhoo- I was making the sandwiches. My head was in the fridge, scanning for the mayo when my eyes moved over the bottle of buffalo sauce. That's all it took.

My favorite buffalo sauce is the medium sauce from Buffalo Wild Wings. Or "Buffies" as I like to call it. I buy a 3-pack at the restaurant every couple of years or so. They last us a long time! I ended up making the hubby's sammie plain with just mayo, but mine? Mine I added the perfect amount of spice to.

My current go-to technique for sandwiches is putting them under the broiler. There's something about the heating action, and the oozy-gooey cheese that oozes from the sandwich. Heavenly. My favorite bread to use for dinner sammies are Ciabatta rolls. Depending on the thickness of the roll, I'll occasionally scoop some of the bread out of the roll. You know, to even out the bread-to-innards ratio.  I'll spread the bread halves out on a cookie sheet, and top the bottom half with chicken, a tomato slice, and a generous amount of mozzarella . Stick it under the broiler for a few minutes and voila! Super-yummy sandwiches made at home.

I served these alongside some homemade potato salad. The creaminess of the potato salad was a great foil for the heat provided by the buffalo sauce. This is a great meal idea for a weeknight or a quick lunch. They literally take less than 10 minutes to make. Better than Subway, indeed :)

I know I say this every week, but how is it Friday already?? This week flew by. I mean, wasn't it just Sunday and I was in Columbus having a girl's day? Seems like it. The hubby is working days this whole weekend, so I've got lots of time on my hands to be productive. And believe me, my to-do list is lengthy. Lots of running, cooking, baking, cleaning, couponing, picture-taking, and grocery-shopping to do!

And quite possibly, a dinner out with friends on Saturday night. We'll see :)

Have a great weekend everyone!

Ingredients (makes 2 sandwiches):

2- Ciabatta rolls

1 chicken breast, previously cooked

1/2 cup buffalo sauce

2- tomato slices

1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

2- lettuce leafs

Directions:

1. Set oven to broil. 

2. Cut Ciabatta rolls in half. Depending on the thickness of the roll, scoop out desired amount of bread (optional). Arrange bread halves on cookie sheet, with the middle of the roll facing up. Place under broiler until toasted, about 2 minutes. Remove from oven.

3. Do a quick preheat of the chicken. My method- I place the breast on a plate, and cover with a damp paper towel. Microwave for 1 minute. Remove from microwave. Cut chicken breast in half, thickness-wise. Using a basting brush, thoroughly coat chicken breast halves in buffalo sauce. Set aside. 

4. Set "top" of sandwich roll aside. Arrange bottoms of rolls on cookie sheet, middle facing up. Brush buffalo sauce on rolls. Place chicken breast halves on top of the buffalo sauce. Top with a tomato slice and 1/4 cup of cheese. Place under the broiler until cheese is melted and browned. Remove from oven. 

5. Brush buffalo sauce on the top-half of rolls. Place 1 lettuce leaf on each sandwich, and then press the top of the roll onto the sandwich. Cut sandwich in half, if desired. Serve immediately. 

Printable Recipe

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Linked to: Weekend Potluck, Foodie Friday, Feature Fridays