Are you wondering why I named this sandwich “The Best Chicken Sandwich”? Is it because it truly is the most mouth watering, taste bud tingling, drool worthy sandwich in existence? Or is it because I couldn’t figure out a way to get all the important ingredients into the title without making it excessively long?
Truth be told, I think it’s probably a little bit of both.
My suggestion: make these babies TONIGHT and judge for yourself!
This chicken sandwich has it all: blueberry sauce, fresh basil, crisped bacon and earthy brie cheese. These few simple ingredients elevate a regular, boring piece of baked chicken into something that will make you say “WOW!”.
Oh and are you seeing a theme here with the ingredients? Everything starts with the letter “B”. That really wasn’t planned. It just sort of happened. So I toyed with “Blueberry and Basil Grilled Chicken Sandwiches with Bacon and Brie”. Or maybe “Grilled Chicken Sandwiches with Bacon, Blueberry, Brie and Basil”. But every iteration I tried was a major tongue twister. So all those “B” words got condensed into the word “Best”. Hence, I present you with The Best Chicken Sandwich.
This sandwich is the perfect mixture of salty, sweet, crunchy, melty and buttery. Which are pretty much all the adjectives that I need in life…or at least in a sandwich. And it’s fairly quick to pull together (prep everything while you cook the chicken and bacon in the oven!), making it a great choice for a weeknight dinner.
Cheers,
Liz
Ingredients
- 9 slices of bacon
- 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 1/2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 3/4 tsp. salt
- 3/4 tsp. black pepper
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
- 1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp. brown sugar
- 9 ounces brie cheese, thinly sliced
- 20-24 fresh basil leaves
- 12 slices bread (you could also use 6 sandwich/burger buns)
- 2-4 tablespoons butter
Instructions
- Cook the bacon and the chicken breasts. Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees. Get out two rimmed baking sheets. On one baking sheet, spread the bacon out into a single layer. Place the chicken breasts on the second baking sheet. Pour 2 tsp. heavy cream on each chicken breast and use your hand to rub the cream over the chicken, coating both sides. Then season the chicken breast with salt and pepper.
- Transfer both the bacon and the chicken to your pre-heated oven to cook. The bacon will take approximately 20-25 minutes to cook, depending on the thickness of your bacon and how crispy you like it. The chicken breasts will take approximately 30-35 minutes to cook (a thermometer inserted into the middle should register 160 degrees Fahrenheit and the juices should run clear). Once cooked, remove from the oven. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-line plate to drain. Tent the chicken with foil to keep warm.
- Meanwhile, make the blueberry sauce. Combine the blueberries, balsamic vinegar and brown sugar in a small microwave bowl. Heat in the microwave for 1 minute. Then remove the bowl from the microwave and lightly smash the blueberries with the back of a spoon. Set aside.
- Make the sandwiches. Cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise. For each sandwich, layer 1/2 chicken breast, 1 1/2 slices of bacon, 1 1/2 ounces of brie cheese, about 1 tablespoon of the blueberry sauce and 3-4 fresh basil leaves between two pieces of bread. Melt about 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Grill the sandwiches on both sides until the bread is golden and the cheese is melted. Work in batches if necessary, adding a bit more butter if your pan starts to get dry.
- Allow the sandwiches to rest for 2-3 minutes before slicing in half and serving. Enjoy!
