It wasn’t too long ago that we were struggling to accept the heat of summer. We’ve since become resigned to it, and we’ve decided to embrace it. Since nothing screams summer like Grilling, that was the natural choice to mark our unambiguous and absolute temperature preference defeat.
I was planning to press forward with our series of Veggie Tapas Recipes, but I have scrapped that plan, and the reason is twofold.
- My wife and I took a hiking trip to the White Mountains, and after ascending Mt. Washington via Pinkham Notch, my brain can only think about protein. It was a great hike, but doing it while trying to heal a sprained ankle was definitely not my brightest idea (also not my dumbest idea, but there’s no need to dive deeply into that).
- With Independence Day approaching and all of the grilling that goes with it, we figured we’d try to share this in time for your cookouts!
We made a Grilled Veggie Pillow (with Kale, Snow Peas, and Mushrooms) to serve with our sandwiches. However, this would pair nicely with any one of our various Fries Recipes, Grilled Zucchini, or Grilled Corn on the Cob.
Time: 20 Minutes
Ingredients:
- Chicken Breast (1 will make two sandwiches)
- Bacon (1-2 slices per sandwich unless you want more, in which case, I’m not going to try to talk you out of it)
- Cheese of your choice…we are using pepper jack
- Buns of your choice…we are using Kaiser rolls
- For the Sauce:
- Avocado (Soft avocados work best for this)
- Plain Yogurt
- BBQ Sauce
Method:
- If your avocado is firm, slice it, sautee it, and add some water to the pan to steam a little to soften. Then, set aside in the bowl of your stand mixer to cool.
- Cut your chicken breast in half longways to form thinner cutlets. This will keep your sandwiches of manageable height, and it will make your chicken nice and juicy when it comes off the grill.
- Give your chicken slices a little salt sprinkle, and set aside.
- Heat your grill to medium heat.
- Cut your bacon slices in half, and cook them in a frying pan until the fat is rendered, and your bacon is nice and crispy. Flip part way through.
- When your grill is nice and hot, place your chicken atop, close the lid, and cook for about 5 minutes.
- While your chicken cooks, add your bbq sauce and yogurt to your sand mixer, and use the whisk attachment to whip those ingredients together with your avocado into a smooth sauce.
- After 5 minutes, flip your chicken, top with bacon, and cook for another 3 minutes.
- Cut and butter your buns, and then put them on the grill. Just to be clear, I’m talking about your bread…do NOT sit on the grill.
- Add your cheese atop your chicken, and cook for another 2-3 minutes, and then take a temperature read with a digital thermometer. When your meat has reached an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees F, remove from grill.
- Spread your avocado sauce on your top roll, place your chicken on your bottom roll, and add any other toppings you like.
- Plate, devour, and enjoy!
