Crispy Chicken Club Sandwich
Crispy Chicken Club Sandwich: take the classic for a ride with the addition of crunchy baked chicken breast and homemade honey mustard.
The Crispy Chicken Club Sandwich is a throwback recipe – and a renewed family favorite. A long, long time ago, we’d go out for Sunday Brunch after mass at the spectacular Erie Yacht Club. I always thought that they had created the yummy Club Sandwich. Turns out, they did not, although it was created at A club.
The club sandwich may have originated at the Union Club of New York City.[4] The earliest known reference to the sandwich, an article that appeared in The Evening World on November 18, 1889, is also an early recipe; “Have you tried a Union Club sandwich yet?
Another theory is that the club sandwich was invented in an exclusive Saratoga Springs, New York, gambling club in the late 19th century.[1][8] “In 1894 Richard Canfield… the debonair patron of art, purchased the Saratoga Club to make it a casino [Canfield Casino]… the club sandwich [originated] in its kitchens.”
Wikipedia
Regardless of where it originated, it showed up somewhere during a 5 year period between 1889 and 1894. That makes it between 125 and 130 years old. See what I meant about “throwback”?
Classic is probably a nicer way to say it.
The sandwich we’re making has three pieces of toast; ham, bacon, chicken, cheese and lettuce. Tomatoes are traditional too, but they’re optional around here – especially when they’re out of season. No need to add cardboard into the mix.
What makes this sandwich special? Pops Crispy Chicken. It’s Bert’s favorite chicken and it is spectacularly easy.
Chicken breasts are cut into the desired size, drizzled with a little oil and dunked in panko breadcrumbs before baking. Super crispy without the fry mess.
The secret to the sandwich is really nothing more than organization – the process itself becomes an assembly line once the ingredients are all laid out. Crispy Chicken Club Sandwiches are great for a crowd because you can make 10 almost as fast as you can make one. These are a perfect sandwich to serve for a party – you could sub them into the Holiday Open House with no fuss at all.
Prep Pops Crispy Chicken and the bacon for the oven. Then cook the bacon until crispy, and the chicken until it reads 160 degrees F on an instant read thermometer.
Get the rest of the ingredients out of the fridge, and get the toast, um, toasting. I love this Retro Blue Toaster (affiliate links follow, see disclaimer for more details). You can broil all the bread on a sheet pan at one time too. If you can remember to get the toast out before it becomes charcoal. I’m not so good at that.
Clear off a section of the counter and get assembling.
Mayo is classic, but we dig our Honey Mustard around here. Use whatever you like.
We love Swiss cheese, but cheddar (or American) is probably more traditional. Again, use whatever you like and have on hand.
I try to keep everything even…
Take the middle piece and put it on the top piece. Then flip the bottom piece of toast (so the honey mustard is inside the sandwich) and put it on top. Did that make sense?
Add the lettuce before adding the final piece of toast.
If they’re in season, add tomato now too.
You can use regular toothpicks, but these wooden skewers are definitely long enough to get through this monster. I use my trusty kitchen shears to clip off the excess.
When placed in the middle of each side, they work as a guide to cut (almost) perfect triangles. Use your serrated knife for the best cut.
I’m not going to lie. These sandwiches are huge. Bert and the boys can eat a whole one, but I usually tap out after half. Plan accordingly – you might not need a full Crispy Chicken Club Sandwich per person. Then again, you might.
Crispy Chicken Club Sandwich
Ingredients
- 12 pieces White bread
- 1/2 recipe Pops Crispy Chicken
- 12 pieces Bacon, cut in half
- 8 slices Deli Ham
- 8 slices Cheese
- 8 pieces Romaine Lettuce
- Honey Mustard Dressing
- Cooking Spray
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
- Prepare Pops Crispy Chicken and place on sprayed sheet pan. Add bacon on opposite side of sheet pan. Bake until bacon is crisp – about 10 minutes. Continue cooking chicken until an instant read meat thermonmeter reads 160 degrees F. The bacon will need to be removed from the oven before the chicken.
- Toast the bread while the chicken and bacon are cooking.
- Assemble: line up three pieces of toast vertically on a flat surface for each sandwich you are preparing. Slather each piece with Honey Mustard.
- Add deli ham to top two pieces of toast.
- Add Cheese on top of ham slices.
- Add chicken and bacon on top of cheese.
- Layer loaded toast piece on top of other loaded toast piece.
- Add lettuce. Top with final toast piece.
- Place skewers and cut sandwich into fourths using a serrated knife.
- Serve immediately with potato chips and pickles.
Pops Crispy Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 small Chicken Breast boneless, skinless
- 2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
- 3/4 cup Panko Breadcrumbs
- 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp Ground Black Pepper
- 1 tsp Poultry Seasoning
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F
- Cut chicken into 1/2 inch strips and place together in medium bowl. Add oil and seasonings and toss to coat.
- Put breadcrumbs into another small bowl, and add chicken strips individually and coat well.
- Place chicken on baking sheet coated with cooking spray, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until chicken is brown and crispy, turning once during cooking. Internal temp on an instant read meat thermometer should be at least 160 degrees.
Honey Mustard Dressing/Sauce/Dip
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Mayonaise
- 1 tbsp Prepared Mustard: yellow, dijon or brown
- 2 tsp Honey
- 1/2 tsp Soy Sauce
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients and mix well. Refrigerate unused portions.
11 thoughts on “Crispy Chicken Club Sandwich”