BBQ Chicken Grilled Cheese Sandwich

June 28, 2016


There is an art to making grilled cheese and I believe I've mastered the steps. I am super excited to share this recipe for the perfect bbq chicken grilled cheese sandwich.  This sandwich is so easy to make and is the best idea for an easy summertime lunch.  You could use any leftover grilled meat that you have on hand to make this your own.  Cory grilled up a bunch of boneless chicken thighs on Sunday and we had a ton leftover so I decided to use them.  The flavors were insanely delicious; here's what I did.

Ingredients {Makes 4 Sandwiches}

8 Slices Fresh Bread of Your Choice {I used an Italian loaf}
1 6-8 Ounce Block of Good Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1 Cup Leftover Grilled Chicken, Chopped {or any meat of your choice!}
2 Green Onions, Chopped
4 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter



{Start by chopping your grilled meat.  I used leftover chicken thighs that I quickly marinated in a generous amount lemon pepper seasoning, sea salt and garlic powder.  Cory then grilled them until charred and cooked through and right at the very end, basted them with a GOOD BBQ sauce.}

{The bread used was a fresh Italian loaf that I bought from the bakery. Be sure take your loaf to the bakery counter and have them slice it on the machine for you.  They will put it right back in the bag that it came in, all sliced and ready to go.  This goes for any large loaves of bread that you buy at the super market.  This has saved me so much time and effort - I never seem to have a knife sharp enough to cut through fresh bread without smashing and ruining it.}

{Another key to good and flavorful grilled cheese sandwiches is GOOD cheese.  None of that pre-sliced American stuff from the deli counter.  You want to use a good sharp cheddar.  Gruyere also works really well and melts beautifully. And please, if you can help it, do not buy the pre-shredded cheese in  the bags in the dairy section.  Cheese is freshest and tastes the best when you shred it yourself. :)}

{To achieve the ooey, gooey, cheesy grilled cheese sandwich that we all know and love, you have start by piling the cheese on the bottom piece of bread.  Be sure to cover the entire surface so that the cheese melts from end to end.}
{Next, pile on your other ingredients.  I started with cheese, then added the BBQ chicken, green onions and topped it off with more cheese.  You always want to begin and end with cheese so that the sandwich sticks together and the cheese melts down into the other ingredients, holding them together like glue.}

{Top it off with the other slice of bread and lightly press it so that it stays together.}

{In a cast iron or heavy bottomed non-stick pan, melt the butter over low heat.  It is very important to cook your grilled cheese sandwiches over low heat so they don't burn.  All it takes is a few seconds for the pan to overheat and your sandwich will be too dark.  That's the last thing you want.  It is also important that the butter doesn't burn and start to smoke. To avoid any of that, make sure the flame is verrrrrry low.}

{After you have your sandwiches in the pan, find another heavy-bottomed pot or pan, to use as a weight to smash the sandwiches.  This will ensure that the heat is being evenly distributed and the cheese is melting throughout.  You are gonna let these cook for about 2 minutes on each side, or until golden brown.  Remember the heat is on very low so this may take a little longer - keep an eye on them, making sure they are not browning too quickly.}

{When the sandwiches are golden brown on the first side, turn them over and brown the other side,  Add in the remaining butter, rotating the pan to evenly distribute.  Return the weighted pot/pan so that the other side gets melty too. }

{Your sandwich will be so perfectly golden brown, crispy, buttery and FLAVORFUL. Slice and enjoy immediately!}

{I served ours with a big green salad for dinner tonight and it was delightful.  This is the perfect summer lunch OR dinner.  It was amazing with a salad but imagine this with soup! :) 

Let me know if you plan on making this recipe - you will love it!

xoxo, thanks for reading. 



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