Apricot-and-Cheddar Chicken Melts
maxine August 21st, 2008
These sandwiches are REALLY good! Nice combination of sweet, salty, and zippy. Pretty simple to put together, too. I didn’t really stick to the recipe guidelines for assembling - I just slathered on that apricot jam, used regular French bread, and put enough ham to cover the chicken. Splitting the chicken isn’t too hard - just hold it in place with the palm of your hand while you slice through with the knife.
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup white-wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- Coarse salt and ground pepper
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, split horizontally
- 1 baguette (about 20 inches), split horizontally, then cut in half
- 1/4 cup apricot preserves
- 4 ounces thinly sliced deli ham
- 4 ounces white cheddar cheese, grated (1 cup)
Preparation
- Heat broiler, with rack set 4 inches from heat. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. In a shallow dish or resealable plastic bag, combine vinegar, mustard, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; add chicken, and turn to coat. Marinate at room temperature for 10 minutes (or cover and refrigerate in marinade up to 24 hours).
- Lift chicken from marinade, and place on prepared baking sheet; broil (without turning) until opaque throughout. Transfer chicken to a work surface; discard pan juices from baking sheet.
- Place baguette pieces on baking sheet, cut side up; dividing evenly, spread with apricot preserves, and layer with chicken, ham, and then cheese. Broil until cheese is melted, 4 to 6 minutes.
Recipe from Everyday Food magazine.