Chicken, Bacon and Cucumber Salad Sandwich Recipe

Mom Central Canada and Black & Decker have selected me, one of 20 Canadian bloggers, to take part in the Ultimate Sandwich contest.  Saying that I’m honored would be an understatement.  I have wracked my brain for a sandwich recipe that could be considered the Ultimate Sandwich recipe; I have so many that I would love to use but only one will win so it must be the best.  

My inspiration for the recipe chosen and reasons for why I think my recipe should win this contest are my children and my focus on feeding them healthy but flavorful foods.  Knowing children, they can be a little picky which makes it a challenge at meal times to cook healthy foods that they will actually eat.  I can honestly say that this sandwich recipe is a huge hit with all the members of my household, even Miss Priss who seems to dislike almost everything.

I was kindly supplied with the Black & Decker Convection Oven and a $50 grocery gift card in order to make my Ultimate Sandwich recipe.  The convection oven, which will be available this month at Walmart in Canada, was a welcome addition to my appliances in the heat wave we have been experiencing lately.  The convection oven gives off much less heat than my oven does and does not heat up my already sweltering house.  Not only does the convection oven make dinners quick and easy, I can bake anything and everything in it.  I even cooked a ham in it recently, to avoid another barbecued meal, and it came out just as well as if I cooked it in my full size oven, minus the increased heat in the house.  I never thought I would get sick of barbecue but I did.

Black & Decker Convection Oven

The sandwich I chose is a family favorite and a very healthy but tasty choice…

Directions

1.  Make up the salad ahead of time: Peel and dice 1/2 of a large cucumber and 1 full tomato and place into a mixing bowl.  Chop the fresh herbs (Oregano, Cilantro, Parsley and Dill) into small slivered pieces and add to the cucumber/tomato mixture.  Add the 1/2 tsp of lemon juice and 1 TBSP of Italian salad dressing (I used Tuscan Italian flavored Italian dressing) to the mixture.  Stir all ingredients until fully mixed and place in the refrigerator until you are ready to make your sandwich.  Of course you can use dried spices but I prefer fresh for the full flavor of the sandwich.

Prepared Cucumber Tomato Salad

2. Slice the chicken breast(precooked) into long pieces and place on the grill tray of the convection oven with the 2 slices of turkey bacon(precooked).  Cook on Broil at 450 degrees F for 15 minutes flipping the meat half way through(or bake at 375 for 20-30 minutes, if you are not using precooked meat. Ensure the meat is fully cooked before making the sandwich).  You can also precook the meat yourself ahead of time and store in the refrigerator until you are ready to make your sandwich.

Broiled Chicken Breast & Turkey Bacon

3.  Preparing your sandwich:  On the grill tray place the bottom half of a sliced ciabatta bun and place a piece of cooked turkey bacon sliced in half side by side.  Place half of the cooked sliced chicken breast on top of the turkey bacon, enough to fill the bun.  Next, scoop 1-2 tablespoons of the cucumber salad mixture and place on top of the chicken.  

Sandwich Toppers

4.  Sprinkle a 1 tbsp of feta cheese on top of the entire sandwich creation, set the top of the ciabatta bun inside facing up on the grill pan beside the sandwich and place the grill pan back in the convection oven for 5-10 minutes on 450 degrees F on broil; just enough to toast the top half of the ciabatta bun and warm the feta cheese.

Toasting the entire sandwich

5. Remove the sandwich from the oven, putting the sandwich onto a plate; spread the top half of the toasted ciabatta bun with mayonnaise (I used calorie-wise Miracle Whip) and place on top of the sandwich.  Garnish the plate with pickles or whichever garnishes you prefer and enjoy!

The remainder of the ingredients will make the second sandwich; you may have a small amount of cucumber salad left over but it is very tasty as a side salad or on appetizer crackers.

Note:  This recipe can be made for a large group or for individual servings; all you need to do is add more ingredients to suit your group size.  Most of the ingredients can be pre-made to make it easier for feeding larger groups.

Disclosure:   I created this post as part of the Black & Decker Ultimate Sandwich contest as part of a Mom Central Canada program.  I received a Convection Countertop Oven Courtesy of Applica Canada Corporation, exclusive licensee of Black & Decker Home.  The opinions on this blog are my own.