Open-Faced Chicken and Muenster Sandwiches with Apricot-Dijon Spread
Inspired by French bistro fare, this sandwich is good with simple baked chips or a fruit salad. I served with Waldorf salad and baked Layes.
Inspired by French bistro fare, this sandwich is good with simple baked chips or a fruit salad. I served with Waldorf salad and baked Layes.
- Carbohydrate 20.9388244906249 g
- Cholesterol 58.8 mg
- Fat 6.8744244611632 g
- Fiber 1.87772538822838 g
- Protein 23.9158597530505 g
- Saturated Fat 1.79433047217368 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (169g)
- Sodium 311.655523007486 mg
- Sugar 19.0610991023965 g
- Trans Fat 0.850260879663459 g
- Calories 244 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat broiler.
- Combine preserves and mustard in a small bowl; stir with a whisk. Spread 1 side of each bread slice with 2 teaspoons mustard mixture. Place bread slices, mustard mixture side up, on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add apple and onion to pan; cook 3 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add spinach; cook 1 minute or until spinach begins to wilt. Layer each of 4 bread slices with 1/4 cup spinach mixture, 1/2 cup chicken, and 1 cheese slice. Place sandwiches on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray; broil 1 1/2 minutes or until cheese is bubbly. Remove from heat, and serve immediately.
Operating within a strict twenty-minute total window requires precise execution when assembling these open-faced sandwiches. Many cooks attempt to alter the core components, yielding soggy bread or scorched cheese. Understanding how substitutions affect moisture levels determines whether the dish holds its shape under the broiler.
Managing Moisture and Substitutions
Replacing the apricot preserves with a runnier jam introduces excess water that will soak through the bread before the cheese even melts. Stick to preserves with a thick pectin set, and maintain the equal one-to-one ratio with the Dijon mustard to balance the sweetness. Swapping the Muenster for a high-moisture fresh mozzarella will puddle on top of the shredded chicken instead of bubbling into a cohesive layer. Muenster melts smoothly because of its high fat-to-protein ratio and moderate moisture content. When cooking the apple and onion mixture in the skillet over medium-high heat, do not rush the three-minute timing. Raw onions release water while baking under the broiler, which ruins the texture of the toasted bread base. Spinach must wilt completely for one minute to drive off excess surface liquid before layering.
- Watch the broiler closely at the ninety-second mark; heating elements vary widely and can burn cheese rapidly.
- Use sturdy bread sliced to two ounces per piece, as thin sandwich loaves will collapse under the weight of the warm toppings.
- Shred rotisserie chicken into uniform pieces so the heat penetrates evenly during the brief broil.
