A Chicagoan’s new favorite sandwich!
I was inspired to create this recipe because when I order a chicken salad sandwich at a sandwich shop, I almost always add hot peppers. I also love giardiniera. So I thought – why not just combine the two, rather than it just being a topping?
There are a few shortcuts for this recipe that will make it come together even faster than I’ve outlined below – all depends on your preference! This works great for lunches, and will keep in the fridge for about a week for your next meal prep too!
I’ve created this as a sandwich, but you can definitely put this chicken salad over some mixed greens (adding some celery leaves to your greens would be delicious for this, too!)
Enjoy!
Giardiniera Chicken Salad Sandwiches
A Chicagoan's new favorite sandwich!
Ingredients
Garlic Mayo (you will likely have some leftover!)
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 1.5 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice about 1 lemon
- 1 cup light tasting olive oil
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp cracked black pepper
Chicken Salad
- 2 tbsp oil from giardiniera
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breast
- 1 cup giardiniera of choice I made a mild version of Jeff Mauro's Homemade Giardiniera recipe
- 1/2 cup garlic mayo
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/4 tsp celery seed
- salt and pepper, to taste
To Assemble Sandwiches
- 4-6 sandwich rolls I used Publix Bakery Chicago Hard Rolls
- 8-12 thin slices provolone cheese
- 3-4 tbsp oil from giardiniera for brushing on the rolls
Instructions
Cook the Chicken
- Pat chicken dry, and season on both sides with salt and pepper.
- Add 2 tbsp of oil from giardinera to a medium skillet over medium heat, then add chicken and cook for 10-12 minutes per side, or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
- Let chicken cool, then give it a small dice (or whatever your preference is for chicken salad - you can also shred it).
Make the Garlic Mayo
- While chicken is cooking, prepare the garlic mayo (you can shortcut these steps by using store-bought mayo, and adding minced garlic to it).
- Smash and peel the garlic cloves, and give them a rough chop. Add to a food processor.
- Half the lemon, and squeeze the juice into a food processor.
- Add the room temperature egg to the food processor, and mix until smooth. (if your egg isn't room temp, put it in a glass with warm water and let it sit for 5-10 minutes).
- With the food processor on, very slowly pour in the olive oil until combined.
- Add salt, pepper and extra lemon juice to taste, and mix to combine. Set aside 1/2 cup for the chicken salad, and store any extra in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Prepare the Chicken Salad
- To a large mixing bowl, add the diced chicken, 1/2 cup of garlic mayo, drained giardiniera, oregano, celery seed, and salt and pepper to taste (remember that giardiniera can be pretty salty itself!). Mix to combine, and refrigerate while preparing the sandwich rolls.
Prepare the Sandwich Rolls
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cut the sandwich rolls in half, and brush the cut sides with oil from the giardinera.
- Place cut side down on the baking sheet, and bake for 5 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, flip the sandwich rolls, and place a thin slice of provolone cheese on each half.
- Return to the oven, and bake for an additional 5 minutes, or until cheese has started to melt.
Assemble the Sandwiches
- Spoon about 3/4 cup of chicken salad on the bottom half of sandwich roll (more or less depending on size of your rolls), and press top half over it. Cut in half if desired.
Notes
Make sure you drain the giardinera well, otherwise your chicken salad mixture may start to become too oily/heavy.
Use any giardiniera you prefer - the one I used in this recipe was pretty mild, but if you like it spicier, feel free!
You can shortcut this recipe by using a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken, and store-bought mayo and giardiniera!