Burgundy Chicken French Dip
Make TAK's Chicken and Mushrooms Burgundy one night and this sandwich the next. A delicious and creative way to utilize tasty leftovers.
Earlier this week I made a dish I ever so eloquently coined “Chicken & Mushrooms Burgundy.” Pretty fancy name for smothered chicken breasts in a wine sauce, eh? I don’t mean to toot my own horn, buuuut "Dina won't ya blow?" Cause it was pretty stink’n good. However, the dish made way more than my little family could eat, and we were left with an entire chicken breast on our hands. Now, a chicken breast on its own wouldn’t typically be enough to feed a family of four, but surely I wasn’t going to let this masterpiece go to waste. There it was: still beautifully smothered and soaking in that luxuriously thickened red wine sauce. Nope, not wasting that. No way. No how.
I love creating new things with leftovers. I also love stretching a dollar. So here is how you stretch one chicken breast to feed a family of four: sandwiches. Add a little bread, some more veggies and we have created a new, exciting and filling meal for our families to enjoy. The leftover wine sauce played a serious role in the direction I ultimately took for this sandwich. It was just so full-bodied and flavorful. I couldn’t stand the thought of it going to waste. It reminded me of a jus. Ya know, that yummy stuff served alongside a French Dip? And, then it hit me...like a French loaf directly to the face. These leftovers have French Dip written all over them.
Ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you, my Burgundy Chicken French Dip:
1 tbsp Olive Oil
Yellow Onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 Leftover Chicken Breast, thinly sliced (from "Chicken and Mushrooms Burgundy")
Leftover Wine Sauce ( also from "Chicken and Mushrooms Burgundy")
4 Submarine Rolls, preferably from the bakery
1/4 c Mayonnaise
2 tsp Dijon Mustard
2 tbsp Flat Leafed Parsley, minced
½ tsp Kosher Salt
¼ tsp Black Pepper
¾ c Fontina, freshly shredded
2 tbsp Unsalted Butter, room temperature
Heat olive oil in sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add yellow onion sliced and sauté 5-8 minutes until cooked through. Add leftover chicken breast, thinly sliced, along with any remaining cheese and mushroom topping to the pan. Sauté with onions until warmed through. Remove from heat and set aside.
Strain wine sauce, using a fine mesh sieve, into a small saucepan. Place over medium-low heat, just until warmed. Remove from the heat. Alternatively, strain into a microwave safe bowl and heat at thirty second intervals until warmed through.
Using a serrated knife, slice the submarine rolls long-ways through the middle, stopping about a ¼” from the opposite end to ensure the roll stays intact. In a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise, Dijon, parsley, salt and pepper. Gently fold in Fontina cheese. Spread dressing evenly along both sides of the rolls and spoon in chicken and onion mixture.
Heat a heavy-bottomed sauté pan, preferably cast-iron, over medium-low heat. Spread a thin layer of butter on outer sides of the roll, and tuck any excess filling back into the roll. Working with two sandwiches at a time, place them on the skillet, and using a strong spatula, press down on the sandwich as firmly as you cannot without loosing any of the filling. Allow to cook for about 5-7 minutes, turn sandwich over and repeat, pressing down once again with the spatula and allowing it to cook for an additional five minutes. Alternatively, use a panini press. Repeat with remaining two sandwiches. Serve immediately with wine sauce on the side. Enjoy.
Would pair well with:
