Les Photos de l'Imagination

As some of you know, I was challenged after I made my greek salad. My husband and I like love the frontega chicken from Panera bread. So if I was successful in making frontega chicken, we wouldn’t have to go there! I immediately stepped up to the challenge. Tonight’s menu was frontega chicken with greek salad on the side.

Preparation:
If you have ever had the sandwich, its ingredients are:

* Pulled smoked chicken
* Mozzarella cheese
* Chipotle sauce
* Onions
* Tomatoes
* Foccocia bread.

I needed the smoked chicken, foccocia bread, and chipotle sauce. I knew I was going to make the chipotle sauce by getting some mayonnaise and chipotle chili powder. My worries were the bread and chicken.

When I got to the store, I went to the meat section and looked and looked with no luck. Proceeding to the meat counter guy (butcher), I asked if they had any smoked chicken. The reply, a laugh as if I was crazy, followed by a “Nope, but is real good.” Trying not to let that get me, I asked if he knew where I could find some, only to be suggested to go to the farmers market. It was 8 PM, there is no farmers market open!

A bit down with disappointment, I continued on my search for foccocia bread. Here again, I had no luck. I went home with deli sliced chicken and chipotle pepper powder and some tiramisu for dessert to brighten me up again.

Cooking:
The first thing I did when I started in the kitchen was to cut my salad veggies and place them in a bowl. This would take the longest part, and I didn’t want to have my sandwich getting cold waiting for me to cut veggies.

Next was the chipotle sauce. I took about 4 tablespoons of mayonnaise and mixed 1 teaspoon of chipotle powder in to it. It should looked something like this.

Chipotle sauce

The sandwich was ready to be constructed. My white baguette was cut to sandwich size. The chipotle sauce spread on to both sides. On the bottom slice, I added my tomatoes and onions. I pulled the chicken slices to look like it was “pulled”, then added it, topped with mozzarella cheese.

Next step, grilling to make panini… I don’t own a panini press. What do I do? I make one out of the items I do have! As a wedding gift I received a stove top grill/griddle. The sandwiches went on that and were pressed down by a large lid. You have to make sure it is large for two reasons. One to keep it from burning your hands while you hold it down, and two to keep as much of the heat in as possible. I pressed each side on medium to low heat for about 6 minutes.

Homemade Panini Press

Served with a side of Greek salad it was an awesome dish! My husband said he liked it BETTER than the Panera ones!!! I was so excited. I told him that I think I preform better with challenges. My next challenge.. tofu, general tso style! The story on that will wait for another post. In the meantime you can see the pictures of how our dinner came out.

Frontega Chicken with Greek Salad

Frontega Chicken