For the best results, use homemade toasted bread or a freshly baked artisan bread from a local bakery. Chicken and smoked bacon are a great combination and with slow-roasted tomatoes and the avocado salsa, it works just perfectly.
Ingredients
- 8 strips smoked Canadian bacon
- 4 skinless chicken breasts, or use leftover cooked chicken
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 12 slices of homemade or artisan bread
- 3½ tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature
- ¼ cup Mayonnaise
- 9 ounces Slow-Roasted Tomatoes
- 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
- 2 cups arugula leaves
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 recipe quantity Sweet Potato Crisps, to serve (optional)
For the Avocado Salsa
- 1 ripe avocado
- ½ lime
- 1 teaspoon chopped cilantro leaves
How to Make It
- Heat the oven to 425°F. Put the bacon on a baking sheet and bake 15 to 20 minutes until just crisp. Set aside until needed. Turn the oven to 400°F.
- Season the chicken with a little salt. Heat the oil in a large, stovetop and ovenproof dish over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook 2 to 3 minutes on each side until just browned. Transfer the dish to the oven and cook 15 to 20 minutes until the juices run clear when the thickest part of the chicken is pierced with the tip of a sharp knife. (Omit this step if you are using cooked chicken.)
- To make the avocado salsa, cut the avocado in half, discard the pit and scoop out all the flesh into a bowl. Squeeze in the lime juice, then crush the avocado with the back of a fork to make a paste. Stir in the cilantro and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Toast the bread on both sides, then butter the slices on one side. Spread a layer of mayonnaise on the buttered side of 4 slices of bread, then put 2 bacon strips on top, then the red onion and finally the slow-roasted tomatoes on top. Put another slice of buttered bread on top of each pile, then spread the tops with half the avocado mixture. Slice the chicken and put on the top, then add the arugula, season with a little salt and pepper, then top with the remaining slices of bread, buttered-side down.
- Gently press the sandwiches to pack them down, then cut them in half and pierce each half with a skewer to hold them together. Serve with the remaining avocado salsa and with homemade sweet potato crisps, if you like.
