I love the fact that the sun is still shining when we get home now in the afternoons. It makes grilling an easier option during the workweek for meals like these Grilled Chicken Caesar Sandwiches.
I jumped the gun a little bit by wishing for more daylight the night I asked David to fire up the grill for these Grilled Chicken Caesar Sandwiches a couple of months ago. It started getting dark before David could get the chicken done. It is so much easier to grill in the daylight hours, but grilling in the dark is no biggie for David. Anyone that knows him, knows he always has a flashlight handy for such occasion.
He even has a special grilling headlamp I gave him several years ago for Christmas as a gag gift. It came complete with a picture of a grill on the light switch. Little did I know that a cheap little $5 gag gift would be so very useful! He uses it often.
I haven’t seen another grilling headlamp like this one, but you can find similar ones on Amazon like this one.
Similar to the Chicken Caesar Wraps I shared with you last spring these grilled chicken Caesar sandwiches are made with tender and juicy grilled chicken, on crusty ciabatta bread, with Caesar dressing, feta, and parmesan cheese, pepperoni slices, crisp lettuce and fresh slices of vine-ripened tomatoes. This is not your ordinary chicken sandwich!
How To Make Grilled Chicken Caesar Sandwiches
Prepare the grill for indirect heat.
Rinse the chicken with cold water, then pat dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Place the chicken directly over the hot coals. Move the chicken to the cooler zone after the flesh of the chicken has browned and grill marks form, on both sides, about 10 minutes (5 minutes on each side).
Continue to grill the chicken over indirect heat with the lid closed. This will help maintain a constant temperature, about 300 degrees for about 35 to 40 minutes until done (165 degrees F).
Meanwhile, place the pepperonis into a medium-sized non-stick pan over low heat, making sure to separate them into a single layer in the bottom of the pan. The trick is to crisp the pepperonis without burning the oils that come out while cooking. This slow cooking process sometimes can take up to 30 to 45 minutes, but it is worth it for crispy pepperonis. Drain on paper towels, until cool.
Remove the chicken breast from the grill and allow it to rest, on a cutting board, about 5 to 10 minutes before cutting into it.
Slice the ciabatta buns and place cut-side down onto the hot grill for a few minutes, to toast. Remove when the bread has become golden or as toasted as desired.
Using a fillet knife, cut the breast in half. Then hold the chicken flat with the palm and carefully slice through the middles of each breast lengthwise.
(You will have 4 fillets, 1 for each of the 4 sandwiches.)
Spread the buns with Caesar dressing and top with feta cheese. Top with lettuce, chicken, tomato and pepperoni slices.
Extra cheese is optional but encouraged.
Alternatively, the chicken for these sandwiches could be roasted in the oven and topped with cheese to melt on them.
Serve these grilled chicken Caesar sandwiches with plain potato chips, something that let these bold sandwiches speak for themselves. They are so unbelievably flavorful and delicious!
Have you ever grilled in the dark? Share your stories by commenting below!
Homemade is always best. Want to make your own Creamy Caesar Dressing? TRY THIS RECIPE!
Grilled Chicken Caesar Sandwiches
Ingredients
- 1 whole boneless skinless chicken breasts
- salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste
- 16 pepperoni slices
- 4 Ciabatta buns
- 4 ounces feta cheese
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese
- Caesar dressing to taste
- lettuce
- tomato slices
Instructions
- Prepare the grill for indirect heat.
- Rinse the chicken with cold water, then pat dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Place the chicken directly over the hot coals. Move the chicken to the cooler zone after the flesh of the chicken has browned and grill marks form, on both sides, about 10 minutes (5 minutes on each side).
- Continue to grill the chicken over indirect heat with the lid closed. This will help maintain a constant temperature, about 300 degrees for about 35 to 40 minutes, until done (165 degrees F).
- Meanwhile, place the pepperonis into a medium-sized non-stick pan over low heat, making sure to separate them into a single layer in the bottom of the pan. The trick is to crisp the pepperonis without burning the oils that come out while cooking. This slow cooking process sometimes can take up to 30 to 45 minutes, but it is worth it for crispy pepperonis. Drain on paper towels, until cool.
- Remove the chicken breast from the grill and allow it to rest, on a cutting board, about 5 to 10 minutes before cutting into it.
- Slice the ciabatta buns and place cut-side down onto the hot grill for a few minutes, to toast. Remove when the bread has become golden or as toasted as desired.
- Using a fillet knife, cut the breast in half. Then hold the chicken flat with the palm and carefully slice through the middles of each breast lengthwise.(You will have 4 fillets, 1 for each of the 4 sandwiches.)
- Spread the buns with Caesar dressing and top with feta cheese. Top with lettuce, chicken, tomato and pepperoni slices.
Debbie - Mountain Mama says
Ok you’re killing me here, Mountain Sister!! I’m now officially drooling on my keyboard! You are so creative with your sandwiches, what a tasty treat this must have been! We’re heading into grilling season and I’m more than ready, I’ve missed it! I have a Weber grill that my sweetie bought me as a housewarming gift a while back and I got a light for it last year – it fits right on the handle, and turns on automatically when you lift the handle, if it’s dark – it’s the coolest thing!
Rain, rain, rain today…..hoping it will wash away the rest of the snow and I’ll see some green soon!
The Mountain Kitchen says
Hey Mountain Sister! Thanks. We grill all year round, but it definitely a lot easier when the weather is nice. Your Sweetie spoils you rotten. Glad he got you a Weber. They are truly the best grills money can buy. The light sound really cool!
Unfortunately, we are under freeze warnings after things are greening and blooming. Poor surrounding orchards are going to suffer losses again I’m afraid. The peach trees are in full bloom! Hope you see some green, but not before it is time.
Have a good weekend!
Dana says
Oh my God yes I LOVE that the sun is still shining when I get home at 7, I LOVE it!!
And let me tell you, this chicken is JUICY!! It’s so juicy I almost thought it was salmon when you posted it on Instagram ??
The Mountain Kitchen says
Thanks Dana! Ummmm….. salmon!
frugal hausfrau says
What!! Pepperoni??!! I love anything when there’s pepperoni involved. Or bacon. Or food. LOL! And yes, I’ve been caught in the dark with the grill many times and love that little headlamp. I have one I use for camping but since I’ve gotten older, I sometimes use it for other things…like reading model and serial numbers on modems…
Great recipe, Debbie!
The Mountain Kitchen says
Thanks Mollie!! 🙂