California Love

Anyone that sees snow outside of their window could probably use a little warm SoCal sunshine right about now, huh? The next best thing is having a taste of California love in a sandwich. I’ve seen dozens of sandwiches called a “Chicken California,” but my favorite version is the one found in a lot of NY pizza parlors; what makes this version unique is the red wine vinegar and olive oil, which adds a bit of Italian-Mediterranean kick to it.

Shout out to daylight for making my photos do the sandwich justice!

Chicken Cali (NY style)

• Crusty bread, like ciabatta or a French baguette
• Breaded chicken tenderloin or chicken breast (Italian-flavored panko breaded is recommended)
• One slice American cheese
• Crisp lettuce (romaine or iceberg)
• Tomato slices
• Red wine vinegar
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Mayo to taste

1. Drizzled red wine vinegar and olive oil on both sides of bread;
2. Spread mayo on one half (or both if you want);
3. Place warm chicken on bottom half, then cheese, lettuce, and tomato
4. Eat and enjoy!

The oil + vinegar really make this sandwich. I guess it would be an ordinary chicken sandwich without it. Most Chicken Cali’s have avocado on them, but this version uses American cheese and makes no apologies for it. I used one breaded chicken tender (cut in half) on mine. I breaded the chicken tenders in egg + panko crumbs, fried them in extra virgin olive oil, and then finished them in the oven. It was a totally amazing sandwich!! YUM!

Do you have a favorite variation of a Chicken Cali?

Tagged as: chicken, Chicken California, lunch, sandwiches