Entree/ Sandwiches

Southwest Open Faced Sandwich

A delicious grilled sandwich for a summer cookout.

I love anything that can be grilled outside in the summer so our kitchen does not get as hot as blazes.  We grill out 12 months a year here in Texas. In fact, when we lived in Iowa, Illinois, Kansas and Kentucky, if we wanted BBQ we didn’t care if there was 1″ or 6″ of snow on the ground, my husband would crank up his grill and get a fire going.

This sandwich is great because there is only one slice of bread which kind of fools you into thinking it is good for your waistline.  The chicken is grilled and it has all the flavors of the Southwest. Of course all the veggies toppings are good and healthy and full of color.

We have been trying to decide what kind of outdoor kitchen we want since putting our pool in five years ago. My husband has our original cast iron grill that we bought back in 1970 and it is still one of his favorites. He has a barrel smoker where he BBQs all his delicious pork butts and ribs and just recently he bought what he calls a “throw away” gas grill until he decides what equipment he really wants for doing some the best BBQ you have ever put in your mouth.

For this sandwich, he did not have the new gas grill yet and he used his turkey burner with a cast iron griddle on top.  It was really kind of funny to look at considering his bbq skills and here he was with this “thing” rigged up to do the chicken breast.

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This is a delicious topping for the chicken sandwich. The Orange and Black Bean Salsa has a nice bite to it and really enhances all the flavors of the sandwich.

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I used the whole chicken breast but next time, I think we will pound out the chicken breast. The recipe called to do that but instead I butterflied them. I think they need to be very thin because it is a fairly large sandwich.

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The bread gets a mixture of mayonnaise and Mexican cheese and goes under the broiler for a minute or two. I used the the little lime butterfly as a garnish for the plate.

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Top the toasted bread slice with the grilled chicken breast and pile on the salsa. A squeeze of lime is a nice addition. You will need a knife and fork to dig in for your first bite.

Southwest Open Faced Sandwich

Ingredients

Orange and Black Bean Salsa Ingredients:

  • 1 navel orange
  • 1 plum tomato
  • 1/2 medium cucumber
  • 1 avocado
  • 1/3 c. red onion chopped
  • 1/2 can black beans rinsed and drained
  • 2 Tbsp. or more fresh cilantro
  • 1 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp. lime juice
  • 2 tsp. red wine vinegar
  • 1 jalapeno pepper chopped
  • 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
  • 1/4 tsp. each salt and pepper

Other ingredients:

  • 4 chicken breast boned and pounded thin
  • 4 Tbsp. fresh cilantro
  • 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
  • 1-2 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 tsp. chili powder
  • 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 c. Mexican cheese blend
  • 1/2 c. mayonnaise
  • 4-1 ″ thick sourdough bred slices lightly toasted

Instructions

  1. Peel and section orange. Dice tomato. Peel, seed and dice the cucumber and avocado. Combine the orange, diced vegetables, onion, jalapeno pepper, beans and cilantro in a bowl. Whisk together oil and remaining ingredients. Toss with orange mixture. Cover and chill. Makes about 2 cups salsa.
  2. Stir together the cilantro and next four ingredients. Spread on chicken and let marinade for about 30 minutes.
  3. Grill chicken breast about 8-10 minutes per side until done.
  4. Stir together the cheese and mayonnaise. Spread on toasted bread slices. Place the bread, cheese side up on baking sheet. Broil 1-2 minutes until cheese melts. Place chicken on bread and top with the Orange Black Bean Salsa.  Enjoy.

5 Comments

  • Reply
    Sally Ebeling
    May 29, 2010 at 2:07 pm

    I just found your site and I LOVE it…well done and great recipes…Hurrah!

    • Reply
      Sherry
      June 10, 2010 at 7:57 pm

      i loved this sandwich the first time I made it. I decided when I try it again I will butterfly the breast to make it a little thinner.

  • Reply
    Danish Lunch
    December 1, 2010 at 10:40 am

    This looks so delicious, Grilled Chicken breast with the salsa and the cheese, thats a good rich sandwich i hope i will be able to make soon.

    Best refards
    Soren

  • Reply
    Bruce Morris
    May 1, 2016 at 5:28 am

    just come across your site very much impressed!

  • Reply
    Sugar Cane Skewered Shrimp with Bacon and Pineapple – Rosemary and the Goat
    October 18, 2019 at 8:05 am

    […] FROM THE PAST: It has been 7 years since I posted this recipe (one of my first post) for Southwest Open Faced Chicken Sandwich and it has had almost 9,000 views. I really need to make it again and take a better picture because […]

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