Chicken Fiasco!

One thing that I think is important for all men to know is that women (at least, I think all the women I know) LOVE a man who can cook. While I myself enjoy cooking, a man who can put a delicious meal in front of me and introduce me to new food and recipes is REALLY appealing!

Once upon a time, many years ago, I had a boyfriend who could cook. He seemed to know about ingredients and flavours I had never heard of, having grown up in a family where the most exotic thing we ate was tacos and the same dishes were recycled every week or two (Sorry, Mom, your food's great, but I've since learned about SO many other kinds of food!) Looking back, I'm not sure that boyfriend really knew all that much, but it impressed me at the time!

On our first date, he made me Chicken Fiasco. This is not a dish that anyone else would recognize by name, because he copied it from something he'd eaten in a restaurant and gave it his own inventive name! It is, however, a pretty common combination of flavours.

Although the boyfriend didn't have any staying power in my life, the dish did. Chicken Fiasco is still something I make regularly, all these years later, and yes, I do still call it that!  

I hope I haven't made this sound too fancy. It's not. It's a simple sandwich, but the combination of crunchy fresh toasted bread, tender garlicky herbed chicken, tangy tomato, creamy, gooey melted cheese, and delicious pesto sauce makes my mouth water just thinking about it! Are you hungry yet?

Start with a chicken breast, and cut it into flat medallion-type pieces as much as such a thing is possible. Fry it up in a pan with some olive oil, garlic powder, italian seasoning, salt and pepper until it's just cooked. (Don't overcook, as it still has to go in the oven and you don't want it dry!)

While that's cooking, cut a thick slice of fresh bread, and spread it with pesto sauce. I like to use plenty!

Top it with a layer of the cooked chicken. I like how it seems to fit together like a puzzle!

Top that with a bit more pesto sauce, then a layer of sliced tomato.

I grate some cheddar cheese onto this for an extra flavour.

Then add some thinly sliced mozzarella cheese on top of that, for gooeyness.

Here's what it looks like from the side:

Put this in the oven to bake until the cheese melts. You may have to turn on the grill at the end so the cheese crisps up a bit on the top!

Just like that boyfriend did the very first time I had it, I usually serve this with a salad. This time it was a simple one of spinach, red pepper, button mushrooms, bean sprouts, and ranch dressing.

I eat this sandwich with a knife and fork. Try it! It's easy and sooooo good!