You love sandwiches but have been diving more into cleaner eating and trying to also eat less high carb foods so you decided sandwiches are off limits. Well let me tell you – you can definitely enjoy a sandwich while following a clean eating diet all the while staying on track of your fitness AND grocery budget goals. These sandwiches are perfect for all of that. This Chicken Ciabatta sandwich is clean ingredient, well balanced and can be prepped ahead so you can make a quick dinner for the fam or make it quickly in the morning and still be out the door on time with a solid meal ready for lunch!
Sandwich Inspo
Sometimes you just need a heartier meal and the low carb lettuce wraps aren’t really hitting the spot – especially in the winter when you’re wearing two sweatshirts while sitting in front of the space heater trying to stay warm. This sandwich is a healthy combo from the comforting bread and gooey cheese to the clean ingredients and high flavor profile from garlic basil sauce. Plus the fresh cucumbers add a crunch and give it that fresh food taste that is so delicious!
I love making quick and easy meals like sandwiches but I very rarely eat lunch meat and honesty have never been a huge fan of it, even when I was little. I know, seems like everyone my age grew up on ham and cheese sandwiches but I could never get on board with it! I was more of a PB&J girl. Speaking of Pb&J if you’re also a peanut butter sandwich lover but want a more nutritious version, try my Pb&J Smoothie. Before you say ” gross” you should know that it doesn’t have actual jelly in it, it’s made with real strawberries and sweetener that act as the jelly. It’s super delish and one of favorite recipes.
Anyway, I wanted to make something healthy with ciabatta bread and since I don’t love lunch meat I went with chicken breast. Then I topped it with lots of greens and veggies to add fiber and nutrients and came up with a basil sauce for a fun flavor combo, added some swiss cheese to pair with the sauce and viola a hearty healthy meal you can make in minutes and also prep ahead!
INGREDIENTS
Ciabatta bread: yum! this is the key ingredient
2 lbs Chicken Breast, boneless skinless – I cooked 2lbs of chicken breast so I can make another lunch the next day and also make these for the family later on. You can cook the amount of chicken you think you will use. One chicken breast will give you about 1-2 sandwiches depending on how big they are and how much you like to eat at once, This sandwich had about 3oz of chicken and it was perfect for me.
Basil Paste, in a tube or make your own
Swiss Cheese or your favorite alternative
Cucumbers, fresh peeled unless you like the skin on or need more fiber in your life
Spinach, fresh, washed, chopped
Salt & Pepper
Garlic, fresh minced
Olive Oil
Parsley Flakes or Fresh if you have some
INSTRUCTIONS
Cook & Serve
Start by cleaning and prepping the chicken breast. Remove any fat and skin that sometimes gets left on. I use kitchen shears as they are so handy and convenient to use. After trimming the chicken, slice in half widthwise so they are not so thick and then into cutlets so that they are smaller in size, cook faster and evenly.
Next, grab your salt – (I like to use a sea salt grinder) and your pepper, the minced garlic and parsley flakes. Sprinkle the seasonings on to the chicken. Using tongs mix well until evenly coated. Let stand at least 10 minutes but if you have more time overnight to enhance flavor.
Next, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken breast and give it a good sear on one side. then flip over and sear the other side. Let cook about 6 minutes flip and cook then other side. Total time totally depends on the size of you chicken, the heat your using, the pan etc. Make sure the chicken is cooked through before removing from heat. I sometimes add a little water to the pan if the chicken isn’t getting up to temp but the oil has been soaked up. Then I’ll reduce the heat, top with a lid and let simmer a few minutes until it is done.
Meanwhile as the chicken cooks, prep your sandwich supplies. Cut the ciabatta bread in half, toast the bread. Mix the basil paste, 1 TBL olive oil and minced garlic together. Stir well. Chop the spinach and cucumbers. Once the bread is toasted, spread the basil mixture on top.
When the chicken is done, add sliced chicken breast to the sandwich. Now if you like a good cheese melt – turn the oven to the broil setting and move the rack to the top slot. Place the sandwich on a oven safe plate, dish or tray and add cheese to the chicken. Place the the sandwich open face up in the oven for about 3 minutes as the cheese will melt and give the bread a good crunch, Keep a close eye on it while under the broiler – it will cook fast and burn!
Once the cheese is melted remove the sandwich and place on a different plate so that it is not too hot or wait until it cools a bit. Top with chopped spinach and cucumber slices.
Serve & Enjoy!
Prep Ahead
Follow the instructions above until the assemble part. – adjusting the amounts for what you need, this recipe will make 4 sandwiches
Slice all the ciabatta bread at once, while the chicken is cooking as listed above. Then place the bread in a ziplock bag or back in the bread bag until you are ready to eat. if you’re eating this later in the week you can freeze the bread so that it stays fresh.
Now wash and chop cucumbers. Pat dry place in a container.
Chop spinach, place in a container. Portion the cheese into a container as well so that you reserve this and have it for when you need it – the more you prep ahead the less you have to think about later.
Make the sauce by adding the olive oil, garlic and basil paste to a mixing bowl or small dish, stir well. Add sea salt and pepper to taste. Cover with saran wrap or top with the lid.
Once chicken is cooked and cooled place in a container with a lid. Put all the containers together either in a bin inside the fridge or at least stacked together so it’s all in one place when you need it.
ASSEMBLE
When you are ready to make the meal remove the bread. Toast it, microwave the chicken breast until cooked throughout.
Using a cookie sheet place the toasted bread in a single row with the crust down. Spread the basil paste mixture on to each bread slice
Top with about 3-4oz of chicken and 2 tbl of swiss cheese. Place in broiler until melted. Add spinach and cucumbers, top with top bun.
Serve and Enjoy!
FREEZE:
This sandwich is an excellent one to prep ahead and freeze for lunch later in the week, a quick grab and go meal or dinner ready ahead. Also makes for great car meal when you’re on the run.
To Freeze. Follow the instructions as listed above SKIP adding the cucumbers – they will not freeze well.
Assemble the sandwiches and melt the cheese as directed. Once the sandwiches are assembled- remember skip the cucumbers, allow them to cool completely. Wrap the cooled sandwiches individually in a tinfoil layer covering the entire sandwich and then in a layer of saran wrap; you don’t want all your hard work to end up freezer burnt!
Place the wrapped sandwiches in a freezer safe storage bag or a container. Be sure to label.
Reheat & Eat
To cook from frozen you can do one of two things; first you can thaw overnight and then warm up when you’re ready to eat or you can reheat while still frozen. i prefer to thaw and then reheat but if you don’t remember to thaw first you can do either method.
Remove the packaging and place the frozen sandwich on a microwave safe plate microwave about 5 minutes until no longer frozen sold. Turn the oven on top 400* and then place the sandwich h in the oven either on a oven safe dish or directly on the rack. Warm up until cooked through.
To quickly warm simply pop in microwave and serv when cooked throughout This may result in a soggier sandwich. you can then Broil the sandwich as state din the instructions above to get the crunch back.
Enjoy!
Shopping Suggestions
For a healthier bread make sure to read the label and choose one with a short ingredients list. I buy my ciabatta bread in the bakery section – it does not contain preservatives or additives.
Basil Paste is usually found in the produce section
Buy pre-washed spinach as it will save you a step and result in a less soggy sandwich
I buy the garlic pre-minced in water in a jar -to save a step but you can use fresh garlic for more flavor fresh version
Ingredients
See amount notes above
Ciabatta bread, this recipe makes 4 so 1 package
2 lbs Chicken Breast, boneless skinless
1/4C Swiss Cheese
1 English Cucumbers, peeled and sliced
Spinach, fresh, washed, chopped
Salt & Pepper to taste
1TBl Olive Oil
Basil Sauce
3 tsp basil paste
1 tsp minced garlic
3 Tbl Olive Oil
Chicken Prep:
1-2 tsp Garlic, fresh minced
1 Tbl Parsley Flakes
Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
See full recipe tutorial above for chicken prep and meal prep instructions!
- Heat 1 Tbl olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat, add chicken breast and sear about 20 seconds then flip and sear the other side. Continue cooking chicken about 4 minutes then flip and cook the other side until cooked through.
- Meanwhile, slice your buns in half and toast them
- Chop spinach and slice cucumbers.
- Preheat oven by turning the Broil setting on.
- Make the sauce by placing the basil paste, garlic and olive oil in a dish and mix well.
- Once buns are toasted place them on a plate if making one sandwich or a cookie sheet if making multiple. Spread the basil mixture on top of the buns at once.
- Then, when chicken is cooked through place about 3-4oz of chicken on each bun. Top with about 2tbl of swiss cheese and chopped spinach. Place the sandwiches open face up under the broiler. Make sure to watch carefully as it will cook quickly and burn.
- When the cheese is melted remove from oven, transfer to a cooler dish or wait for the pan to cool.Assemble the rest of the sandwich by adding the cucumbers any additional seasonings and the top bun.
- Serve and Enjoy!