I am a huge sandwich fan – a HUGE sandwich fan.  So much so that I could totally relate to Joey and his sandwich obsession on “Friends.”  Speaking of Friends, do you remember the episode where Ross freaked out because someone ate his sandwich?  The Moistmaker??  I do.  And come Thanksgiving, there will totally be a Moistmaker recipe on this blog.  You think I’m joking…I’m not.

So yes, I love sandwiches.  I think it’s probably just that I love bread, and you can’t really have a successful sandwich without bread, so perhaps that’s where my true obsession lies – it’s the carbs!  I discovered this particular recipe a couple of days ago while browsing through my new Food Network Magazine.  I did have to modify the recipe slightly because it calls for Tequila and this was a family dinner, so the alcohol got left out.  We all really liked this quick and easy dinner – it was full of flavor and actually pretty healthy, too. 

The great thing about this recipe is that you can add or omit ingredients to match your tastes.  For instance, my girls won’t eat jalapenos or red onion, so I just left those off of their side of the pouch.  The Hubs and I decided that next time we’ll add some avocado to this, but really, the sky is the limit. 

Next time you need a quick lunch or dinner, give this a try! Enjoy!

Spicy Chicken Hoagies

Yield:  4 sandwiches

Ingredients:

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 cup julienned red onion

1 minced jalapeno pepper

1/2 cup julienned roasted red bell pepper

1 rotisserie chicken, skin removed and meat shredded

1 clove finely chopped fresh garlic

2 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

4 oz cream cheese

1 and 1/4 cups grated mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1/4 cup diced Roma tomatoes, for topping

Salt and Pepper, to taste

4 sourdough rolls, warmed

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.   Prepare a large foil pocket on a sheet pan.  The pocket should be approximately 8×10 inches.  Double up the foil and fold up the sides to create a tray, then create an identical tray to act as the “lid” of the pouch.  The tray/pouch needs to prevent the liquid from running out.

Prepare all of your ingredients – shred the chicken, grate the cheese, slice the onions, peppers, garlic and cilantro.  Place the tray on the baking dish, and drizzle with olive oil.  In order, layer the following ingredients on the bottom of the pouch: red onion, jalapeno, roasted red peppers, chicken, salt and pepper, garlic, cilantro, cheeses and lime juice. 

Place the “lid” on top of the pouch and fold together the sides to create a sealed pouch.  Bake (or grill) for 20 minutes.  Slice open the pouch and fill bread with a generous helping of the chicken mixture.   Top with additional cilantro, chopped roma tomatoes and additional mozzarella.

Serve warm, and enjoy!

Source:  Adapted from The Food Network Magazine, October 2011