Summer is for grilling and we're desperately trying to soak up these last few days of warm weather.
With a few kids splashing in the pool, another kid playing on the swing set, and a husband doing yard work, the last thing I want to be doing is preparing dinner in the kitchen. This dinner had me outside reading a magazine next to the grill while watching my family enjoy the great outdoors.
My husband is a sandwich guy. I can pretty much guarantee that if some form of sandwich is on the menu for the evening, I'll get the wife of the year award...and you definitely won't find me complaining!
Sandwiches are easy, but also easy to tailor to each family member's pallet. The meat and bun are just the base, the sky's the limit when it comes to toppings! Cheeses, dressings, pickles, bacon...my daughter has even put macaroni and cheese on her sandwich!
While deli meats and cheeses can create a great sandwich, a marinated and grilled chicken breast seems to be so much more filling. Marinating the chicken elevates the flavor and helps to keep the chicken moist. When I was newly married my co-worker let me in on a little marinating, time-saving secret: Grab one frozen chicken breast per family member out of the freezer and place it in a seal-able gallon-sized plastic bag. Add a teaspoon of minced garlic, equal parts extra virgin olive oil and teriyaki sauce (about 1/4 cup each), and 2 tablespoons lime juice. Seal the bag and let the meat thaw while it marinates all day in the fridge. (If I have fresh chicken breasts on hand, I'll follow the same steps but only allow it to marinate for about 30 minutes to an hour).
Once thawed, I grill up the chicken and prepare all of the topping. Ciabatta buns are our family's favorite to pair with grilled chicken, and they're even better when we toss them on the grill for the last 5 minutes of cooking so they get nice and toasty.
This is the base. The chicken has so much flavor that you could just stop here (our littlest guy does! He doesn't add anything else). But we usually pull out at least a few extra toppings and then watch as each family member creates his or her own masterpiece.
Sandwiches are easy, but also easy to tailor to each family member's pallet. The meat and bun are just the base, the sky's the limit when it comes to toppings! Cheeses, dressings, pickles, bacon...my daughter has even put macaroni and cheese on her sandwich!
While deli meats and cheeses can create a great sandwich, a marinated and grilled chicken breast seems to be so much more filling. Marinating the chicken elevates the flavor and helps to keep the chicken moist. When I was newly married my co-worker let me in on a little marinating, time-saving secret: Grab one frozen chicken breast per family member out of the freezer and place it in a seal-able gallon-sized plastic bag. Add a teaspoon of minced garlic, equal parts extra virgin olive oil and teriyaki sauce (about 1/4 cup each), and 2 tablespoons lime juice. Seal the bag and let the meat thaw while it marinates all day in the fridge. (If I have fresh chicken breasts on hand, I'll follow the same steps but only allow it to marinate for about 30 minutes to an hour).
Once thawed, I grill up the chicken and prepare all of the topping. Ciabatta buns are our family's favorite to pair with grilled chicken, and they're even better when we toss them on the grill for the last 5 minutes of cooking so they get nice and toasty.
Don't waste time trying to come up with menu ideas,
check out our week's meal plan below:
Monday: BLT Pasta Salad and a side of cherries
Tuesday: Marinated Grilled Chicken Sandwiches, potato chips, strawberry and blackberry salad
Wednesday: Taco salads, Tortilla chips and guacamole dip
Thursday: Pork steaks, Roasted Broccoli, Sliced plums, and Mini potato trio
Friday: Date night! The kids ate fast food take out with Grandpa and Grandma, while we ate out!
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