A Twist on Tradition: Try This Better Chicken Salad Sandwich

So then, if the classic is so good, why am I making this even better recipe? Why do I think that this sandwich recipe better than the classic you probably grew up with? Am I biased? Yeah, probably! But if you keep reading, perhaps you’ll give this recipe a try!

Better Than the Classic Sandwich?

Calling this a better sandwich be a bold statement on my part, but there’s a reason behind this name! I’ve made some classic sandwiches with chicken salad for lunches and to be quite honest haven’t enjoyed them very much! Why sandwich is this better than the traditional? Well, in my opinion, for a few reasons!

• I don’t like raw celery. It’s so strong! When I follow recipes for the classic, I just can’t stand that flavor. The crunch is good, but jeeze, the taste is so strong! No thank you!
• I don’t like raw onions. Again, they’re very strong! I see why we need them, but I just don’t like raw onions! Back in India, my family would have raw onion on the side with many dishes, such as with Masaledar Chana Dal, or yellow split pea soup. I was the only one who didn’t have the raw onion on the side! What can I say, it’s just not for me.

Those are the two main reasons why I don’t like the traditional sandwiches, though I know they are probably one of the most important ingredients! That’s okay, although we’re not going to use raw onions or celery in this recipe, this will still be extremely flavorful and crunchy! We’re just going to modify the classic my way!

To maintain that chicken salad-ness we know and love, I’m going to substitute the raw celery with celery salt. You’ve still got the essence of the celery there but it’s much milder! Additionally, I’m going to use green onion, and to keep the crunch factor in there, I’m adding grated carrots and a bit of chopped jalapeño pepper. For some awesome flavor, we’ll be using smoked applewood mustard! If you don’t have this, you can use regular Dijon mustard (I recommend organic!) or any Dijon mustard of your choice!

Ingredients

Let’s go over what we need to make this! Remember, all measurements can be found in the detailed PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD at the bottom of this post!

• Sliced bread of choice. Here I’m using country round bread, which has been my recent favorite! Other options I recommend are sourdough, rye or ciabatta.
• Chicken breast to make Simple Poached Chicken, or pre-cooked chicken. You can use leftover chicken from last night’s dinner, use some leftover rotisserie chicken you picked up from the store, or make the poached chicken fresh and then shred it for the sandwich.
• Condiments. Here we’re using sour cream, mustard, and mayonnaise. You could even make your own mayonnaise if you wanted to! The mustard I’m using is BBQ smoked Applewood mustard. I’m LOVING this mustard lately! Otherwise, any Dijon mustard will work!
• Herbs. I’m using green onions. This will add a nice tanginess and a bit of crunch that is usually found from using diced red onion!
• Jalapeño. For the crunch factor and to add a little bit of heat!
• Carrots. Shredded. Our main source crunchiness here, replacing the chopped celery and chopped onion that are traditionally used!
• Greens. I’m using a spring mix here, but you can use spinach if you’d like!
• Spices. A pinch of celery salt. This will replace the raw celery that’s not going in this recipe, but will still have that classic chicken salad flair!
• Seasoning. I’m using salt and pepper to taste.

How to Make This Chicken Salad Sandwich Recipe

1. If using raw chicken, poach your chicken, as described in my Simple Poached Chicken recipe. If your chicken is already cooked, skip to the next step.
2. With the help of two forks, shred the chicken and add to a large bowl.
3. Add rest of the prepared ingredients, jalapeño, carrots, green onions, mayo, sour cream, mustard, salt and pepper. Add celery salt if using as well.
4. Mix thoroughly to combine and taste to adjust for seasoning.
5. Evenly spread the mixture on one slice of bread and top with half the portion of greens mix. Top with another slice of bread and press down lightly.
6. Slice sandwich in half and serve right away, or chill in refrigerator to serve later.

Storing Leftovers