Barefoot Bloggers: Chicken Caesar Club

Well, I didn't really follow this recipe exactly. I used some of Ina's ideas, but made this into a Chicken Caesar salad, rather than a sandwich. I just wasn't in the mood for a chicken sandwich for dinner the night I made this, but a big salad sounded great. I did serve it with garlic bread though, so it had all the sandwich elements just deconstructed a bit.
I liked this dressing a lot - but I think that is mainly due to the fact that I substituted olive oil for the mayonnaise. I have come to the conclusion that I don't really like creamy Caesar dressings. I'm more of a traditionalist and go for the oil-based Caesars. I did add one tablespoon of mayo to help bind it a bit, but that was all. My dad makes a great Caesar dressing with similar components (oil-based of course) but he uses raw egg. Being pregnant, I have to forego the raw egg, and fortunately it doesn't really seem to make much of a difference in consistency. Overall this made a simple, delicious supper! I've included the original recipe below. My basic changes were olive oil for mayo, plus 1 tb of mayo and, to make it a salad, a head of romaine and only 1 chicken breast. The prosciutto and sundried tomatoes were a great flavor addition to this salad so I included them, along with shavings of parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

Chicken Caesar Club
www.foodnetwork.com, Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten

•2 split (1 whole) chicken breasts, bone in, skin on
•Good olive oil
•Kosher salt
•Freshly ground black pepper
•4 ounces thinly sliced pancetta
•1 large garlic clove, chopped
•2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
•1 1/2 teaspoons anchovy paste
•1 teaspoons Dijon mustard
•1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
•1/2 cup good mayonnaise
•1 large ciabatta bread
•2 ounces baby arugula, washed and spun dry
•12 sun-dried tomatoes, in oil
•2 to 3 ounces Parmesan, shaved
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the chicken breasts on a sheet pan skin side up. Rub the chicken with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until cooked through. Cool slightly, discard the skin and bones, and slice the meat thickly. Set aside.

Meanwhile, place the pancetta on another sheet pan in a single layer. Roast for 10 to 15 minutes, until crisp. Set aside to drain on paper towels.

Place the garlic and parsley in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and process until minced. Add the anchovy paste, mustard, lemon juice, and mayonnaise and process again to make a smooth dressing. (Refrigerate the Caesar dressing if not using it immediately.)

Slice the ciabatta in half horizontally and separate the top from the bottom. Toast the bread in the oven, cut side up, for 5 to 7 minutes; cool slightly. Spread the cut sides of each piece with the Caesar dressing. Place half the arugula on the bottom piece of bread and then layer in order: the sun-dried tomatoes, shaved Parmesan, crispy pancetta, and sliced chicken. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and finish with another layer of arugula. Place the top slice of ciabatta on top and cut in thirds crosswise. Serve at room temperature.