Ingredients
- 3 cups shredded or cubed cooked chicken (rotisserie)
- 1/4 cup Basil Pesto (recipe follows)
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 baguette, cut in half horizontally
- 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes (about 10 tomatoes), thinly sliced
- 1 cup tightly-packed fresh baby arugula leaves
Preparation
Step 1
1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the chicken, pesto, mayo, and salt. Taste for seasoning. (This can be done 1 or two days ahead.)
2. Preheat the broiler.
3. Place the bread, cut side up, on a baking sheet and toast under the broiler until crusty but not browned, about 2 minutes.
4. Spread the chicken salad evenly over the bottom half of the bread. Add a layer of the sun-dried tomatoes and then the arugula. Top with the remaining bread, and cut into 8 even sandwiches.
Basil Pesto
Makes about 1 cup
If you are making the pesto in advance, leave out the lemon juice until you are ready to serve — it will turn the basil brown.
* 1 clove garlic
* 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted (see Note below)
* 2 cups tightly packed fresh basil leaves
* Juice of 1/2 lemon, or more if needed
* 1/4 cup olive oil, or more if needed
* 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
* 1/4 teaspoon salt, or more if needed
1. In a small food processor, pulse the garlic and pine nuts together with the salt until finely chopped.
2. Add the basil leaves and lemon juice, and blend until the basil has begun to break down. Add the olive oil, and puree until the mixture is smooth and has the desired consistency, adding more oil if needed to break down the nuts and herbs.
3. Fold in the Parmesan and taste for seasoning. Add more salt and extra lemon juice as needed.
Variations:
# Basil-Parsley Pesto: Substitute 1 cup parsley leaves for 1 cup of the basil.
# Arugula Pesto: Omit the Parmesan, and substitute 2 cups arugula for the basil.
# Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto: Substitute 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes for the basil.