Name: Texas-Sized BBQ Chicken and Cheddar Sandwiches
Total time: 30 min
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Southwest (Tex-Mex), US & Canada
Ingredients: 4 slices bacon, halved crosswise; 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds); Salt and pepper; 1 cup barbecue sauce; 1 minced chipotle chile in adobo; 1/4 cup water; 4 deli-style onion rolls, split in half; 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Why This Recipe Works

Just as how many things that are Texan in origin have larger-than-life reputations, this sandwich recipe does nothing by halves: It combines crisp bacon slices, sharp and nutty shredded cheddar cheese, tender slices of chicken breast, the smoky heat of chipotle chile in adobo sauce, and sweet-yet-tangy barbecue sauce, all encased in toasted deli-style onion rolls. This amalgamation added up to Texas-size flavor. We set aside 1 tablespoon of bacon fat in which to sear the chicken, adding another layer of flavor. The mixture of barbecue sauce, chipotle chile, and some water did double duty here as both a cooking medium for the chicken as well as a sauce for the finished sandwiches. The only thing these sandwiches were short on was time: They’re ready to devour in just 30 minutes.

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Fry bacon in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until crisp, about 4 minutes. Transfer to large plate lined with paper towels and pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat.

Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Cook chicken in bacon fat until browned on one side, about 4 minutes. Flip chicken and add barbecue sauce, chipotle, and water. Cover, reduce heat to medium, and simmer until chicken is cooked through and sauce is slightly thickened, about 8 minutes. Remove chicken from skillet and slice crosswise into 1/4-inch pieces.

Arrange rolls cut side up on baking sheet. Divide chicken among bottom halves of rolls and top with sauce, cheese, and bacon. Bake open-faced sandwiches in oven until cheese melts and rolls are golden brown, about 4 minutes. Top each sandwich with toasted roll top. Serve.