Chicken Sandwich with Sun-dried Tomato Mayo & Pesto

Your kids are back in school. You’ve been working to build a routine as you rush between work, school and after-school activities. You’ve got to make something happen for dinner. Don’t pick up the phone and order carryout just yet. You can put a simple, healthy, no-cooking-involved meal on the table in no time.

The key to making a fast meal is knowing where you can safely and healthfully cut corners. Rotisserie chicken is a life-saver for anyone feeling strapped for time or just too tired to cook. Look for one with an ingredient list that just states “chicken.” You’ll be adding plenty of flavor to this sandwich and don’t need the calories from added fats and oils. Store-bought pesto is delicious and is a great stand-in for homemade pesto when your time is limited. And by simply adding chopped sun-dried tomatoes to olive-oil mayo and Greek yogurt, you’ve amped up the flavor with very little effort.

Since this dish is best served cold, you’ll first need to properly and safely cool the rotisserie chicken. This only requires a few steps. First, allow the chicken to cool slightly before shredding (so you don’t burn yourself). To shred the chicken, use two forks and pull the cooled chicken apart. Once shredded, spread out onto a large cookie sheet (this helps speed up the cool-down process). Once cooled, which shouldn’t take more than 30 minutes, cover and place in the refrigerator. No matter what, do not leave the chicken un-refrigerated for over two hours (only one hour if it’s over 90°F).


Chicken Sandwich with Sun-dried Tomato Mayo & Pesto

Recipe by Sara Haas, RDN, LDN

Ingredients

  • 3 cups shredded boneless, skinless rotisserie chicken, light and dark meat
  • 5 tablespoons finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil-based mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons Greek yogurt
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 2 tablespoons prepared pesto
  • 3 cups baby spinach
  • 12 small whole wheat rolls (about 1.5 ounces each), split in half and toasted

Directions

  1. In a medium mixing bowl, add the sun-dried tomatoes, mayonnaise, Greek yogurt and water. Stir until thoroughly combined. Add the chicken to the bowl and toss.
  2. On the bottom half of each roll spread ½ teaspoon of pesto. Top with ¼ cup of chicken mixture and a ¼ cup spinach then cover with the top half of the roll.
  3. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready to eat.
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Sara Haas
Sara Haas, RDN, LDN, is a Chicago-based dietitian and co-author of the Fertility Foods Cookbook. Read her blog, The Cooking RD, and connect with her on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.