Family Favorites: Grilled Chicken Parm Sandwich
I’ve partnered with Classico and Collective Bias to create this tasty Grilled Chicken Parm Sandwich. Seasoned chicken covered with pasta sauce and melted cheese…
It’s the ultimate 30-minute meal! #CollectiveBias #FamilyFavorites
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Do you ever stop and think back about the chapters in your life? There are those sayings like “one door closed and another opened” or “this was the beginning of a new chapter,” but have you ever stopped and actually thought about the different phases? It’s kinda fun to stop and reminisce!
For me, the chapters are pretty distinct. Ok, very distinct, and in hindsight the turning points are quite pronounced. There was my childhood in Charleston, SC where I dreamed that I was going to find pirate’s gold buried in my backyard. Then came high school and college in North Carolina before heading to grad school in Louisiana…where I quickly learned that college football is not just a game. It’s a way of life! Then there was Atlanta. Ah, Hotlanta. Except no-one who lives in Atlanta actually calls it Hotlanta (right, Shashi?). My wife and I met in Atlanta, so this chapter holds many special memories!
When my wife and I first moved in together, it was quite an adjustment for both of us. After all, we were used to living by ourselves…oh, and we each had a dog. All of a sudden, there were 2 of us and 2 dogs. We were both in grad school at the time…which meant that we kept some strange hours. After a long day of classes and work, the last thing we wanted to do was come home and spend hours in the kitchen. (We saved cooking adventures for the weekend!) My wife invented some pretty awesome weeknight meals, and this Grilled Chicken Parm Sandwich was one of my favorites!
Chicken Parm is typically fried, but we were trying to eat a little healthier, so we adapted this idea for the grill instead. It’s pretty simple. Start with some Italian-seasoned grilled chicken. Add some tasty pasta sauce. Top with cheese and then put the whole thing onto a toasted bun. This was the ultimate 30-minute meal…and I didn’t have to feel bad about what I was eating either!
The other day, I was cutting through the pasta sauce aisle at Walmart and I noticed the Classico Family Favorites sauces. They immediately reminded me of the Grilled Chicken Parm Sandwich that we used to make in Atlanta. Classico has always been one of our favorite pasta sauces, so I grabbed a couple of jars. Then I had an idea! I would make Grilled Chicken Parm Sandwiches for dinner…as a surprise.
My wife always texts me a few minutes before she leaves work, so I had plenty of time to pull this one together…and I was just finishing up as she walked in the door. (Although I usually grill the chicken, I ended up using a grill pan indoors this time since there were some pretty nasty thunderstorms in the area.) We spent the meal enjoying these delicious (and easy!) sandwiches and telling fun Atlanta memories.
Now it’s your turn! Think back about the chapters in your life. Do you have any meals that remind you of various times? If so, it might be time to get in the kitchen and recreate one of those recipes!
Grilled Chicken Parm Sandwich
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1 Tbsp Parmesan cheese grated
- 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 4 hoagie-style buns
- 1 cup Classico Family Favorites Traditional pasta sauce divided
- 4 slices mozzarella or provolone cheese
- 4 basil leaves optional
Instructions
- In a small dish, combine the olive oil, Italian seasoning and Parmesan cheese. Brush mixture evenly onto both sides of the chicken breasts.
- Using a grill (outdoor) or grill pan (indoor), cook the chicken over medium-high heat until fully cooked.
- Meanwhile, slightly toast the hoagie buns until edges just begin to turn crispy.
- Transfer chicken to a cutting board and cut into strips. Place strips in grill pan (or sauté pan) along with 2/3 cup of pasta sauce. Stir and continue cooking for 1-2 minutes on medium-low heat. Top with mozzarella slices and continue cooking just until cheese is melted.
- Using a wide spatula, transfer chicken onto hoagie buns.
- Top with additional pasta sauce and shredded basil leaves (optional) before serving.
I have to admit that as I head to becoming an empty nester, these are more of the kinds of dinners I’m planning to serve, substantial and tasty but not a whole ton of work. Looking forward to trying this sandwich, especially like that you didn’t fry the chicken.
Thanks, Karen! Yup, this sandwich makes a regular appearance for dinner in our house. It’s easy and loaded with flavor. We make extra chicken and then just make leftovers the next night…even easier! 🙂
Awww. this is just so sweet – you recreated a meal that she used to make for you back from yalls grad school days! And it sounds pretty fantastico! Chicken smothered in tomato sauce with basil and cheese (vegan in my case) is my jam! Speaking of jam – have y’all ever tried Chik-Fil A chicken biscuits with strawberry jam? If y’all haven’t – I know it sounds gross – but it is so good!
And yup – you sure are right – we cannot mention that 3 letter word before Atlanta! Besides -with highs in the mid 80’s this weekend, Atlanta doesn’t really qualify!!! I remember when my daughter was around 2, I had a rickety car with no ac and temps used to be in the 100’s, we used to get to the playground round 7am on the weekends and clear out round 11 with frozen yogurt cones in both her hands to keep her cool! Now that I have a car with a functioning ac – we don’t have temps in the 100s anymore – what gives???
🙂 Hope you and your lovely wife have a wonderful weekend, David!
Wait…chicken biscuits with strawberry jam? Are you serious? That doesn’t sound very appetizer at all, but I’ll have to give it a shot. I’m trusting you on this one! (But the fact that there are no Chik-fil-a’s up here in upstate NY will make that one a bit difficult…)
Mid-80’s…in August…in Atlanta. Woah! First it ices over in the winter, and then there’s this…crazy! My wife used to have an old car in grad school and the AC went out one summer. Needless to say, that car got traded in pretty quickly. And I can totally identify with the 7am playground trips! We used to get up on Saturday and do yardwork at like 7:30 just so that we were done by the time it got crazy hot. I don’t miss that part…but then again, I just traded it in for all the winter snow! Have a great weekend yourself, Shashi!! 🙂
Hmm… well it’s almost lunch time and I LOVE Classico sauce. I have cheese. Now to see if there is chicken in the freezer…this sounds yummy!
SueAnn
That’s one of our favorites, SueAnn! Whenever we’re tired and don’t feel like cooking much, we whip up one of these delicious sandwiches! Who said easy meals have to be boring?? 🙂
Perfect weeknight dinner! Love that you grilled the chicken!
Thanks, Jessica! This really is one of our go-to weeknight meals! 🙂
That looks like the perfect sandwich. I love how much sauce it has on it too.
Thanks, Dannii! That’s part of what makes this sandwich delicious…it’s good and saucy!
Oh wow David… I think I just figured out what I want to make for a meal this weekend! This looks fantastic!
Thank you so much, Kristen! This one is great for weekends…but even better for weeknights when you are tired and don’t want to spend time in the kitchen. (Like that ever happens for us, right?? Haha!)
Great write my friend! I am too a sucker for reminisce, so I can totally relate…
And I’m a sucker for Parmesan too (or Parmiggiano Reggiano as my Italian friends call it), so this sandwich is right up my alley! #WolfPackEats
I enjoy writing posts like this, Mike. It’s fun to stop and think back about stuff like this. And it’s even more fun when you’re munching on a yummy sandwich while reminiscing! Are you still in Europe…Brussels by now??
First of all, I love this healthier take on chicken parm sandwiches. My husband Loves chicken parm, so I will have to make these for him asap! Pinned!
Second, you are right, no one calls it Hotlanta here but sometimes I get this overwhelming desire to use it. Or “The A” even though I am not remotely gangster. Where did you go to college in NC? I went to Wake Forest, so, naturally, I am dying to know if you did too!!
Thanks, Lindsey! This really is one of our go-to weeknight meals when we’re just not in the mood to cook. 🙂
I forgot that you live in the ATL (another term that no-one who actually lives in Atlanta uses). Although, “the A” is totally acceptable. Word. I went to high school in Raleigh and then Duke undergrad. I guess technically we can’t be friends anymore, but I think we can unite over our common enemy in Chapel Hill? I miss North Carolina…it’s a great state!!
Boo Tar Heals. Several friends from my high school in MO went to Duke. Now it makes total sense why you didn’t figure out that Football is a way of life until grad school, because it’s not like Wake or Duke are known for their stellar football teams! lol My only claim to basketball fame is that I knew Chris Paul. End story.
I miss NC too. Winston Salem grew on me eventually!
Wow…that’s a pretty legit claim to fame. Do you still hang with Chris Paul when he comes to the A? 🙂 And yes, my basketball allegiances were set long before grad school…but football in Louisiana was just a bit different than football in North Carolina.
I think I could move down to Asheville or Brevard and be quite content! Maybe one day…