Open-Face Chicken Cheesesteaks

A traditional cheesesteak is made with beef on a soft hoagie bun with melted provolone cheese. This revamped version swaps in chicken for steak and toasted sourdough for the bun. With a heaping addition of mushrooms, onions, poblano chiles and a creamy cheese sauce made from provolone and Gruyère, this is a hearty meal. If you like, serve these sandwiches with cups of hot tomato soup.

 

Open-Face Chicken Cheesesteaks

 

5 Tbs. (3 fl. oz./80 ml) olive oil

6 thin slices sourdough bread

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1 yellow onion, halved and thickly sliced

8 oz. (250 g) white or brown mushrooms, brushed clean and thinly sliced

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, about 1 1/2 lb. (750 g) total, thinly sliced

1 Tbs. unsalted butter

1 Tbs. all-purpose flour

2 cups (16 fl. oz./500 ml) whole milk, warmed

3 oz. (90 g) provolone cheese, shredded

4 oz. (125 g) Gruyere cheese, shredded

2 poblano chiles, roasted and seeded

 

Heat a grill pan over high heat. Using 2 Tbs. of the olive oil, brush each slice of bread on both sides with oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on the pan and cook, turning once, until nicely grill-marked, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Reduce the heat to medium-high.

 

In a large bowl, toss the onion and mushrooms with 2 Tbs. of the olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Place on the pan and cook, turning occasionally, until the vegetables are soft and browned, about 7 minutes. Transfer to a separate plate.

 

In another large bowl, toss the chicken with the remaining 1 Tbs. olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Transfer to the pan and cook, turning once or twice, until all the chicken is opaque throughout and nicely browned on both sides, about 8 minutes total. Transfer to the plate with the vegetables and cover to keep warm.

 

To make the cheese sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, blending well, for 1 minute. Slowly add the warm milk and cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce thickens, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the cheeses, stirring until melted and smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

 

To assemble, place a slice of grilled bread on each of 6 plates. Top each with a scoop of the chicken, mushrooms and onion. Cut the chiles lengthwise and top the sandwiches with a few slices. Finish each sandwich with a generous helping of the cheese sauce and freshly ground pepper, and serve immediately. Serves 4 to 6.

 

 

For more fresh ideas about how to prepare chicken, whether for a
quick family meal or an impressive weekend spread, check out our
Chicken Night: Dinner Solutions for Every Day of the Week.