Foodie Friday: Mexican Pesto Chicken Sandwiches

We have made it through yet another week, dear reader. This weekend is full of activities. Saturday, The Bibbed Wonder and The Bean will be live and in person at the Hannahstown Farmers Market. I will be attending the baby shower of my dear high school friend's daughter. How can we be grandmas already...mind blown! It will be good to see my friend and her family after almost a year. The fact that we message every day, keep in touch after forty years of friendship... again, mind blown!, and celebrate major milestones together makes my heart happy. We will also celebrate one bib overall, wearing wonder buns, and show our appreciation for all he is and does to make our lives better.  

This week, as with every week, the theme has been ease and simplicity in meal planning. My darling girl came home from church camp with a nasty virus that required prescriptions to keep her comfortable and help her ride it out. I made a large pot of chicken noodle soup to help her heal and give her some comfort. Because one bib overall wearing smart a** says that soup is not a meal, it's a lumpy drink, I had to create something more substantial to partner with the soup. 

We were gifted a container of Mexican Pesto from our neighbors at the Hannahstown Farmers Market, Cinco de Mayo Salsas. If you have never tried any of their fresh salsas, dips, or pestos, I highly recommend them. I purchased shredded rotisserie chicken from our local market, freshly made buns, banana pepper rings, and mozzarella cheese. I combined it all into one delicious sandwich that even a bib-overall soup hater found satisfying. I made him two sandwiches to pair with his soup. When he was finished, I asked him if he wanted seconds of the soup. He responded rather tersely, "NO! How about more sandwiches, though?" Sigh. 

I feel like this is one of those meals that isn't really a recipe, just a conglomeration of ingredients that came together easily and deliciously. So, I will simply write it in paragraph form. I began with fresh, soft sandwich rolls. On each roll, I slathered a healthy amount of the Mexican pesto. I then added the shredded rotisserie chicken, banana pepper rings, and topped it with a slice of mozzarella cheese. Finally, I placed the sandwiches under the broiler for a few minutes until they were toasty brown and the cheese was melted. That's it, dear reader. The result is a delicious sandwich that comes together in no time, feels a little more elevated than the usual turkey sandwich, and is satisfying. You could substitute this sandwich idea with whatever you have on hand. Homemade pesto would be delicious, or store-bought in a pinch. The chicken can be substituted for chicken or turkey luncheon meat. The cheese could be whatever you have on hand. It's a sandwich, I feel like you can't go wrong. Pair it with a satisfying and comforting homemade soup, and you've got an easy meal. 

On this mid-June Friday, stay safe, be smart, enjoy simple and delicious food, and keep washing your hands. Oh, and happy Father's Day to all the dads, papas, grampies, and those loved like dads. We appreciate you and all you bring to our world.