For the Football Folk

And...it's Sunday. Everyone's watching the football game except you. Why? Because you're in the kitchen - freaking out about what to make for lunch. "Why didn't my husband tell me people would be over during lunch?" "I haven't gone grocery shopping for two weeks!" "I'm too tired!" "Blah!"  Right? That's exactly what you're thinking. But wait! Rachel Ray has been making 30 minute meals all her life and she always makes some kind of 'sammy', so she's gotta have something I can whip up quick. 

It's true. She does.

Check out her Chicken and Gravy sandwich. You can buy a giant loaf of ciabatta bread and make four sandwiches at once. And you're likely to have everything else on hand - or easily comparable items.  I added some Muenster cheese, mushrooms and made some sweet potato fries and homemade apple sauce. All at once - yes, you can do it too. Hurry up - it's almost halftime!

Chicken and Gravy Sandwiches

Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray

Prep Time: 5 min

Inactive Prep Time: 15 min

Cook Time: 20 min

Serves: 4

Ingredients

2 to 3 lemons, juiced (enough to yield 1/4 cup)

1 teaspoon sugar or honey

Half a palmful finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

2 large or 3 to 4 small cloves garlic, minced

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

4 pieces boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups chicken stock

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 loaf crusty French bread or 2 batardes (shorter, slightly wider baguettes)

Directions

Heat the oven to low heat.

In a bowl, add the lemon juice, sugar or honey, parsley, garlic and extra-virgin olive oil. Stir to combine. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add to the dressing, turn to coat and let marinate for 15 minutes.

Heat a large skillet, broiler, grill or grill pan. Shake off excess marinade and cook the chicken for 6 minutes on each side. Remove to a cutting board, let rest for a few minutes and slice on an angle.

While the chicken marinades and cooks, add the butter to a sauce pot over medium heat. When the butter melts, stir in the flour, cook 1 minute, then whisk in the stock. Cook until thickened to a light gravy, about 5 to 6 minutes. Season with black pepper, remove from the heat and stir in the Dijon.

While the chicken cooks, crisp the bread in the warm oven.

Cut the bread into 4 portions and split or halve. Use tongs to dip the sliced chicken in the gravy and fill the rolls. Arrange on a serving platter and serve.