Grilled Chicken Havarti Sandwich

My favorite Grilled Chicken Havarti Sandwich with Crispy Bacon, Arugula, Tomato and Mustard Mayo (Photo Credit: Adroit Ideals)

Grilled Chicken Havarti Sandwich. It’s one of my favorite sandwiches that is served at the Great American Restaurants Group. GAR locations are great for classy casual lunches and dinners. I’ve probably eaten 50 of those Chicken Havarti sandwiches over the years. We love the various locations including Arties, the different Sweetwater Taverns, Mike’s American Grill, Coastal Flats, and the Carlyle Grand Cafe. Consistently good food and consistently good service.

My favorite Grilled Chicken Havarti Sandwich with Crispy Bacon, Arugula, Tomato and Mustard Mayo (Photo Credit: Adroit Ideals)
My favorite Grilled Chicken Havarti Sandwich with Crispy Bacon, Arugula, Tomato and Mustard Mayo (Photo Credit: Adroit Ideals)

When I’d order the Grilled Chicken Havarti Sandwich it would come like this: Toasted bun with a grilled boneless chicken breast topped with a slice of melty Havarti cheese, a few strips of crispy bacon, some baby arugula, and sliced tomato. A mustard mayonnaise was slathered on the bun. That grilled chicken sandwich was probably my favorite sandwich for lunch.

They’ve changed the sandwich slightly these days so it’s not exactly the same as the original. The tomato was replaced by roasted red pepper, and the bun was replaced by thick white toasted bread. And I believe that they have removed the bacon strips.

The Chicken and Havarti Sandwich at Sweetwater Tavern, Sterling, VA (Photo Credit: SweetwaterTavernSterling)
The Chicken and Havarti Sandwich at Sweetwater Tavern, Sterling, VA (Photo Credit: SweetwaterTavernSterling)

As I’ve mentioned, we don’t eat at restaurants very often which inspires me to recreate restaurant meals at home. I’ve mostly recreated the original sandwich. I prefer a toasted whole grain bun to the toasted white icebox bread that is now used at the restaurant. And I don’t use the roasted red peppers in favor of sliced tomato.

I like to marinate the chicken in some lemon juice and olive oil before grilling. Marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator. Then, over medium heat, grill the chicken until cooked through in a grill pan. You can also use a BBQ grill.

Grill two boneless chicken breasts (Photo Credit: Adroit Ideals)
Grill two boneless chicken breasts (Photo Credit: Adroit Ideals)

Fry some bacon until crispy while you are grilling the chicken breasts. Drain the bacon on paper towels and set aside.

Crisp some bacon (Photo Credit: Adroit Ideals)
Crisp some bacon (Photo Credit: Adroit Ideals)

Toast the buns and set aside.

Toast the Buns (Photo Credit: Adroit Ideals)
Toast the Buns (Photo Credit: Adroit Ideals)

Mix together mayonnaise and a grainy mustard such as Maille.

Mustard Mayonnaise (Photo Credit: Adroit Ideals)
Mustard Mayonnaise (Photo Credit: Adroit Ideals)

When the chicken breasts have grilled to your liking and are fully cooked, remove them from the pan.

Grilled Chicken Breasts (Photo Credit: Adroit Ideals)
Grilled Chicken Breasts (Photo Credit: Adroit Ideals)

Spread some mustard mayo onto the toasted buns.

Spread a little Mustard Mayonnaise on the Toasted Buns (Photo Credit: Adroit Ideals)
Spread a little Mustard Mayonnaise on the Toasted Buns (Photo Credit: Adroit Ideals)

Place two slices of bacon on each of the bottom buns. Top the bacon on each sandwich with one of the grilled chicken breasts.

Place a Grilled Chicken Breast on the Bun (Photo Credit: Adroit Ideals)
Place a Grilled Chicken Breast on the Bun (Photo Credit: Adroit Ideals)

Fresh arugula and sliced ripe tomato are good fixin’s for this sandwich.

Fresh Arugula Leaves and Sliced Ripe Tomato (Photo Credit: Adroit Ideals)
Fresh Arugula Leaves and Sliced Ripe Tomato (Photo Credit: Adroit Ideals)

Add a Havarti cheese slice to each sandwich.

Whole Foods Market's 365 Brand Havarti Cheese Slices (Photo Credit: Adroit Ideals)
Whole Foods Market’s 365 Brand Havarti Cheese Slices (Photo Credit: Adroit Ideals)
Add a slice of Havarti Cheese (Photo Credit: Adroit Ideals)
Add a slice of Havarti Cheese (Photo Credit: Adroit Ideals)

And add the tomato and arugula.

Add the Tomato Slices and Arugula to the Sandwich (Photo Credit: Adroit Ideals)
Add the Tomato Slices and Arugula to the Sandwich (Photo Credit: Adroit Ideals)

And the sandwiches are ready to serve!

Chicken Havarti Sandwich with Bacon, Mustard Mayo, Tomato and Arugula, served with Corn on the Cob (Photo Credit: Adroit Ideals)
Chicken Havarti Sandwich with Bacon, Mustard Mayo, Tomato and Arugula, served with Corn on the Cob (Photo Credit: Adroit Ideals)

Enjoy!

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From the kitchen of A Food Lover’s Delight….

Chicken Havarti Sandwich

Ingredients:

salt and pepper
2 boneless chicken breasts
2 T lemon juice
1 T olive oil
2 T vegetable oil
4 slices bacon
2 whole wheat hamburger buns
1/2 c mayonnaise
1 T Maille grainy mustard
2 slices Havarti cheese
Fresh arugula leaves
1 medium ripe tomato

Method:

1. Sprinkle salt and pepper on the chicken breasts. Marinate the seasoned chicken breasts for at least 30 mins or overnight in the refrigerator with the lemon juice and olive oil in a Ziploc bag.
2. Heat the vegetable oil in a grill pan or heat a BBQ grill.
3. Grill the chicken.
4. While the chicken is grilling, crisp the bacon in a pan.
5. When the bacon is crispy, drain it on paper towels and set aside.
6. Turn on the broiler. When the broiler is ready, toast the buns until they are golden brown. Remove buns from oven.
7. Mix together the mayonnaise and the grainy mustard in a small bowl.
8. Spread the mustard mayo on the toasted buns.
9. When the chicken is cooked to your liking, remove the chicken from the grill pan or grill.
10. Place two slices of crispy bacon on each bottom bun.
11. Place a grilled chicken breast on the bacon slices on each sandwich.
12. Top the chicken breasts with the Havarti slices.
13. Add some arugula leaves and a few tomato slices.
14. And serve!

Makes two sandwiches. Offer with a vegetable such as corn on the cob or some seasoned oven fries. My Honey Mustard Baked Beans go well with this sandwich. Or try my Dill Potato Salad with Greek Yogurt. My veggie-laden Colorful Chopped Salad is another good option.

Variations: Try some honey with the mayonnaise instead of the grainy mustard. Substitute lettuce leaves for the arugula. Use chicken tenders instead of a chicken breast. Try turkey bacon instead of regular pork bacon.

Chicken Havarti Sandwich served with an Ear of Corn (Photo Credit: Adroit Ideals)
Chicken Havarti Sandwich served with an Ear of Corn (Photo Credit: Adroit Ideals)

Try Maille mustards with this three-pack selection from Amazon.com:

Get your own grill pan from Amazon.com. I have the regular version of this pan and I love it!

www.afoodloversdelight.com (Copyright Adroit Ideals 2015)

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