Chicken Tenders Sandwich

This is such a simple sandwich, but I’ve got some tips and tricks for turning it into an instant favourite (and a favourite for life!). Follow me…

Cheese-Crusted Bread

The only way bread can be improved is with a cheese crust, right? 😅. This is such a simple trick it’s almost rude not to do it. You’re essentially just melting Cheddar cheese in a pan and placing the bread on top. As the cheese melts and crisps up, it attaches itself to the bread. So long as your pan is non-stick and it’s over medium heat, it will attach, so have faith.

Could I not just melt the cheese under the grill?

Just to anticipate a possibly obvious question – yes, you can place the bread/cheese under the grill and cook it that way. However, here’s a few different reasons why I prefer the pan:

Extra crisp – The direct contact with the pan will make the cheese more crisp, and without burning the bread. Crust – You can create a small ‘skirt’ around the bread with the cheese. If you look at photo 4 below you’ll see the crispy, flaky cheese on the outside. You can make this even bigger if you’d like! Level – Opening the bread and placing it in the pan ensures both sides will cook at the same rate. I find sometimes if you slice it open and place it under the grill it’s difficult to get both sides completely level.

What kind of bread should I use?

I use soft white sub rolls, but you can use regular round rolls too. In fact most types of bread will work! Process shots: add cheddar to pan (photo 1), add bread (photo 3), melt cheese until it crisps and attaches to bread (photo 3), use turner to remove bread (photo 4).

Chicken Tenders Sandwich

There’s obviously a huge variety of fillings you could add to this sandwich, but here’s what I love:

Salad – I like tossing together some thinly sliced iceberg lettuce, pickles, spring onion and cucumber. Just work to preference with the quantities (you can also stack them separately). Tomatoes – I pat them with kitchen roll to remove unwanted moisture, then season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Tenders – Cooked as necessary then diced. You could leave them whole if they fit well already. Sauce – I go for a combo of Ranch and hot sauce.

The cheese will crisp as it cools. It’s much easier to fold fresh out of the pan, but it just depends on how crispy you want it. Process shots: add salad (photo 1), add seasoned tomatoes (photo 2), add tenders (photo 3), add ranch & hot sauce (photo 4).

What kind of chicken tenders should I use?

You can use store-bought or whip up your own! Here are some recipes for inspiration:

Dorito Chicken Tenders Crispy Baked Chicken Tenders Cornflake Chicken Tenders Spicy Fried Chicken Tenders Nashville Chicken Tenders

Can I use chicken nuggets instead?

Yes! Any breaded chicken will work great.

Can I make this ahead of time?

This needs to be fresh, otherwise it goes soggy and the cheese goes chewy.

Serving a Chicken Tenders Sandwich

This is a pretty hearty sandwich as it is, but you could add a Side to make it even heartier if you fancy! Some Wedges or Fries go delightfully 😋 Alrighty, let’s tuck into the full recipe for this chicken tenders sandwich shall we?!