Name: chicken & brie ciabatta loaf
Ingredients: 1/4 cup mayonnaise; 1 tablespoon whole-grain Dijon mustard; 1 garlic clove, minced; 1 16-ounce loaf ciabatta bread, cut in half horizontally; 10 ounces slow roasted tomatoes, warmed; 3.5 ounces Brie cheese, sliced; 14 to 16 ounces warmed breaded chicken cutlets; 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil; 1 teaspoon aged balsamic vinegar; 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt; 2 cups baby arugula

Chicken cutlet meets roasted tomato. Brie tags along and it’s a marriage made in heaven. Introducing our Chicken & Brie Ciabatta Loaf.

At times, we all like to kick back and have a casual meal. Maybe you’re in the mood to have a bowl of your favorite soup. But would just like a little something special to go with it. Especially, if your friends are joining you.

A sandwich is just the thing but why mess with assembling multiple individual servings. Make a sandwich loaf …like this Chicken & Brie Ciabatta Loaf. Put the whole thing together, slice as you like and that’s it.

What’s the deal with ciabatta bread, anyway?

Ciabatta is an Italian bread that was first produced back in 1982 by Arnaldo Cavallari, a miller and baker in a small town close to Venice. At the time bakers in Italy were concerned by the popularity in the country with French baguettes and were afraid that they would endanger their business.

As a way to combat this, they set out to try to create an Italian alternative that would work for sandwiches. After weeks of trying and testing breads, the ciabatta came to be and consisted of a soft, wet dough with gluten flour. The new bread was registered for trademark by Cavallari and was called ciabatta Polesano for Polseine where he lived.

It was subsequently licenced to bakers in other countries. I don’t know about you guys but I am forever grateful to Arnaldo Cavallari for his creation.

What you see here is a roasted garlic ciabatta loaf that I purchased at my local market. Don’t you just love the artisan breads that are available to us these days?

When I’m making Chicken Cutlets for dinner, I always make extra. Always.

Slice some up to add to your next green salad. That salad will become a meal.
Top a few cutlets with mozzarella and marinara …add some pasta and you have dinner.
Heat some on a tray in the oven and use them to build an epic sandwich. Like here.

If you don’t have breaded chicken cutlets on hand, don’t worry. You can use the breast meat from a rotisserie chicken. You’ll still have a delicious combo.

You’ll begin building your creation with a layer of roasted tomatoes. If you have some on hand in the fridge, you’re good to go. If not, here’s the recipe for Ina Garten’s Slow Roasted Tomatoes. They are truly delicious …wonderful in a Caprese salad or added to an egg sandwich.

You may be short on time. If so, here’s a quicker version…

Heat a teaspoon of olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat.
Add 2 cups halved cherry or grape tomatoes. Sauté for about 5 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in 2 tablespoons aged balsamic vinegar.
Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Bake in a 300°F oven for 15 minutes. Keep warm.

Presenting our Chicken & Brie Ciabatta Loaf…

This is topped off with a creamy spread of mayonnaise and whole-grain mustard. If you’re not a fan of mayo, use the spread of your choice.

Assemble the loaf just before serving …it goes together easily. Be sure that the chicken cutlets are warm as well as the roasted tomatoes. The cheese is layered between the two and the resulting “melt” is wonderful.

chicken & brie ciabatta loaf

Chicken cutlet & roasted tomato topped off with yummy melted Brie. Add a layer of crispy dressed arugula and it's a masterpiece.

Servings 6 to 8 servings

Author Rosemary Stelmach

Ingredients

1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon whole-grain Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, minced
1 16-ounce loaf ciabatta bread, cut in half horizontally
10 ounces slow roasted tomatoes, warmed
3.5 ounces Brie cheese, sliced
14 to 16 ounces warmed breaded chicken cutlets
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon aged balsamic vinegar
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups baby arugula

Instructions

Combine mayonnaise, mustard, and garlic in a small bowl. Spread mayonnaise mixture evenly over the top half of the bread loaf.
Spread warm roasted tomatoes in a single layer to cover the bottom half of the bread loaf. Arrange sliced Brie over tomatoes. Top with warm chicken cutlets.
Combine 2 teaspoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add arugula and toss gently to coat. Top chicken with arugula mixture.
Cover with top half of the bread loaf. Cut loaf into 6 to 8 pieces. Serve immediately.

Recipe Notes

To make ahead of time: Assemble sandwich loaf without the arugula. Wrap in foil. Heat in a 275°F oven until warmed throughout. Add the dressed arugula just before serving.

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