Lazy Eats for a Lazy Gal

I am all about simplicity. Well, more accurately, I am all about laziness. Take showering, for example. If being smelly wasn’t offensive to people, I probably wouldn’t shower as much. I only shower every day because Hubs makes me. If I were living on my own, I’m sure I’d only bathe half as much as I do now. Gross, I know. Hey, medieval people only bathed twice a year and they were just fine. Anyway, my point is, I’m lazy, and if there’s an easy way to do something, you can bet I’ll figure it out. That’s why I love the internet so darn much; it’s a lazy person’s paradise. Shopping, entertainment, and information, all within two square feet. Awesome! Poor Hubs. He married a very lazy woman.

Even a lazy wife has to feed her hungry husband once in a while. Because I’m lazy, I’m also resourceful. I like cooking, but I love eating even more. Hubs says I’m one of the pickiest eaters he knows. What does a picky, lazy girl do when she’s hungry? She makes quick and easy recipes that are satisfying to the taste buds. Below is my take on an ultimate gourmet chicken sandwich for the ultimate lazy cook. Hubs thinks I’m preparing him a meal fit for a king and I get to make the easiest recipe next to instant ramen. It’s a win-win!

Kel’s Lazy Chicken Sandwich
Adapted from The Pioneer Woman’s recipe for Marlboro Man’s 2nd Favorite Sandwich

Ingredients (for two sandwiches):
Two chicken breasts (or one large breast that can be split into two)
6-8 mushrooms
1/2 onion
Creole seasoning
2 wheat hamburger buns
2 pieces of lettuce
2 slices of cheese of your choice (I like provolone, but swiss or jack would also taste yummy)
Condiments

Wash and pat dry a chicken breast and remove the fat with a knife. Make sure you have your left pinky finger sticking up in the air just like I do. It makes the meat taste better. Then, using the flat side of a meat tenderizer, flatten the chicken to about 1/2 inch thickness. When I get really lazy, sometimes I just slice the chicken breast in half sideways to get a thin piece of chicken that cooks quickly.

Next season the chicken very well with creole seasoning. You should be able to find this stuff at your local grocery market. I use this in everything, from jambalaya to chicken marsala. Yup, you heard right—chicken marsala with creole seasoning. (I’ll post the recipe for that soon.) The creole stuff really adds a kick of flavor to your dishes. Once you’re done seasoning the chicken, set it aside to marinate for a bit.

Now, take about four slices of bacon and cut them in half (this is for two sandwiches, so double if you’re making more). Then, add the bacon to the unheated pan and turn your stove to medium low (about 4 on a scale of 10). Let your bacon cook all the way through.

While the bacon is heating, slice the mushrooms.

Slice up the onions. You can leave them in long slices. No need to chop them up into small pieces, unless you want too. I’ve already told you guys that I’m lazy, so the less chopping I need to do, the better.

Now, remove the cooked bacon from your pan and let the pieces drain on a paper towel. If there’s a lot of fat left in the pan, drain some of it off. Leave about a teaspoon or so in the pan and add the onions. Leave them to cook until they begin to caramelize.

Then, add the mushrooms and saute them until they are cooked through and the water has mostly evaporated. Remove the onion mushroom mixture and set it aside.

Take your hamburger buns and spread a small amount of softened butter on them.

Add the buns to a clean hot pan with the inside down. You can skip this part, but I like to have a nice yummy crust on the insides. If you want, you can flip them and heat the outside part of the buns too.

Now, heat one tablespoon of oil in the pan. When the pan is hot, add your marinated chicken breasts. Cook them for about 3-4 minutes per side. If you’re using a pan without a non stick coating, you’ll know your chicken breasts are finished when a crust forms on the bottom and they easily release when you try to turn them over.

When your chicken is almost done cooking on the second side, add the bacon strips on top.

Then, add your slices of provolone or jack or mozzarella (or whatever cheese you like) plus the mushroom, onion mixture. Heat until the chicken is cooked through and the cheese has melted. When everything has finished cooking, take your buns and add the condiments of your choice. Layer with the lettuce leaves to top off your yummy lazy chicken sandwich.

Yum-O. The ultimate definition of an easy, tasty chicken sandwich. And it only took about 20 minutes to make. Let’s name it a lazy-girl chicken-wich, shall we?