Chicken Salad Tea Sandwiches

Chicken Salad Tea Sandwiches

Overview

Instead of Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus, in the sandwich arena, it's more like Men Like Savory Food and Women Like Sweet Food. Sounds incompatible, doesn't it? Well, here's a recipe for chicken salad tea sandwiches that have both a slightly savory and a slightly sweet taste all at the same time. These sandwiches are delicious fresh and they stay delicious for several days after the party. Okay, they don't actually last that long. They are so good that the leftovers from the party will all be eaten within a day or two. Another way of putting this is that the ingredients in the salad marry well. Time passes and the flavor grows better--just like good marriages.

In fact, the sandwich is a metaphor for relationship. The bread symbolizes the two partners, who together must hold the sandwich filling inside. The filling symbolizes the real values in life--the meat of living. While bread is fine, it's the stuff in between the slices that makes life happier. Whenever we are in relationship with another person, we share the filling. In some cases the filling is God himself, for "Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God."

Recipe

4 - 5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (enough to make 4 cups chopped chicken)
1/3 cup McCormick Grill Mates Montreal Chicken Seasoning (optional)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup green olives
1/2 cup marinated artichokes (drained)
1/3 cup chopped sweet pickles (I use chopped sweet pickle relish - drained)
1/4 cup finely chopped sweet onions
1/3 cup feta cheese
2 teaspoons mustard
1 cup mayonnaise (I use Best Foods Light Mayonnaise)
Salt and pepper, to taste
Variety of good quality dense bread (Pepperidge Farm Thin White, cocktail bread, pumpernickle, soughdough)
Butter, softened

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Sprinkle the chicken breasts on both sides with Montreal Chicken Marinade and salt and pepper. (If you don't have Montreal Chicken Marinade, you can use garlic and onion powder.) Use a pastry brush to rub the olive oil on the chicken breasts. Put the chicken in the pan in a single layer and roast until the chicken is cooked through, about one hour and 10 minutes at 400 degrees. Remove from the oven and cool.

Chop the cooled chicken and put it into a large bowl. Add the next five ingredients and toss. Combine the mustard and mayonnaise in a small bowl and add to the chicken mixture until all ingredients are mixed well. Add salt and pepper to taste.

To assemble sandwiches, spread the fillings on top of the bread slices and cover with another slice. You may remove the ends of the crust and cut each sandwich in half, squares or circles. Arrange on a platter and garnish with a sprig of rosemary or some other herb.

If sandwiches will not be served right away, spread slices of bread with softened butter before you assemble the sanwiches.

Enjoyment

There's a saying, "Friendship needs no words, but it often desires many words, because friends delight in sharing." Inviting a friend over for a cup of tea and a handful of these sandwiches can produce a warm and friendly setting for some relationship bonding. When people share themselves (and some tea and sandwiches), they grow closer together and learn about each other. If you are feeling a bit lonely, or think that you don't know anyone in town, invite a neigbor over and serve some tea and these sandwiches. These are real conversation pieces. And the act of offering a neigbor (1) an opportunity to get out of the house and take a break from the burden of life, (2) food, (3) fellowship and friendship, and (4) a new recipe--all these will add to your own happiness. Besides, there is another saying, "Everything tastes better with a friend." So pour a couple of cups of tea and make a few of these sandwiches. Invide that person you want to know better and exchange some thoughts.

Commentary by Bob
My mother used to make finger sandwiches like these for the members of an organ owners club. I would cheer when I heard that tonight was club meeting night, because it meant at least three days of eating these really tasty sandwiches. Mom kept them in the bottom drawer of the refrigerator, covered with a damp cloth to keep them from drying out while in the fridge. It was the glorious time when that bottom drawer was filled with sandwiches, crusts cut off and nicely filled. The 8-year old could help himself to a sandwich or two when he passed by. My mom's extra labor in making more sandwiches than necessary created an inadvertent happiness in her son. So go ahead and add a little extra to the lives of those around you.

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