Pulled Pesto Chicken & Caprese Sandwiches

These started with lots of our favorite flavors and ingredients – basil pesto! mozzarella! tomatoes! We are into a new groove with more in-person routines and special sandwiches make fast dinners – especially in September with some summer temps and some feelings of fall. Most of this can prep in advance and to make as sliders or full-sized sandwiches.

The Three Bite Rule - Pulled Pesto Chicken Sandwiches

I loved these! Admittedly – the kids weren’t wow-ed. They ate all the elements but didn’t care about them being together. Not every meal will be everyone’s favorite so I feel like they were still a winner if the kiddos were reminded that their beloved pesto doesn’t only show up on pasta.

Pulled Pesto Chicken & Caprese Sandwiches
Ingredients: (for 4 sandwiches or 8 sliders)

2 chicken thighs or breasts or rotisserie chicken
2 tablespoons basil pesto
4 rolls or 8 slider rolls
1/2 tomato
1/2 ball of fresh mozzarella
3 tablespoons creamy caesar dressing or garlic aoli or balsamic reduction drizzle (optional)

Directions:
Cook the chicken and when fully cooked through, pull it apart with 2 forks and mix in the pesto.
Toast the rolls (optional).
Slice the tomato and mozzarella.

The Three Bite Rule - Pulled Pesto Chicken Sandwiches

Spread the rolls with dressing or spread if using it.
Assemble the sandwiches with tomato, chicken, and mozzarella.
Enjoy!

The Three Bite Rule - Pulled Pesto Chicken Sandwiches

I had some sourdough rolls and some slider rolls and we had it with caesar salad which the first grader loves to “make”.

These flavors work so well together and I appreciate that a smaller amount of chicken goes further for sandwiches like this, versus serving whole cuts of chicken per person.

I’d eat these as little appetizer crostini or as wraps or grilled into a panini too! I threw some of the leftover pesto pulled chicken on top of some pasta to pack for lunch or it would be fine to freeze too!

Crispy Chicken Sandwich with Peach Topping

Sandwiches are the easiest dinner and was a hit for all of us! The kids were into it and I never expect everyone to like everything all the time. These were a good example of putting elements together the kids already know into a new combo. I thought they might dismantle and eat separately but they ate it as is- just less arugula!

The Three Bite Rule - Crispy Chicken Sandwich with Peach

Crispy Chicken Sandwich with Peach Topping
Ingredients: (for 4)

1 peach or nectarine
1 slice onion
1/2 tomato
1 green onion
1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon olive oil
~6 breaded chicken fingers
4 sub rolls
1 cup arugula
4 tablespoons honey mustard dressing

Directions:
Chop the peach, onion, tomato, green onion, vinegar, and oil. Stir well and refrigerate until serving.

The Three Bite Rule - Crispy Chicken Sandwich with Peach

Bake or air fry the chicken pieces until cooked through.
Assemble the sandwiches by lightly toasting the rolls, spreading honey mustard on, then adding the arugula, chicken and lastly the peach topping.
Enjoy!

The Three Bite Rule - Crispy Chicken Sandwich with Peach

I loved this! It was so fun and a great use for rolls we had from a sausage & peppers night and there’s always chicken kicking around here.

Add some avocado to the topping (mine weren’t ripe!) cheese would be good too!

The peach topping is so good- it is sweet and tart. Put it on a burger with smoked gouda! Put it on some fish tacos! Add it to a grain salad with avocado and pistachios! Use it to upgrade your turkey sandwich!

Chicken Piccata Pizza

We love anything on a pizza so some leftover chicken breasts had me thinking of chicken piccata and what better way than on a pizza! It was a low-pressure way to cook it and to see who will like it and the chicken and lemon sauce and parsley flavors seemed summery to be on a pizza!

The Three Bite Rule - Chicken Piccata Pizza

It would also be wonderful as a sandwich – or into a panini. Go for it!

Chicken Piccata Pizza
Ingredients: (serves 4 for 1 large pizza or 3 small pizzas)

1 ball of pizza dough (or on 3 pieces of naan)
1 chicken breast, cut into 2-3 pieces
4 tablespoons flour + 1 tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt & pepper
2 tablespoons butter + 2 tablespoons butter + 3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup lemon juice
3/4 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Directions:
Allow pizza dough to come to room temp – over a few hours.
Preheat a large skillet with 2 tablespoons of the butter & olive oil for pan frying over medium heat.
Pound the chicken out flat and stir together the flour, garlic powder, and salt & pepper.
Dredge the chicken pieces one at a time into the flour shaking off the excess then pan frying for ~3-4 minutes per side, flipping once. Check the internal temp with a meat thermometer – it should reach 165 degrees.

The Three Bite Rule - Chicken Piccata Pizza

Remove the chicken (without draining the pan) and set the chicken aside.
To the hot pan, add in the broth and lemon juice. Cook at a low boil for 5 minutes to reduce.
Add in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter + 1 tablespoon flour whisking continually over low heat for ~3 minutes then remove from the heat and let cool for 5+ minutes.
Chop the chicken.
Roll out the dough.
Assemble the pizza by spreading sauce onto the pizza dough (I used ~1/2 of the sauce). Then add the shredded cheese and then the chicken.
Bake (our pizza oven outside cooks pizza in ~90-seconds per pie, in the oven it might take ~20 minutes if the dough is par-baked, or 30 minutes from raw dough on a hot pizza stone).
Top with parsley & enjoy!

The Three Bite Rule - Chicken Piccata Pizza

We liked it! It was very, very lemony but bright and as pizza, it felt summery not being a heavy meal. The sauce was strong and while it wouldn’t be authentic (but I won’t tell anyone) if it was too much for you, you could also stir in a touch of cream or cream cheese or alfredo sauce (do that off the direct heat so the sauce doesn’t break).

The chicken was super juicy. That’s what a meat thermometer will do – no guessing to know if it is done! I know the 90-seconds in the pizza oven isn’t going to keep cooking, though 30 minutes in a high temp oven will!

We have enough sauce for another time. Or it would be good has a hot melty sub.

BBQ Chicken Rice Bowl

I love a rice bowl because of the customization options! The little ones always surprise me with what is a hit any particular day and the bowls ensure everyone has the same things- maybe more of some parts than others. The littlest was most into the chicken and the big one loved the grilled zucchini…who knew! These were only a slight variation from grilling a few things.

The Three Bite Rule - BBQ Chicken Rice Bowl

BBQ Chicken Rice Bowls
Ingredients:

1 cup brown rice
2 cups water/broth
1 tablespoon + 2 tablespoons BBQ sauce
4 chicken thighs
2 tablespoons mixed herb seasoning (we love Todd’s Dirt, or Italian seasoning, etc)
1 large zucchini
2-3 tomatoes
1 tablespoon Italian dressing
1 teaspoon honey

Directions:
Cook the rice (mine took 7 minutes in the pressure cooker – or it could be made in advance too). Then mix in 1 tablespoon BBQ sauce.
Preheat the grill.
Season the chicken with the dried herbs. Then slice the zucchini into coins and brush with olive oil on both sides.
Grill the chicken and when almost cooked through, add the zucchini to the grill for the last few minutes.
Chop the tomatoes and mix with Italian dressing.
Whisk or shake together the remaining 2 tablespoons of BBQ sauce with the honey.
Spoon the bbq rice into each bowl, then top with sliced chicken, zucchini, tomatoes.
Drizzle with honey bbq sauce and Enjoy!

The Three Bite Rule - BBQ Chicken Rice Bowl

Our kids tend to want things separate but I love love love the bites together. Letting them surprise us is always worth it. Grilled zucchini isn’t something we have all the time but they liked it. They do not love brown rice but I think the BBQ sauce made them a bit more into it, and we don’t try to please everyone all the time.

Avocado would be great in here, or corn, or greens, or cheese. The rice could be any grain or starch – farro or potlenta or orzo or couscous…go wild! I usually do a grain + a protein + 2 or more veggies + drizzle of something. I like contrasts of cooked and raw veggies. Here are others!

Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad

Such a fun way to have buffalo chicken and there’s lots of ways to customize yourself! I went mild on the spicy scale and below are lots of swaps to up the veggies.

The Three Bite Rule - Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad

Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad
Ingredients: (for 2 meals, or 4 sides)

2 cups pasta
2 breaded chicken tenders
2 cups arugula
1 tablespoon hot sauce
3 tablespoons blue cheese or ranch dressing

Directions:
Cook the pasta and the chicken and let cool to room temperature.
Chop the arugula.
Whisk together the dressing and hot sauce.

The Three Bite Rule - Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad

Mix together the pasta, arugula and dressing. Then add in the chopped chicken just before serving.
Enjoy!

The Three Bite Rule - Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad

Go as spicy as you like! I like minimal but you could really go for it by tossing the chicken in buffalo sauce AND making the buffalo dressing! To go super mild, the hot sauce could be totally separate and sprinkled on per serving.

To make in advance, keep the chicken separate but the rest could be mixed ahead of time. Greens get a little wilty but a few hours lead time would work, or mix the pasta & the dressing and add in the chicken and veggies before serving.

While I was into the simplicity of it but more veggies would be great. Cucumbers and bell peppers would be awesome. I detest celery but that’s a natural fit and maybe chunks of carrots.