some food is just happy food.
this chicken teriyaki + swiss sub sandwich is one of those foods.
it’s not exactly on the diet plan.
it’s a big indulgent {half a cup of ooey gooey shredded swiss on each sandwich!}.
but by golly, sometimes you just deserve to kick back, forget you know what calories are + simply enjoy every carby bite, amiright?
now, of course you can be a better person than me try to cut some cals here. maybe choose a flax wrap instead of a sub roll, opt for tofu instead of chicken or dial down the shredded swiss.. but trust me peeps, when this sandwich is made as the recipe instructs, it makes your tummy really happy.
let me walk you through it:
first, you whip up a homemade teriyaki sauce {see something good already! bye bye bottle!}. you then give sliced chicken breast, orange bell pepper + caramelized onions {next good thing – veggies!} the homemade teriyaki treatment.
then you lay down the teriyaki goodness onto a beautifully toasted sub roll, top it with tons of shredded swiss cheese {calcium! duh!} + bake it until it gets super soft + super cheesy!
have i sold you yet? maybe the crisp scallions {ahem, more veggies!} sprinkled over the top of the sub will put ya over the edge! ya? ya!
super delish, right?
another thing i love about sandwiches, is that most of the time, if it’s done just right, you don’t need anything on the side!
the perfect sub, like this one, will give you a hearty protein, power veggies, gooey cheese + that always needed crunch factor! all the boxes have been ticked! no extra sides needed! now, that makes for an easy meal.
these chicken teriyaki + swiss sub sandwiches would also be great picnic food! follow all the steps, keep ‘em rolled up tight in the tin foil, pack ‘em in an insulated bag + they should hold their heat as you get all settled in atop a blanket on knoll.
. . .i have never actually done that.
but after my fingers + subconscious just created that situation, i have to run to the store now, so i can follow that picnic plan for dinner tonight! hey! i may even add in a long walk to park – now that toasted sub roll totally doesn’t have a cal count!
god, i’m good!
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into strips
- 1 large orange bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- ½ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- ¼ cup dark brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 cup frozen pineapple chunks, {or ⅔ cup pineapple juice if not using a food processor!}
- 2 cloves garlic, {minced if you're not using a food processor}
- 1 tablespoon ginger, grated
- ¼ cup water
- 1½ teaspoons cornstarch
- 4 sandwich rolls, sliced in half
- 2 cups shredded swiss cheese
- 4 scallions, thinly sliced
- preheat the oven to 400º
- in a food processor {or large mixing bowl} combine the soy sauce, dark brown sugar, honey, vinegar, pineapple juice, garlic + ginger.
- in a small bowl whisk together the water + cornstarch until the cornstarch has dissolved. stream the cornstarch mixture into the soy sauce mixture. set aside
- heat a large skillet over high heat + add one tablespoon of sesame oil.
- once the pan is hot, add the chicken and stir fry for 3-5 minutes or until the chicken has browned + is cooked through. remove from the pan to a side plate.
- to the same pan add the remaining tablespoon of sesame oil. add the orange pepper + onion, stir fry for about 2-3 minutes until the veggies are just beginning to cook but are still crisp. remove from the pan to the plate with the chicken.
- next, add the teriyaki sauce to the skillet + bring to a boil, then reduce to the heat + add the chicken + veggies back to the skillet.
- toss everything until combined + simmer over low heat until the sauce has thickened - about 8 minutes.
- while the sauce simmers toast the rolls in the oven until lightly brown.
- to assemble, lay out 4 squares of aluminum foil + place a roll on each.
- open up the sandwich roll + top each with the teriyaki chicken, peppers, onions, 2 tbsp of teriyaki sauce + equal amounts of shredded swiss cheese. place top of sandwich roll back on.
- roll the foil around each sandwich, place on a baking sheet + bake for 10 minutes.
- if desired, open up the tin foil + brown each sandwich under the broiler for a minute or two, but watch closely, this goes so fast!
- remove sandwiches from the oven, unwrap from the foil, top each sandwich with sliced green onions + enjoy!
don’t have the teriyaki sauce ingredients on hand? in a hurry? you can easily swap in a bottled brand of teriyaki from the store to ease your mind! simply add the bottled sauce to step 4 of the chicken + peppers list!
the sub roll adds 180 calories per sandwich so the easiest calorie drop would be with this ingredient!
only cooking for 1? maybe only 3? make the full recipe + store the leftovers! mine kept for a week! chinese food is basically king of the leftover world.
i love additions – have fun with your sandwich! some grilled pineapple would be awesome laid right on top of the sandwich stuff! bell peppers of all colors are welcome too! and you know i’ve added sriracha to the teriyaki sauce {1 tablespoon right into the mix} for a beautiful heat kick in the pants!
ever notice that ginger roots are HUGE at the grocery store? a great way to get the most out of fresh ginger is to freeze it! first, you’ll want to peel the skin off + then simply store it in a ziploc baggie. when a recipe, like this one, calls for just a few grates of ginger, all you have to do is take it out of the freezer + grate away! SUPER simple trick!
sliced swiss is shown in the picture above but during my testing, i found that shredded swiss melts like a dream. if you can only find sliced swiss then i would use 4 slices per sandwich to really get the cheese effect the sub calls for. -k
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