Chicken Cheesesteak

Even if I go to the grocery store with a list, I end up wandering the aisles.

And I usually go to the store with a list.

I’ve found that I’m generally in the minority when I say that I love grocery shopping. It’s one of my most favorite things to do. Not kidding in the slightest. The number lover in me loves comparing prices. I almost always do, but I don’t always choose the cheapest price per ounce, but it can definitely sway my decision.  The foodie in me just loves to see what’s out there. Sure, I want coconut milk, but what are all these new kinds? What’s that new yogurt that I’ll never buy? Oh, coffee samples why I shop? What new marinated kebabs are there? How many different types of plucots could there possibly be? I know I needed spinach, but there is a whole wall dedicated to greens. In case you were wondering, I ended up with the baby kale and spinach package.

Then there are the times where I’ll just go kill time over there. I can spend an hour in the grocery store, just checking things out, not buy anything, and go home happy. Man, I’m weird.

I picked up the ingredients for these cheesesteaks in record time. I hardly backtracked, and the only thing I didn’t buy on the list was some raw honey [that I’m eating on/in everything!]. Call me crazy, but I couldn’t find a whole wheat hoagie roll to save my life, so I went with a normal one. The bakery had run out of the bulk self-serve ones, so I picked up the four-pack. I really only wanted to make three, but I guess four would have to do. I took Jessica at How Sweet It Is’s recipe, and sorta cut it down to 2/3 the amount. Well, except for the cheese sauce. I made a whole thing of cheese sauce. Don’t judge.

Inspiration: How Sweet It Is

Ingredients

• 1.5lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• salt and pepper
• olive oil
• 1 green pepper, sliced
• 1 small sweet onion, sliced
• 8oz shredded sharp white cheddar cheese
• 1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1/2 tablespoon flour
• 2/3 cup half and half
• 4 hoagie rolls

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 400° and get out a large, oven proof skillet. Add a healthy tablespoon or two of olive oil, coating the pan, and heat to medium-high. Wash and pat dry the chicken thighs, cover them in salt and pepper. When the pan is hot, and a drop of water sizzles, arrange the thighs on the pan so they all fit in one layer. Cook for two minutes on each side before placing the pan in the oven to finish cooking for 15 minutes.

In another pan, lightly saute the green pepper and onion on medium-low in 1/2 to 1 tablespoon of olive oil [this depends on the size of your onion, really]. You just want to get them soft before removing them from the heat.

Melt the unsalted butter in a small pot, and whisk in the flour. Keep stirring, letting the flour soak up the butter and turn a dark caramel-y brown and become fragrant, about two minutes. Pour in the half and half, stirring to break up the flour and dissolve it. Add half of the shredded cheese, stirring until melted and creamy.

Shred the chicken or cut it into small pieces, depending on how you like your chicken. Make a layer of chicken on the bottom of your hoagie rolls. Top with a healthy pool of cheese sauce. Add the onions and peppers on top of the sauce. Finish with the shredded cheese. These should be positively overflowing. If you have extra filling, as I did, I’m sure you’ll be bummed to eat it while you heat up the sandwiches.

Wrap each sandwich in a square of aluminum foil tightly. Place on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 15 minutes, allowing everything to get gooey. Unwrap and eat!