By Peggy Walker, R.D.

I don’t understand all the recent hullabaloo over chicken sandwiches, but then I don’t particularly like chicken sandwiches. My son Zachary thinks I’m pretty much a traitor to all things God and Country because I don’t like Chick-fil-a.

I do admire that company standing by its principles and being closed on Sunday and their ability to move three lanes of traffic around their building and through the drive-thru line as good as any school traffic person can direct buses, cars, and pedestrians at the same time.

But that doesn’t change the fact that I don’t like fast food chicken sandwiches.   

DW will eat a grilled boneless, skinless, tasteless chicken sandwich from anywhere, and claim that its good. How can it be?  I can hardly chew and swallow one.  What’s my beef about chicken sandwiches you might ask? Flavor.

While in Canada, I ordered a lightly breaded, oven baked chicken sandwich only because there were no “real” burgers on the menu, only chicken sandwiches and a plant-based burger they were promoting.  The Canadian teen taking my order was aghast when I asked her where was the beef.

When I visit my mother, she usually wants a KFC dinner with a crispy fried breast, creamed potatoes with gravy, that delicious slaw, and a biscuit.  That’s about the only time I eat fried chicken, unless it’s at a church potluck where it seems rather scriptural to indulge in something fried from the bountiful buffet. Since I’m confessing….

For the record: I do like barbequed chicken, smoked chicken, and moist flavorful (key words here) grilled chicken. I even like grocery store rotisserie chicken, chicken salad, and chicken on a salad.

And to be completely honest I do love fried chicken, but the health risks of a high fat intake have made me like it not so much.  And to continue my chicken confession, I have eaten Nashville hot chicken and loved it…once.  Hot…meaning make-you-sweat hot, and that’s an interesting story.

In the early 1900’s there was a Mr. Prince who loved women but had a wife who didn’t take to his extracurricular activities.  So she, being the vengeful kind, cooked up a batch of fried chicken and doctored it up with the hottest spices and flavorings she could find.  It looked wonderful when she sat the plateful in front of the philandering Mr. Prince.

He ate it up and exclaimed that it was the best fried chicken he had ever eaten and the rest is hot chicken history. I do hope Mrs. P enjoyed the fame and fortune that resulted, seems her revenge may have added a little kick to their marriage.  Prince’s Hot Fried chicken continues in Nashville today.

I was on a culinary tour of the Music City.  We ordered from the coolness of the tour bus, waiting until the very last minute to have a seat at the picnic tables under the walk up, cooled only by slow moving ceiling fans…it was 100 degrees that August day.

The sandwich looked like an extra-large chicken tender between two slices of white bread with a dill pickle on top.  Tennessee Ernie Ford would have exclaimed, “good gracious it was hot.”

The chicken was marinated in hot sauce for 24 hours; doubled dipped in a buttermilk-egg batter and breading of flour, paprika, cayenne pepper, black pepper, and the world’s hottest pepper, the Carolina Reaper.

And, if that’s not enough, a paste of lard and more hot spices was hand pressed into the hot fried chicken.  And actually it was pretty good, but not for the faint of heart.  Water didn’t help, it took more white bread to extinguish the burn.  So next time you’re in N’ville, go to Pepper’s or Prince’s if you dare and then let’s talk chicken sandwiches.

One more confession:  There is a grilled chicken sandwich I like and it was Nicholas’ favorite.  We haven’t had one in a while, but it seems like the right time now to enjoy this flavorful, moist, won’t-make-you-sweat but will make you forget fast food chicken sandwiches forever, delicious sandwich.   Here you go, try this one out on your crew.  The truth tastes good.

Recipe of the Week

Grilled Mexican Chicken Sandwich

Serve as a sandwich or open-face style, both ways just as tasty!

1 ½ tablespoons vegetable or olive oil, or combination

1 teaspoon minced garlic, or ¼ teaspoon garlic powder

2 teaspoons chili powder

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

1 ½ cups (6 ounces) shredded pepper jack cheese*

⅓ cup mayonnaise

8 slices sour dough bread or 4 hamburger buns

Combine oil, garlic, and spices. Coat both sides of chicken.  Grill 5 minutes per side or until cooked thoroughly. Combine 1 cup cheese (*or cheddar, Monterey jack, cheese for nachos, or mixture) and mayonnaise; mix well. Place bread around edges of grill; toast lightly.  Spread cheese mixture on toasted side of 4 slices.  Return to grill, cheese side up; cook 2 minutes or until cheese begins to melt. Place grilled chicken on top of melted cheese; top with salsa and sprinkle with remaining cheese.  Top with remaining bread slices.